As the school year comes to a close, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have so much on their plates. Between IEP meetings, progress reports, and rearranging speech schedules around end-of-the-year field trips and parties, sometimes prepping our AAC devices for summer break can fall through the cracks.

No worries—we are here to help! We’ve created an End of the Year AAC Checklist to set your AAC user and their family up for success this summer. It will also help you hit the ground running when it’s time to go back to school in the fall!

Tip 1: Back Up Your User’s Vocabulary🔗

Back up your user’s vocabulary to DropBox. Backing up your vocabulary regularly is important in case the vocabulary gets deleted, or if the device gets broken or lost. The end of the school year is the perfect time to make sure we have a current backup in case we need it later!

You can find backup instructions for many of our most used speech apps on Support Hub. If you need support backing up your vocabulary or have questions about an app not listed, you can reach out to our SLP Empowerment team for help.

Tip 2: Record Usernames and Passwords🔗

Record relevant usernames and passwords for each AAC user. Create a username and password document to share with the user’s family so they have all the information they need to use their AAC device over the summer.

Be sure to keep a copy of the document for yourself for the next school year too!

Tip 3: Check That Families Have Necessary Equipment at Home🔗

Check that families have QTF equipment at home. If they are missing essential equipment like a charger or shoulder strap, they can order one using the accessory form.

Bonus: they can also use the accessory form to order a waterproof AquaDefender pouch for their QTF—so they are ready to take their device to the pool, lake, or even out in the sprinklers this summer!

Tip 4: Ensure Speech Apps Are Up to Date🔗

Connect the QuickTalker Freestyle to school Wi‑Fi during the last week of school to ensure that any iOS or speech app updates are completed before the end of the year.

If families have Wi‑Fi at home, encourage them to connect the device to those networks as well to ensure updates keep rolling in smoothly all summer long.

Tip 5: Provide AAC Practice🔗

Provide AAC practice. Share summer AAC practice ideas with families to encourage device use over the break! AAC modeling can be built into daily routines, as well as into special summer activities.

Families can use their AAC to label actions at the park, comment on flowers on a walk, or make requests at the ice cream shop!

Tip 6: Encourage Families to Join Able Families🔗

Encourage families to join ableFamilies! This is a parent-run group for families of AAC users and is a great place to find support, hear from other parents, and get new AAC ideas for summer break!

They will be sharing new ideas and resources throughout the summer! You can even bring your kiddo along to one of the ableFamilies events hosted locally.

End of the Year, But Not the End of Progress🔗

Building our users’ confidence with their AAC systems does not end when the school year does. To help you communicate important AAC information with families, we’ve created a ready-to-fill-out letter template for you with resources included!