Finding what truly engages our students can feel like discovering a hidden key. In special education and AAC, tapping into individual interests isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s essential. High Interest items and activities can transform a lesson from “another task” to a doorway into learning, connection, and communication. Let’s explore why discovering student interests is so important and share some simple, practical strategies to help you uncover and integrate these interests into your teaching.

Why Special Interests Matter in Special Education and AAC

1. Motivation and Engagement Soar: Special interests naturally drive motivation, which is especially powerful for students with complex communication needs. When the topic is personal, they are more likely to participate, engage, and stick with an activity—no prompting needed.
2. Opportunities for Communication Grow: In AAC, we strive to give students vocabulary that’s meaningful. When we incorporate words that let them talk about favorite things, we’re empowering them to share, explore, and connect.
3. Foundation for Building Relationships: Showing genuine curiosity about what each student loves builds trust and rapport. For our AAC users, it says, “What you care about matters to me, and I’m here to listen.”
4. Greater Learning and Retention: When a lesson taps into a student’s interests, they’re more likely to absorb and retain the material. Their excitement isn’t just momentary; it supports lasting learning.

Practical Ways to Find Your Students’ Interests

Understanding what captivates a student isn’t always straightforward. Here are some strategies that work well in special education and AAC classrooms.

1. Observation Is Key

• Spend time simply watching. Observe what students reach for, what makes them laugh, or what catches their eye. If they tend to explore the same sensory items or react consistently to certain activities, that’s a good clue.
• Pay attention to AAC users’ choices on their device—look for patterns in the words or categories they navigate toward, whether it’s talking about food, animals, or something else.

2. Connect with Families

• Families know their children best and are invaluable partners in discovering interests. Send home an “Interest Inventory” or have a quick chat about what their child is enjoying lately.
• Ask families to share videos of their child at home or out in the community, where we can see authentic reactions and what they engage with naturally.

3. Create Visual Interest Inventories

• Interest inventories don’t have to be complicated. A visual choice board with pictures of toys, foods, animals, or activities can be a great way for non-speaking students to show preferences.
• Try a rotating set of items and activities to gauge reactions. It may take a few attempts, but seeing what students choose (or avoid!) provides valuable insights.

4. Engage Students Directly

• For students who can respond, ask simple yes/no questions about activities or bring up potential favorites to see how they respond. For example, ask “Do you like playing outside?” and notice any expressions or gestures.
• If they’re comfortable with their AAC device, give them choices using vocabulary on their device. Students who like to express choices feel empowered, which can lead to even more discoveries.

Strategies to Incorporate Interests in AAC and Learning

Once you have a sense of what lights up each student, it’s time to bring that spark into your teaching. Here’s how to use their interests to create authentic and meaningful learning experiences.

1. Expand AAC Vocabulary Around Interests:

• Add words that connect to their favorite things! If a student loves trains, include vocabulary related to trains on their AAC device, like “train,” “track,” “fast,” “slow,” and even specific train names if they have a favorite. These words help build conversation and give them ways to talk about what they care about.

2. Thematic Lessons That Speak to Interests:

• Design lessons that wrap around students’ favorite topics. For example, if they love animals, create an animal-themed unit where they can practice sorting, matching, or vocabulary in a way that feels fun rather than forced.
• Integrate favorite themes into academic work, using beloved characters or scenarios for math problems, reading exercises, or art projects.

3. Make Room for Sensory Supports:

• Some students connect best with sensory-rich experiences. Use sensory objects related to their interests—like soft animal toys or textured puzzles for animal lovers—so they can engage with meaningful hands-on materials.

4. Foster Peer Connections Through Shared Interests:

• Interests make for great social opportunities. Pair students with similar interests for group activities, encouraging them to use their AAC devices to interact and share thoughts with one another.

5. Real-World Connections:

• If you can, bring the real world to them! A virtual tour of a zoo, a local museum visit, or an online aquarium adventure lets students connect with interests outside the classroom. These experiences provide context and build vocabulary, especially for our AAC users who benefit from direct, visual exposure.

Bringing It All Together

Finding and nurturing student interests is about so much more than keeping students happy. It’s about opening a door to deeper communication, connection, and learning. In AAC and special education, interests aren’t just fun—they’re fundamental tools that lead to greater engagement, meaningful language development, and strong relationships. Taking the time to explore and incorporate these interests creates a more inclusive and responsive classroom that honors each student’s unique way of engaging with the world. So, let’s stay curious and keep looking for the things that make each student’s eyes light up—you never know where their interests might lead!

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