Get Ready: 28 Ways to Improve Communication with AAC Users in February

It’s almost February and and we were thinking about ways to encourage communication in a fun and meaningful way for the whole month.  The best way we know is to build a visual language environment by providing lots of AAC modeling (Aided Language Input-ALI) and by using lots of visual supports. Here are some ideas to expand opportunities and/or to get started. We would love to know what works, what doesn’t, and any other ways you build visual language into everyday experiences.

1. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to say ‘I Love You’ . Make it part of a routine
2. Offer learners a book choice board/choice book when deciding what book to read in speech-language therapy/classroom/home
3. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to tell how you feel when something is hard or difficult for you
4. Use a ‘stop sign’ symbol to indicate an off limit area
5. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to describe an exciting event
6. Have a sign in sheet for ALL students to sign in to their session (can be adapted to sign in for class or a specific home activity). You can use writing, a name stamp, a sticker, or any other means of ‘writing’
7. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to say ‘Great Work ‘
8. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to talk about a favorite song
9. Read an adapted book
10. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to ask questions about the book
11. Have a communication display for answering open ended questions about a book
12.  Have Learners use a choice board to tell about the people/animals/things you love
13. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to tell a story about love
14. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to discuss reasons people love each other
15. Use pictures/photos to write a story about an exciting event
16.  Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to ask ‘where’
17. Use a place choice board to decide where to go for ‘free time’
18. Use Aided language Input (ALI) to talk about ‘when’ to do an activity. Use a schedule or calendar to visualize the ‘when’
19. Use a rating scale to decide together the difficulty of an assignment or task
20. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to talk about a ‘wish’
21. Use a mini-schedule to show the steps for a new game
22. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to talk when playing a game together
23. Offer a game choice board to decide what game everyone should play
24.  Use a visual support to show ‘how many’ of a non-preferred task a student needs to complete before getting a break
25. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to tell that you are mad and why
26. Make a list of items needed for an upcoming activity or event
27. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to tell that you are happy and why
28.  Use a monthly calendar to write (pencil, keyboard, stickers, symbols, stamps) in all the special events for March

Have fun building a visual language environment!