The top 5 AAC blogs and why they matter
There are many wonderful AAC blogs available today that offer exceptional value to readers. Some are practitioner focused and center their content around communication professionals. Others are anecdotal written by family members of those with communication needs.
In both cases the content published and shared offers insight into the complex issues associated with AAC — particularly in the context of everyday life.
The following is comprised of our favorite AAC blogs and why we feel they matter. We account for:
- Content quality
- Posting frequency
- Readability
- Engagement
- Community impact
By no means is this list comprehensive, and of course, it is based on personal preference. There are many exceptional AAC blogs not mentioned here that we strongly encourage you to check out.
Let’s take a look.
PrAACtical AAC
PrAACtical AAC’s mission is to support a community of professionals and families who are determined to improve the communication abilities of those with communication challenges. It was founded in 2011 by SLP professor Carole Zangari.
Every week Carole provides actionable insights and resources that can be used to improve communication through AAC. She highlights developments in the field through her “Strategy of the month” and “Video of the week” series, and over time she’s curated a thorough list of AAC e-Tools to support children and adults with communication difficulties.
PrAACtical AAC is different from most AAC blogs in that Carole is able to provide a unique perspective offering both practitioner and academic viewpoints.
Suggested Readings:
- AAC Mythology v2.0: A Few Misconceptions About AAC Intervention
- Core Values: Suggestions for Language Building with AAC Learners
- AAC and Emergent Literacy: 5 Posts with Implementation Ideas
PRC’s AAC Language Lab
The AAC Language Lab from PRC offers an impressive collection of resources and learning tools for using and teaching AAC.
Their content explores the different stages of language development and provides interactive materials specifically designed for Speech Language Pathologists (SLP), Educators, and Parents. In particular, their “Let’s Talk AAC” blog presents stories from individuals, families and educators who use or work with AAC devices every day.
Suggested Readings:
Kidz Learn Language
Susan Berkowitz’s Kidz Learn Language — one of the more active AAC blogs out there — provides tips, ideas, and resources for developing language in children with significant or complex communication disorders.
Susan has been an SLP for 38 years, and in that time has worked alongside both children and adults with a wide range of developmental disabilities; notably children with autism. She offers workshops, provides training to school district staff, speaks at national conferences, and provides evaluations for speech-language and AAC.
Recently Susan has been publishing an AAC 101 series in which she covers the main objectives of AAC at an introductory level. For instance, some of the articles from the series include, What is Augmentative-Alternative Communication?, What is Communication? and Who Should Use AAC and Why?
Susan’s content is approachable and inviting for those new to AAC, and helping to further understanding among families and educators.
Suggested Readings:
- AAC 101: Who Should Use AAC and Why?
- AAC 101: AAC Terminology
Tobii Dynavox
Tobii Dynavox, a leading provider of AAC applications and assistive technology products, has an active and informative blog that shares stories from individuals and their families. The stories address the everyday life of those with communication and assistive technology needs. The anecdotal evidence from the stories conveys tips and tricks concerning how to get the most out of AAC technology.
For instance, children with autism and other developmental conditions often experience behavior issues that interfere with their AAC device and application use. To address such situations, the Tobii Dynavox blog has presented series of articles that explore common behavioral challenges and tactics for working through them towards reaching successful communication goals.
The blog offers a nice balance between real life stories centered upon communication problems and corresponding approaches that can be used to address them.
Suggested Readings:
- Communication Turns in a brand new direction for boy who uses compass app
- Encouraging social participation for all students
- Challenging behavior in AAC use: Why it happens and what you can do
The ASHA Leadership Blog
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 186,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students.
Their blog, the ASHA Leadership blog, provides a rich collection of AAC content from a wide assortment of professionals in the field.
The AAC content in particular is unique in that it provides models to help explain to parents and other professionals how to build language using research-based strategies. Their articles explain how to model language in fun and interactive ways as well as provide resources to families on how to use devices as learning tools for facilitating language in their everyday environments.
Suggested Readings:
We’re fortunate in the AAC community to have so many wonderful and informative blogs that publish unique and valuable content on a continuous basis. Their content helps to further the field, advance the skills of educators and communication professionals, and ultimately enhance the quality of life for those with communication needs and their families.
