I know my child’s AAC device is important, but I just don’t know how to use it at home.
First of all, please know that this is okay. In fact, you aren’t alone! Many parents, caregivers, family, and friends comment on this exact issue. Often, we see concerned caregivers feel like they are failing because they just don’t know where to start. Well, we’re here to tell you, “take a deep breath, you are doing a great job for your child!”
We all know that home is different from school, and it’s so so so important to remember that! Routines, interactions, structure, and relationships all shift when we are at home with our loved ones. We can guarantee that your child is communicating in so many ways, it may just not be through using the device!
So where do we get started?
When we want to start using AAC in the home, what we often find is that it’s best to create a new routine, a new interaction, or a new plan. One that your therapist, you, and the AAC user work together to create. By starting something new and interesting, we can easily find ways to incorporate AAC that will be successful.
It’s important to remember that something different drives each of us; some of us may love to read a book on the couch, some of us love to camp outside, some of us love the heat of summer while others are counting the days to Halloween. Think of what is important to the AAC user, what brings a spark to their eyes and start there! It may be baking together, it may be doing puzzles, or reading a book.
There is no one size fits all communication and at UTP, we individualize our plans so that the AAC user wants to communicate. Our AAC users, family, and loved ones feel confident using communication, and together we partner to find communication success!
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