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131 results for "AAC"
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Are AAC and PECS the same thing?
No. AAC is the broad term for communication that supports or replaces speech. PECS is a specific trademarked teaching programme using picture exchange. Our printable cards are general resources and do not constitute that programme.
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Are picture communication cards a type of AAC?
Yes. Picture cards and boards are low-tech AAC. They are one option within a wider range of communication methods, rather than a complete assessment or prescribed programme.
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Does my child need certain skills before starting AAC?
There are no required age, thinking or language milestones for considering AAC. A child does not have to prove that they understand a small set of pictures before someone explores a fuller system with them..
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Is AAC only for nonspeaking autistic children?
No. Children who speak can also use AAC if speech does not reliably meet their communication needs. It may be useful in some situations or throughout the day.
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What is AAC?
AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication — any method that supports or replaces speech, from picture cards and signs to speech-generating apps and devices. Using AAC is real communication, and it can sit alongside.
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What is the difference between low-tech and high-tech AAC?
Low-tech AAC uses physical materials, such as a picture board or a book. High-tech AAC uses electronic tools, such as an app or a dedicated speech-generating device. Gestures and signs need no equipment. A child.
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What should I ask at an AAC assessment?
Ask how the system will fit your child’s communication, movement, vision, hearing and languages. Also ask who will help family members and school staff use it. The public AAC guide explains the speech and language.
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Which AAC app is best for autism?
There is no single best app for every autistic child. Ask for an individual assessment and opportunities to try systems before buying. Access, vocabulary, languages and support matter more than a product ranking.
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Will AAC stop my child from talking?
AAC does not mean giving up on speech. It can support communication and language development while speech continues to be supported. Outcomes differ; no card set or app can promise that a child will speak..
- Guide
AAC for autistic children: a parent’s guide
Understand AAC for autistic children: picture cards, communication boards and speech devices, how to start, and what to ask a speech and language therapist.
- Template
First words (core)
The most useful starting words — yes, no, more, help, stop, all done.
- Answer
Give your child a reliable way to communicate
There are several routes, and many children use a mix (this is called augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC): Picture communication cards — point to or hand over a picture for a need. Easy.
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How can home and school support the same communication system?
Agree how the child can access AAC throughout the day, who will support it, and how adults will respond to messages. Communication matters during play, breaks and transitions as well as lessons. ASHA describes collaboration.
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Speech therapy and occupational therapy
Two supports are widely recommended and broadly accepted: Speech and language therapy (SLT) helps with communication — understanding language, spoken words, and alternative methods like signs, picture cards and AAC devices. SLT supports all communication,.
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Supporting communication early
Communication is often the top priority, and there's so much you can do: All communication counts — gestures, pointing, leading you, sounds, pictures. Use tools alongside talking — signs, picture cards and AAC support spoken.
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Communication
Nonspeaking communication, AAC, picture cards
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At what age can I start a visual schedule?
There's no fixed age — many children benefit from toddlerhood onward. For very young children, start with a simple first-then board and real photos. Older children can use longer schedules or written checklists alongside pictures.
- Guide
Autism and Special Interests: Why They Matter (and How to Use Them)
Why autistic children develop intense special interests, why they're a strength not a problem, and how to use them to support learning, communication and calm.
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Autism Communication Cards: A Parent's Guide (Free Printable)
What picture communication cards are, how to use them with an autistic child, and how to make your own free printable cards at home — step by step.
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Can anxiety cause meltdowns?
Yes, very often. A meltdown is what can happen when overwhelm — including anxiety — builds past what a child can manage. It isn't a choice or a tantrum. Lowering background anxiety with predictability, reduced.
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Can autistic children have tantrums too?
Yes. Autistic children are still children, and they can have ordinary tantrums about screens, sweets or bedtime like anyone else. Being autistic doesn't turn every outburst into a meltdown. Many children have both,.
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Can communication tools reduce meltdowns?
Often, yes. A lot of meltdowns come from not being able to express a need. Giving your child cards or a device to say "help," "break" or "too loud" can head off frustration before.
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Can I help my child before they're diagnosed?
Absolutely. You don't need a diagnosis to support communication, set up visual schedules, reduce sensory stress, or use picture cards. Many parents start at home straight away — our free Parent Toolkit is built.
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Can I help my child before they're diagnosed?
Yes — and you should. A diagnosis unlocks certain formal services, but the everyday supports that help autistic children don't need one. You can start visual routines, picture-based communication, calmer sensory spaces and gentler meltdown.
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Can I make communication cards for free?
Yes. Our card builder lets you choose symbols or your own photos, edit labels and download a printable PDF without an account.
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Can I prevent autistic burnout?
You can't remove all stress, but you can stop it building to breaking point. Reduce how much your child has to mask by pushing for accepting environments, build regular recovery into daily life, and watch.
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Can I use pictures in a social story?
Yes, and it usually helps. A photo or symbol on each page makes the story easier to follow, more engaging, and simpler to revisit. Real photos of the actual place or people can be especially.
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Can my child be diagnosed with PDA?
PDA isn't a standalone diagnosis in the main diagnostic manuals, so whether and how it's recognised varies by area and clinician. Some teams describe a child's autism with a demand-avoidant profile; others may not use.
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Card builder
Build printable communication cards
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Communication and conflict
Teenagers pull away — that's developmentally normal, and it doesn't mean you've lost them. With an autistic teen, a few adjustments keep the channel open when ordinary conversation feels like too much. Lower the pressure.
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Communication and meltdowns
A lot of distress for non-speaking children comes from not being understood. Giving your child a way to express "help," "all done," "too loud" or "I need a break" can prevent many frustrating moments before.
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Communication book
DIY assembly guide
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Communication passport
A passport for professionals (dentist, hospital, new staff) — how your child communicates and what to know.
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Could my daughter's anxiety actually be autism?
It can be both. Autistic girls are frequently identified first through anxiety, low mood or eating difficulties, with the autism underneath going unnoticed. The anxiety is real and deserves support, but it's worth asking.
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Does a speech delay mean my child is autistic?
Not on its own. Speech delay has many causes, including hearing problems. It's worth getting hearing checked and speaking to a professional. Autism is considered when delays appear together with differences in social communication.
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Does using pictures or a device stop a child from talking?
No. This is one of the most common myths. Giving a child a reliable way to communicate supports language development and reduces frustration — it doesn't replace speech. Keep talking and modelling words alongside.
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Does using pictures or signs stop a child from talking?
No — this is a very common worry, but the evidence points the other way. Gestures, signs, picture cards and communication devices support spoken language rather than replacing or delaying it. They reduce frustration, strengthen.
- Guide
Echolalia: Why Does My Autistic Child Repeat Words and Phrases?
What echolalia is, why autistic children repeat words and scripts, whether it's a concern, and how to support communication through it (gestalt language).
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Familiarise your child
Fear of the unknown is usually the biggest source of anxiety. The more the new school feels known and predictable before September, the calmer the first day will be. Turn the unknown into the familiar.
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Finding the trigger and the message
Once you accept that aggression is communication, you become a detective. The aim is to work out what need the behaviour is meeting so you can meet that need a better way. Keep a simple.