Augmentative and alternative communication
Augmentative & Alternative Communication
Augmentative and alternative communication — AAC — is any way of communicating that adds to or replaces speech. That might be signs, picture boards, or a speech-generating device. Every child has something to say, and AAC is about making sure they can say it.
What this therapy supports
- Finding the communication method that suits your child
- Learning to use a device, board or signs in everyday life
- Communicating across home, school and the wider community
- Growing from single words toward longer, freer expression
- Supporting speech alongside AAC, not instead of it
Signs your child might benefit
None of these mean something is wrong. They are simply the things families often notice before getting in touch.
- Your child is non-speaking, or speaks in ways most people do not understand
- Speech is unreliable, or harder on some days than others
- They are frustrated by not being able to get a message across
- They already gesture, point or lead you to things to communicate
- You have been told to wait and see, and waiting does not feel right
What a session looks like
A common worry is that AAC will stop a child talking. Research does not support that — access to communication tends to support speech rather than replace it, and it gives your child a way to be understood right now.
We start by trying options together, then build the tool into daily life. Sessions include the people around your child, because AAC works when everyone in a child's world knows how to respond to it.
Where this happens
In our Pleasanton clinic
A calm, sensory-rich space set up for play, with equipment your child may not have at home.
In your home and community
Therapy where your child already lives and plays, using the routines and spaces that are familiar to them.
Online
Sessions and family coaching by video, useful for guidance between visits or when travel is difficult.
Our other services
Questions about cost, scheduling or what to expect? Read our FAQs.
Ready to talk it through?
A free consultation is a conversation, not a commitment.