If your child is not speaking, or is speaking far less than other children their age, you may have come across the term AAC and wondered what it means for your family. AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication, and it covers all the ways a person can communicate when speech alone is not enough. This guide explains what AAC is, the myths worth letting go of, and how to get started in Ireland.
Key takeaways
AAC means augmentative and alternative communication, any method that supports or replaces speech, from gestures and pictures to apps and dedicated devices.
AAC does not stop a child from talking. Research consistently shows it can support spoken language rather than hinder it.
There is no minimum age or set of skills a child must have before starting AAC. Earlier is generally better.
AAC includes low-tech options like picture boards and high-tech options like tablet apps and speech-generating devices.
A CORU-registered speech and language therapist can assess your child and help match the right system to their needs.
Modelling, using the AAC system yourself as you talk, is one of the most powerful things you can do at home.
What AAC actually means
AAC is an umbrella term, not a single product. It refers to any tool or strategy that adds to speech or replaces it when speaking is difficult or not possible.
The "augmentative" part means adding to existing speech. A child who speaks a little but is hard to understand might use pictures or an app to fill the gaps. The "alternative" part means replacing speech entirely for a child who does not speak at the moment.
AAC is often divided into two broad groups:
Unaided AAC: communication that uses only the body, no external tools. This includes gestures, pointing, facial expression, and sign systems such as Lámh, the signing system widely used in Ireland for people with intellectual disabilities and communication needs.
Aided AAC: communication that uses something external. This ranges from low-tech tools like a laminated picture board or a communication book, to high-tech tools like a tablet running a communication app or a dedicated speech-generating device.
Most children who use AAC end up using a mix. A child might sign for some things, point to pictures for others, and use an app for longer messages. This is normal and healthy. We all use more than one way to communicate.
Who uses AAC?
AAC can help anyone who finds spoken communication difficult. For children, the most common reasons include:
Autism, particularly where a child is non-speaking or minimally speaking
Developmental conditions and intellectual disabilities
Cerebral palsy and other physical conditions that affect the muscles used for speech
Genetic conditions such as Down syndrome or Rett syndrome
Severe speech sound difficulties where the child has plenty to say but cannot be understood
Importantly, a child does not need a particular diagnosis to benefit. If your child has things to communicate and cannot do so reliably through speech, AAC is worth exploring.
The myth that holds many families back
The single most common worry parents raise is this: "If we give my child a device, will they stop trying to talk?"
This is one of the most studied questions in the field, and the evidence is reassuring. Research reviews have found that AAC does not stop speech developing. In fact, for many children, AAC is associated with gains in spoken words. The reason makes sense. AAC reduces the pressure and frustration around communication, gives the child a model of how language works, and lets them practise putting messages together. Communication success tends to build more communication.
Waiting for speech to arrive before offering AAC can cost a child months or years of being able to express themselves. There is no evidence that withholding AAC encourages talking, and plenty that it leaves children frustrated and shut out of conversations.
Low-tech and high-tech: what is the difference?
Low-tech AAC needs no battery or screen. Examples include:
Picture cards a child hands over or points to
Communication books with pages of symbols organised by topic
A simple alphabet board for a child who can spell
Visual schedules and choice boards
Low-tech tools are cheap, robust, and always available, even at the beach or in the bath. Many therapists start here, and many children use low-tech tools alongside a device for the rest of their lives.
High-tech AAC uses electronics, usually a tablet or a dedicated device, running communication software. When the child selects symbols or words, the device speaks the message aloud. This is called a speech-generating device. High-tech systems can hold a huge vocabulary, support full sentences, and let a child say things they could never fit on a single picture board.
There is no rule that high-tech is better than low-tech. The best system is the one the child can use successfully and that the people around them support.
One well-known approach: PECS
You may hear about PECS, the Picture Exchange Communication System. It is a structured, low-tech approach where a child learns to hand a picture to another person in order to make a request, then gradually builds up to longer messages and commenting. PECS is widely used in Ireland and can be a useful starting point for some children, particularly around early requesting. Many children move from PECS to a wider communication system, including high-tech options, over time. A speech and language therapist can advise whether it suits your child.
How AAC works in Ireland
In Ireland, AAC assessment and support usually involves a speech and language therapist. Routes include:
HSE services: children's disability services, often through the Children's Disability Network Teams (CDNTs), can assess communication needs and recommend AAC. Waiting lists can be long, which is a real source of stress for families.
Schools: special schools and special classes often use AAC, and visiting therapists may support its use in the classroom.
Private and online speech and language therapy: many families work with a private CORU-registered therapist to get started sooner, or to add support alongside HSE services. AAC coaching translates well to online sessions, because so much of the work involves guiding parents to model and use the system at home.
Funding for high-tech devices can come through different routes, and your therapist can talk you through current options. Plenty of effective AAC, including app-based systems on a tablet you may already own, is relatively low cost to begin with.
What you can do at home
The most powerful thing you can do is something called modelling, sometimes described as "aided language stimulation." It simply means using your child's AAC system yourself while you talk to them. If your child has a picture board or an app, you point to the symbols as you speak, showing them how messages are built. Children learn spoken language by hearing thousands of words. AAC learners need to see their system used in the same way.
Other practical things that help:
Keep the system available all the time. A device or board that lives in a cupboard cannot be used. Communication happens everywhere, so the system needs to travel with your child.
Model without pressure. Use the AAC yourself during play, meals, and routines without constantly quizzing your child or demanding they use it back.
Respond to every attempt. When your child communicates in any way, respond as if it mattered, because it does. This builds the message that communicating works.
Add a little. If your child points to "juice," you might model "want juice" or "more juice," gently showing the next step.
Be patient with pace. Selecting symbols takes longer than speaking. Give your child time to find and choose their words.
Common questions from parents
Is my child too young for AAC? No. There is no minimum age. Babies and toddlers communicate long before they talk, and AAC can be introduced early.
Is my child too disabled, or not disabled enough? AAC is not reserved for any one group. If communication through speech is difficult, AAC can help.
Will people understand my child? That is part of the goal. A spoken message from a device is clear to everyone, and low-tech symbols can be understood by anyone nearby.
What if my child only uses it to ask for things at first? Requesting is a normal starting point. Over time, with modelling, children use AAC to comment, ask questions, protest, joke, and connect, the full range of why any of us communicate.
The bottom line
AAC is not a last resort or an admission that speech will never come. It is a bridge that lets your child communicate now, reduces frustration for everyone, and, far from blocking speech, tends to support it. Whether your child uses gestures, a picture book, an app, or a combination, the aim is the same: giving them a reliable way to be understood and to take part in the conversations of family life.
If you think your child could benefit, a good next step is an assessment with a CORU-registered speech and language therapist who has experience in AAC. They can match a system to your child, coach you on modelling at home, and help you navigate HSE and funding options. The earlier a child has a way to communicate, the sooner they can show you everything they have to say.
References
Related on Lingo
Online speech and language therapy in Ireland, with no referral or waiting list.
This article is based on current peer-reviewed research and clinical guidelines. It is intended for informational purposes and does not replace professional clinical advice.