Teacher Newsletter Augmentative Communication: Explaining AAC to Families

AAC devices can feel unfamiliar and even unsettling to families who have not encountered them before. A newsletter that explains what AAC is, why it was recommended, how it works, and what families can do at home transforms a device that might feel foreign into a tool the whole family understands and actively uses to communicate with their student.

Define AAC clearly and broadly

AAC is not just high-tech devices. "Augmentative and alternative communication includes everything a person uses to communicate besides natural speech. This includes high-tech tools like speech-generating devices and tablet apps, low-tech tools like picture exchange boards and communication books, and no-tech methods like gestures, facial expressions, and sign language. Most people use multiple AAC modalities. Our goal is to give your student the most effective and comprehensive communication system available, which maximizes their ability to communicate with anyone in any setting."

Address the 'giving up on speech' concern

Many families receive an AAC device recommendation with the fear that it means the school has given up on their student developing speech. Be direct about the evidence. "Research consistently shows that AAC does not prevent or delay speech development. It often supports it. When students have a reliable way to communicate, their motivation to communicate increases and the frustration of failed oral attempts decreases. Many students who use AAC develop spoken language over time. Providing an AAC device is not giving up on speech. It is supporting communication by every available means while speech continues to develop."

How to use AAC at home

Give families specific, actionable guidance. Treat the device as your student's voice. When they produce a message on the device, respond to the content of the message as you would if they had spoken it. Do not require speech attempts before honoring a device message. Model using the device yourself: point to symbols as you talk about them. Create communication opportunities: offer choices, ask questions, pause and wait for a response. Give your student enough time to navigate the device and produce their message without jumping in.

The 'wait time' rule

AAC users navigate a communication system that requires more motor planning than speech. Wait time is critical. "After asking a question or presenting a choice, wait at least 30-60 seconds before prompting again. This can feel like a long time, but it is what your student needs to locate the right symbols and produce their message. Do not finish their message for them unless they signal they need help. Providing adequate wait time is one of the most important things a communication partner can do."

Template: AAC newsletter section

"Augmentative Communication in Our Classroom Some students in our class use AAC devices to communicate. These devices are not a replacement for speech , they are a way to communicate while speech is still developing or for students who need a different modality. How you can support at home: treat the device as your student's voice. Give them time to produce their message (30-60 seconds) without filling in the words. Model pointing to symbols as you talk. Contact [SLP name] at [email] with any questions about your student's AAC system or device. Device tutorial: [link]."

Celebrate communication in all forms

A newsletter about AAC is also an opportunity to reinforce a values message for the whole school community. "Communication happens in many forms. Our school celebrates every student's voice, whether it comes through speech, a device, sign, pictures, or gesture. Every communication attempt deserves a response. Every message deserves to be heard." This message benefits the culture of the whole school, not just students using AAC.

Daystage makes it easy to send AAC newsletters with embedded device tutorials and ASHA resources so families can support communication at home from the first day they receive this newsletter.