Kicking Down Barriers for AAC Use in the Classroom
| Barrier | Solution |
| Device not charged | Establish daily charging routines and charging stations. |
| Unsure of what to model | Pick one word to model a day or a week. Ask SLP for activity ideas. |
| Student “not using it” | Increasing modeling, reduce pressure to respond, make opportunities fun and meaningful. |
| Limited Vocabulary | Expand vocabulary by modeling new words or adding on to what the student already says. If the student selects “eat” for any and all snacks, begin modeling “eat + ___” (the specific option.) |
| Device difficult for certain places | Use low-tech solutions like core boards or symbol cards. Think about accessories for the device to make it more portable. |
| Student only requests | Intentionally model other functions of communication and set up opportunities for things like commenting, greeting, or protesting. |
| Student talks during quiet times | Provide and teach clear expectations. Teach when it is appropriate to “talk” vs when to be quiet |
| Student stims on device | Stimming often serves a purpose. Create stimming friendly times/places and try to naturally respond! |
| Overwhelmed by different systems | Focus on shared core words of all devices. |
| Device is too complicated to navigate | Focus on one word at a time. Start with modeling words on the home page. |
| Fear of “doing it wrong” | Modeling mistakes helps the student learn how to repair those! |
| Using device for other things | Dedicated device means unrestricted access. |
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