5 Nice Things to Say to Students Who Use AAC

Mama always said that if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.

True enough, but sometimes people who mean to be nice, need a little bit of guidance. If you’ve ever cringed when someone said ‘Good pointing’ or ‘Nice talking,’ well, you know what I mean.

Having SLPs in the classroom to support students who use AAC makes sense for many reasons. Among them is the opportunity to model appropriate interaction styles so that adults and non-disabled peers can learn by observation. With that in mind, we offer up some suggestions for great things to say to encourage communicative competence and self-esteem.

1. “I like what you said.”
2. “That’s a good way to say that!”
3. “Can you teach that to ___ ?”
4. “Here’s another way to say it.”
5. “Take your time. I’m not in a hurry.”

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