[Quick Tip] AAC Doesn't Hinder Speech & Language Development
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Why do some professionals think AAC might hinder speech development?
AAC doesn't hinder speech and language AAC doesn't hinder speech and language AAC is so great and we don't need to wait to introduce it AAC doesn't hinder speech and language That song is especially dedicated to a family I was just having a conversation with We just had a dad in our clinic this morning and he said, this is great. We're so excited, but we are very worried about getting his other therapists on board. They just do not seem like they think AAC is the next right step for this child. And that is what sparked this. So let's talk about why AAC is great, why AAC does not hinder speech and language development. In fact, it actually facilitates speech and language development.
What's up, everyone? And welcome to Making the Shift for Autistic Kids.
We're an SLP couple from California with four boys.
And we're here every week to bring you neuro-affirming tips, tricks, and tools. Are you ready to make the shift? Let's do this.
It is no surprise when you think about it that we are met with so much resistance when it comes to AAC. Because in theory, I totally understand where people are coming from.
How does the convenience of AAC compare to spoken language for kids?
I totally understand why parents or other professionals would feel like, why would my kid use spoken language when they have this super fun device in front of them to communicate with? Okay, but the thing is, I've said this once, I will say it again. Kids are always going to do what is easy and convenient. If it is easier and more convenient for them to communicate on their AAC, they are going to do that. But if it is easier and more convenient for them to communicate with spoken language, they will do that. Okay, imagine I... said to you every time you wanted to talk to your friend, you had to call them and talk to them on the phone. You can't text anymore. At some point, you're going to be frustrated, right?
Because it's way more convenient for you to text. You might be thinking, okay, I want to invite this person to dinner, but I don't want to be on the phone for 20 minutes, right? Or I want to tell my mom... What's new in my life, but I'm not ready to have an hour-long conversation right now. I just want to send a quick text, right? You want to do what's easy.
What examples show AAC helping children start speaking?
You want to do what's convenient. There are times when you prefer to communicate in other ways, and there are times when you just want to do the quickest possible thing. So we have to think about what is easy and convenient for our kids, right? If I just handed you a device and I said, you can't use spoken language anymore. You have to communicate on this. That's going to be really frustrating for you because it's hard to learn it, AC. It takes time. And you probably just want to be able to use your spoken language, right? So think about a child. There's the difference between a lot of kids, for example, will wave hi and bye until they say it. And then a lot of times when they start saying the words, they drop the gesture, right?
And we see that a lot, you know, with kids who are learning baby signs as well, just like as a supplemental way to communicate. And we see that with AAC too. Because for a lot of our kids, once they develop the spoken word, that might be an easier and more convenient form of communication for them. So they're going to rely on it.
How can AAC support teens who run out of energy using spoken language?
So I'm going to share with you a few different kids that we have seen in our clinic make massive changes progress in their communication all starting with AAC okay the first is this little boy who came in he had just gotten an autism diagnosis or it was right around that period of time but he was still under two we started showing him the clinic device his parents got the device they were like the kind of parents who were just like so on board with everything they were incredible and carried over everything we did in sessions and within six months he was using the device with tons of different you know phrases that we had programmed into it he was a gestalt language processor so he was using the device with a ton of different phrases and he was starting to use spoken words as well right so that was right around like maybe he was two and a half when that started
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Why do some professionals think AAC might hinder speech development?
0:00–1:28
2
How does the convenience of AAC compare to spoken language for kids?
1:28–2:39
3
What examples show AAC helping children start speaking?
2:39–3:44
4
How can AAC support teens who run out of energy using spoken language?
3:44–5:34
5
What range of outcomes have clinicians observed with AAC use?
5:34–6:43
6
Why does research say AAC actually facilitates speech and language growth?
6:43–6:59
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from The NeuroAffirm Podcast
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Ep. 121 The Biggest Sensory Mistakes SLPs Make
Ep. 120 Why Anxiety is So Common in Autism (And What Actually Helps)