Guides
AAC Guides & How-Tos
Practical, plain-language articles for anyone setting up or supporting an AAC device or app. Free to read, no account needed.
Getting Started with AAC: A Guide for Families
What AAC is, how it helps, and the practical first steps for families and caregivers introducing a communication device or app.
6 min readGetting started · AAC evaluationRead guide →How to Add or Edit a Button on Your AAC Device
A general walkthrough for adding, labeling, and customizing buttons, with notes for TD Snap, TouchChat, Proloquo2Go, LAMP, and Grid 3.
5 min readAdd a button · Edit a buttonRead guide →Fixing Eye-Gaze Calibration and Tracking Problems
Practical checks for when an eye-gaze device stops tracking accurately — lighting, positioning, calibration, and dwell settings.
5 min readEye gaze · CalibrationRead guide →Choosing the Right AAC App or Device
A framework for comparing AAC options by access method, vocabulary, platform, and budget — without getting lost in marketing.
6 min readChoosing AAC · TrialsRead guide →Lock an iPad to One AAC App with Guided Access
Step-by-step setup for Guided Access on iPad and iPhone, so an AAC app stays open and other apps and settings stay out of reach.
4 min readGuided Access · Keep an AAC app openRead guide →Understanding Motor Planning in AAC
Why some AAC systems keep words in a fixed place, what motor planning means, and how to customize these systems without breaking them.
5 min readMotor planning · VocabularyRead guide →Switch Access and Scanning: Getting Started
How switch access and scanning work, the difference between one- and two-switch setups, and the key settings (scan pattern, speed, and acceptance time) to get right.
6 min readSwitch access · ScanningRead guide →AAC in the IEP: What Families Can Ask For
How assistive technology fits into a US special education plan, what to put in the IEP, and why the device should go home every day.
7 min readIEP · school teamRead guide →Paying for an AAC Device: Insurance, Medicaid, and Loans
The usual steps to get a speech-generating device funded in the US, what the SLP report does, and where to borrow a device to try first.
7 min readfunding · MedicaidRead guide →Communication Partner Strategies Beyond Modeling
Simple habits that help AAC users talk more: waiting, creating reasons to communicate, asking open questions, and honoring every way they communicate.
6 min readcommunication partner · wait timeRead guide →Multilingual and Bilingual AAC: Using Your Family’s Languages
Why AAC users can and should communicate in their family’s languages, and what to look for in bilingual vocabularies and voices.
5 min readbilingual · multilingualRead guide →When Your AAC Device Breaks: A Backup Plan
What to have ready before a device breaks, what to tell support when you call, and how to keep communicating while it is being repaired.
5 min readbroken · crackedRead guide →