How to Start Teaching Literacy Skills to AAC Users

Watch the YouTube version of this post here.

The reality with any AAC system is that we can only program so many words into a device. Inevitably, we can’t possibly know or program every word an AAC user might want to use. 

That’s one of the reasons having an AAC system with a built-in keyboard is so important, and in order to use that keyboard, we need to teach AAC users literacy skills. 

All children, regardless of their disability, CAN be taught how to read and write. 

If you’re looking for a deep dive into this subject, I highly recommend listening to Kim Albrecht’s podcast LOMAH in which she does a 12-part series following the book Comprehensive Literacy for All by Karen Erickson.

Here are some ideas if you’re not quite sure how to get an AAC user started with literacy: 

Set up a regular time for shared reading

Find your child’s favorite book, sit down and read together. You don’t have to get caught up in reading all of the words on the page. You can simply talk about what you see. The focus should be on having a meaningful and positive interaction with your child where there are lots of communication opportunities. 

Teach letter sounds and names

During shared reading, you can also start building out letter sounds and names. This can be done by highlighting a specific word or letter on a page and opening up a child’s keyboard to type it. We can do lots of talking about letters and sounds so a child can begin to understand these concepts.

Start practicing independent reading and writing

We need to start cultivating a child’s interest in reading and writing. This can be done by scheduling specific times to practice. Make sure your child gets to choose what they want to read or write about.

If your child struggles sitting and reading traditional books, you can try using digital books where the text is read out loud. You can even try short video clips on YouTube with the closed captioning on. We want to give kids motivating experiences with text in whatever modality they’re most interested in. 

If your child isn’t able to hold a pencil or doesn’t enjoy the process of writing, then you can have them write using a keyboard or alternative pencil. 

When it comes to independent writing, it’s important not to tell a child what to write or to have them copy or trace words. We want them to write completely independently and give them feedback on whatever they put on paper. 

When we are thinking about our literacy instruction, there are two things to keep in mind: 

Choose activities that have an authentic purpose

Make sure we’re doing reading and writing activities that have a goal -- not just worksheets and busy work.

Follow a child’s lead

If you let a child decide what they want to read and write about, they are more motivated and invested in learning to become better readers and writers.

Would love to know what you think...

Leave a comment below or you can reach out to me on Instagram @rachelmadelslp - I’d love to hear from you!