AAC Awareness Month: When Your Child Understands More Than They Can Say
October is AAC Awareness Month. A picture board or a speaking device is not giving up on speech. Here is who it is for, and what an evaluation in Greeley includes.
Direct answer: October is AAC Awareness Month. AAC means augmentative and alternative communication: any tool, besides speech alone, that lets a person get a message out. A picture board, a book of symbols, or a device that speaks when a child touches it. It is for children who understand more than they can say. It does not replace speech, and it is not a last resort after years of waiting.
The child who already knows what they want
You can see the idea land. They look at the thing they want. They pull you to the fridge, or to the door, or to a toy they cannot name. Then the word does not come, and the moment breaks. Families are often told to wait until speech arrives on its own. Waiting leaves the child with no way to say “that one,” “all done,” or “hurt” in the meantime.
That gap is what AAC is for. It is not a judgment that your child will never talk. It is a way for the message to get out while spoken words are still growing.
What AAC actually is
AAC is a range, not a single tablet.
- No tech. Gestures, a core-word board on the wall, a book of pictures you point to together.
- Light tech. A communication book with symbols, organized so the child can find “go,” “more,” “help,” and the names of the people they love.
- A speech-generating device or app. The child selects a word or a phrase and the device says it. Systems families hear about include Proloquo2Go, TouchChat, LAMP Words for Life, and PODD books. The name matters less than the fit.
A good match considers hands, vision, how much language the child already understands, and whether they can carry it between home and school. We are not tied to one company. The trial is the point: your child uses more than one option, and we watch which one they can succeed with now and still grow into.
It does not turn speech off
The fear is reasonable. If a device talks for them, will they stop trying? The research says no. AAC does not block spoken language. For many children it takes the pressure off a failed attempt, and they hear the word at the same moment they see the symbol. Some children say more after a system is in place. That is a pattern in the research, not a promise for one child. We will not tell you a device will make your child talk. We will tell you it gives them a reliable way to communicate while we work on speech.
What an evaluation in Greeley includes
At Front Range Speech, an AAC evaluation looks at how your child communicates today: words, gestures, leading you by the hand, and any system they already have. We look at motor access, hearing and vision as they affect the screen or the book, and how much language they understand versus how much they can produce. Then we trial systems. A written recommendation follows, with a therapy plan for modeling on the device at home and, with your consent, at school.
We see children, teens, and young adults from birth through 21. If the larger question is autism, ADHD, or something a psychologist should test, we refer. We do not diagnose autism here. Communication support can start while that referral is in motion. The service page is AAC device evaluation and therapy.
What to do at home before you have a device
- Respond to the reach, the point, and the look. Those are communication.
- Say the word they meant, once, without turning it into a quiz. “Milk. You want milk.”
- Offer two real choices instead of “what do you want?”
- If a school already has a board or a device, ask them to send the same page home. One system in two buildings beats a different picture set in each.
Will an AAC device stop my child from learning to talk?
No. AAC does not inhibit speech development. It gives a child a way to communicate while spoken language is still unreliable. Some children increase spoken words after they have a system, because they hear the word modeled. That is common in the research. It is not a guarantee for every child.
Does my child need an autism diagnosis before an AAC evaluation?
No. Limited speech is the reason to look at AAC, whatever the cause. Childhood apraxia, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism can all be part of the picture, and so can a language delay that does not have another name yet. If autism testing is the right next step, we refer. We can start communication support before that testing is done.
How long does an AAC evaluation take?
Usually one or two visits at 4645 18th St, Ste #200 in west Greeley. Park in the lot on the right side of the building. We review history, watch how your child communicates, and trial systems. If a speech-generating device is the recommendation, we help with the paperwork insurers ask for. Reading therapy is separate and is also available by secure video. AAC itself is in person, because the trial has to be in the child’s hands.
Speech Therapy Across Northern Colorado
Front Range Speech Therapy is an in-person pediatric clinic in Greeley at 4645 18th St, Ste #200. We see children, teens, and young adults birth through age 21 from about a 20-mile radius — including Greeley, Evans, Windsor, Johnstown, Loveland, Fort Collins, Berthoud, Firestone and Carbon Valley, and Mead. Reading and literacy intervention is also available nationwide by telehealth.
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Ready to Talk Through Your Child's Needs?
Call or text (720) 798-6930 or apply to become a patient. Tell us how your child gets a message out today. We will tell you honestly whether an AAC evaluation at Front Range Speech Therapy is the right next step.
This article is educational and does not replace an individualized evaluation or medical advice.