Is your child communicating differently from other children?
There are many ways to communicate.
We support children who use AAC, are nonspeaking or minimally speaking, or communicate through gestures, signs, sounds, scripts, and other unique ways. We work with each child’s existing communication and strengths to build reliable, meaningful, and authentic ways to express themselves, connect with others, and participate in everyday life.
Who Can Benefit?
AAC & communication support may be helpful for children who:
- Use AAC, such as a speech-generating device, communication app, or picture-based system
- Are nonspeaking or minimally speaking
- Communicate primarily through gestures, signs, sounds, or body movements
- Use scripts, echolalia, or learned phrases as part of their communication
- Have difficulty expressing their wants, needs, thoughts, or ideas
- Become frustrated when others do not understand what they are communicating
- Are developing communication in ways that differ from typical developmental expectations
- Are autistic and communicate in unique or unconventional ways
- Need support learning to use AAC more consistently and effectively
- Would benefit from a more reliable way to communicate across people and settings
- Want to expand their communication while maintaining their own authentic communication style
- Have a communication difference alongside other developmental, learning, or physical differences
Photo: "Adam using AAC" by Scot Wahlquist is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
In-Home or Virtual?
Which setting would work best for my family?
home
In-Home
In-home therapy may be a good fit for children who communicate best in familiar surroundings or whose communication goals are closely connected to everyday routines. Being in your child’s natural environment also allows us to support communication with the people, activities, and situations that are already meaningful to them.
computer
Virtual
Virtual therapy may be a good fit for families who want access to our unique expertise but live outside our local in-person service area, or who prefer the convenience of working from home. Sessions may involve live coaching with your child present, reviewing video recordings of you and your child together, parent consultation and education, or a combination of these approaches.
Our Approach
Individualized AAC Support:
- We support low-tech and high-tech AAC, based on each child’s communication needs.
- We have experience with speech-generating devices and communication apps, such as: TouchChat, Proloquo2Go, and Proloquo.
- We support picture-based communication, communication boards, signs, gestures, and other AAC systems.
- We help children use AAC to communicate wants, needs, ideas, feelings, and connections with others.
- We support families who are introducing AAC, as well as children who already have an established system.
Helping to make AAC Work in Everyday Life
- We model AAC during play, routines, and everyday interactions.
- We help caregivers create more opportunities for communication throughout the day.
- We support children in using AAC across people, activities, and settings.
- We help families understand and respond to their child’s communication.
Collaborative AAC Support
- We collaborate with specialized AAC clinics and multidisciplinary teams, including teams such as those at ErinoakKids, when appropriate.
- We support carryover of AAC systems and strategies recommended by another team.
- We collaborate with school teams to support consistent AAC use in the classroom and across settings.
- We help families and other communication partners feel confident using their child’s AAC system.
Relationship-Based & Neurodiversity-Affirming
- We use DIR®/Floortime™ principles to inform our work with children who benefit from a relationship-based, play-focused approach.
- We follow each child’s interests, strengths, and motivation to build communication and connection.
- We respect and support all forms of communication, including AAC, gestures, signs, sounds, scripts, echolalia, and spoken language.
- We focus on communication that is reliable, meaningful, and authentic to each child.
Photo: "AAC: Printed Speech Board, SmartBox" by Shell Bell is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Communication Should Be Accessible to Every Child
Helping children communicate in ways that work for them.
We support children in developing communication that is reliable, meaningful, and authentic to who they are. Whether your child uses AAC, spoken language, gestures, signs, or a combination of communication methods, we’re here to help them connect, express themselves, and participate more fully in everyday life.
