02/10/2026
October is AAC Awareness month 💬 Every child deserves a way to communicate
For some children AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) can be an important part of finding their voice and expressing what they want, need, think and feel. AAC can come in many forms and includes all the ways someone can communicate when speech alone is not enough. It can include :
🤙 Gestures and signs
📸 Photos and symbols
📖 Communication books and boards
👀 Eye gaze and switches
📱AAC apps and speech generating devices
But AAC is so much more than having a communication system available. Children need regular opportunities to use it, and the adults around them need support and the confidence to model and encourage it to be used. Some families may need additional guidance and practical support to understand and implement AAC in everyday life and Portage practitioners can play an important role in supporting families to build communication opportunities into everyday routines, play and interactions — helping children have meaningful opportunities to communicate in ways that work for them.
“If AAC learners only see symbols modelled for them twice a week for 20–30 minutes, it will take them 84 years to have the same exposure to aided language as an 18-month-old has to spoken language.”
— Jane Korsten (source: Jessie Ginsburg, Sensory SLP)
This powerful statistic highlights why AAC needs to be available throughout a child’s day, not just during a structured session or appointment and why it is essential to build parent and carer confidence to use it frequently.
🌟 Every child is unique. Every child should have the opportunity to express themselves. Let’s raise awareness of alternative communication methods that helps every child be heard.
