Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Finding the Right Voice for Every Child
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) refers to any tool or system that supports or replaces spoken communication — from picture-based systems to dedicated speech-generating devices and tablet apps. At PediaSpeech, we work with families to evaluate, trial, and implement the AAC system that best fits a child’s communication needs, motor abilities, cognitive profile, and daily life. Below are some of the systems we most commonly use.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems
Communication is one of the most important skills a child develops. At PediaSpeech, our pediatric speech therapy services help children build the confidence and communication skills they need to succeed at home, in school, and in everyday life. Through individualized, evidence-based therapy, we support children with speech sound disorders, language delays, childhood apraxia of speech, fluency disorders, and other communication challenges.
AAC Systems
LAMP: Words for Life
LAMP: Words for Life, also made by PRC-Saltillo, is built on the principles of Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP), combining Minspeak icon sequencing with the Unity language system. Its defining feature is a consistent motor pattern for each word — the button sequence for a given word stays the same no matter how a child's vocabulary grows, which supports the kind of automatic, independent motor planning that allows communication to become fast and natural over time. LAMP is often used with children with autism and other developmental disabilities who benefit from this motor-based, repetition-driven approach to language.
PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
PECS is a picture-based communication system developed by Andy Bondy and Lori Frost. Rather than requiring speech or complex technology, a child communicates by physically exchanging a picture card for a desired item or activity, initiating the interaction themselves. PECS is taught through a structured sequence of six phases, moving a child from single picture exchanges to distinguishing between multiple pictures, building simple sentences, and eventually commenting and answering questions. Because it's low-tech and doesn't depend on a device, PECS is often an accessible starting point for early communicators, including many young children with autism.
Proloquo2Go
Proloquo2Go, made by AssistiveWare, is a widely used iPad and iPhone AAC app built on the Crescendo core-word vocabulary system. It's highly customizable, supporting both symbol-based and text-based pages, and is used across a broad age range, from young children to older students and adults. Proloquo2Go is one of the most clinically well-documented AAC apps available, with a strong base of research behind its vocabulary organization. AssistiveWare also offers a newer app, Proloquo, built on more recent vocabulary research, for English-speaking users.
Tobii Dynavox (TD Snap / Snap Core First)
Tobii Dynavox offers both dedicated speech-generating devices and the TD Snap software, which runs on iPad, Windows, and Tobii Dynavox hardware, including eye-gaze systems. TD Snap includes the Snap Core First vocabulary, built around core words, as well as a motor-planning page set, so the same app can flex to a child's needs and access method — touch, switch, or eye gaze — and grow with them over time.
TouchChat (with WordPower)
TouchChat, made by PRC-Saltillo, is an iPad-based AAC app most often paired with the WordPower vocabulary, which is organized around core words. WordPower grids are available in a range of sizes, from smaller layouts to more complex, high-capacity grids, allowing the vocabulary display to be tuned to a child's visual, motor, and language needs. TouchChat is frequently used with children who are building toward literacy-based, text-supported communication, and can also be paired with dedicated PRC-Saltillo hardware.
Choosing the Right System for Your Child
There’s no single AAC system that’s right for every child. Whenever possible, we help families trial a device or app before committing to it. Our goal is always the same: helping every child find a reliable, effective way to communicate.