Videos & Mini Lessons

AAC from day one, presented by The Adaptive University. In this lesson, you'll learn what to check when your child doesn't select a picture, how to model a useful message, and how to respond when their next action changes what you thought they meant. Let's watch Ari and look at the decisions behind the adult's response.

AAC means augmentative and alternative communication: ways to support communication alongside speech or when speech isn't meeting someone's needs. Gestures, pictures, and speech-generating devices can all play a part. Children don't have to master a picture board before a device can be considered.

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In AAC From Day One, we watched Ari's communication and the adult's response. Now let's look closer. Two children may both leave a picture untouched, yet need very different support. We'll follow an emerging communicator and a child with strong understanding whose speech doesn't express everything they want to say.

An SLP separates speech, language, and access. Speech is how we produce spoken words. Language is how we understand and express meaning. Access is how we select a message. Limited speech doesn't establish a child's intelligence. And nobody needs to prove an IQ score, picture-matching skill, or readiness before AAC can be considered.

On-screen closing invitation: Continue this lesson. Get the full lesson and companion guide. Color and printer-friendly editions, transcript and captions included. One-time purchase. Scan the QR code or visit theadaptiveuniversity.com/videos.html. LEARN · GROW · INCLUDE · BELONG.

In our previous lesson, we explored why a child might leave a picture untouched. In this lesson, you will learn how to support saying no, asking for help, and sharing ideas—with communication that fits the child.

From an SLP perspective, the question is: what does this child need to express, and how can they express it reliably? Little speech does not tell us how much a child understands. Children with significant intellectual disabilities also deserve communication beyond requesting. They do not need to pass a readiness test before receiving AAC.

Watch Ari during bubbles. Ari is still learning what pictures mean. Her family recognizes pushing the wand away as a familiar refusal. The adult stops blowing immediately and says, “You want me to stop.” She models STOP on her accessible communication system. Ari does not have to copy her to make the bubbles stop. She is pairing a useful message with its real effect. If turning away is unfamiliar or unclear, she can pause and say, “Maybe you need a break,” then observe. A single glance is not proof of a choice.

On-screen closing invitation: Free preview complete. Continue with the full lesson: AAC Beyond Requests. The complete 4-minute lesson plus color and printer-friendly guides. Purchase the full lesson and guides at https://theadaptiveuniversity.com/videos.html.