When professionals are new to the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), it’s understandable that the device often becomes the center of their attention. After all, there’s a lot to learn—apps, systems, access methods, vocabulary sets. It can feel like choosing the “right” equipment is the most critical part of the job. But this well-meaning focus on the tool can unintentionally overshadow the most important element in the equation: the person who needs AAC.
Too often, we see a pattern emerge where the equipment is assumed to be both the answer and the problem. When a student receives a device, there’s often a surge of hope: “Now they’ll be able to communicate.” And when progress doesn’t unfold as quickly or smoothly as expected, frustration bubbles up and attention turns back to the tool. “Maybe it’s the wrong device. Maybe they need a new app. Maybe this system just isn’t working.”
But let’s challenge that narrative.
The Truth About Communicative Competence
Communicative competence is not something that’s downloaded with an app or built into a device. It’s developed over time, with support, practice, and persistence. The road is often long and bumpy, with stops, starts, setbacks, and victories. That’s not failure. That’s the process.
When challenges arise, we have to look beyond the screen. A student struggling to use AAC effectively isn’t necessarily using the “wrong” device. They may need more consistent modeling from adults. They may need communication opportunities that are embedded in daily life—not just during “speech time.” They may need a team that sees their behavior as communication, that honors their attempts, and that sticks with them even when it’s hard.
The Role of the AAC-Focused Professional
Let’s redefine what it means to be an AAC-focused SLP, teacher, or AT specialist. Your job is not to find and deliver the “perfect” device. That’s step one—important, yes, but only the beginning.
Your real work is in what comes after the equipment is delivered:
- Helping the individual learn to use AAC to meet their wants and needs.
- Supporting multimodal communication—gestures, body language, speech, signs, writing.
- Training partners—parents, teachers, aides, siblings—to model AAC throughout the day.
- Engineering the environment so communication is expected, encouraged, and possible.
- Teaching autonomy, resilience, and social interaction skills.
- Encouraging the individual to author their own life—to express preferences, make choices, and advocate for themselves.
When Partners Are Struggling, It’s Rarely Just About the Device
We must also stop assuming that when communication partners are having a hard time, they simply “need more training on the device.” Sure, some technical training is often helpful—but what they really need is coaching on how to implement AAC in real life:
- How to model language naturally and often.
- How to pause and wait to give the AAC user time to respond.
- How to ask open-ended questions, show genuine interest, and respond to all attempts.
- How to make communication part of everyday routines—mealtime, bathtime, bus rides, recess, shopping, and family time.
Action Items for Teams
- Reframe your goals: See the device as a tool, not a solution. Focus your goals on communication growth, not device mastery.
- Prioritize implementation: Support communication in the context of real-life routines, not just isolated therapy or classroom time.
- Invest in partners: Train and coach the team around the student. They are the communication facilitators.
- Support the whole person: Focus on developing social skills, autonomy, and resilience—not just vocabulary access.
- Stick with it: Expect the journey toward communicative competence to have ups and downs—and keep showing up.
The AAC device may give a voice, but it’s people who bring it to life. Let’s shift the spotlight from the equipment to the individual and the team that surrounds them. That’s where true communication begins
