5 Signs Your Student Might Benefit from AAC

October AAC Awareness Month

Every October, AAC Awareness Month reminds us of something simple but important: communication looks different for every student.

AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) isn’t just for students who don’t speak. It’s for anyone whose current communication methods aren’t giving them what they need to connect, participate, or be understood.

And in the schools, those students are easy to overlook. Some speak in short phrases, others use memorized lines from shows, and many go quiet in group settings. All of them may benefit from AAC, if we know what to look for.

Here are five signs a student might need AAC support.

1. They understand more than they can say.

You ask a question, and it’s clear they get it, but the words never come out.

That gap between comprehension and expression is one of the biggest indicators that AAC could help. It gives students a reliable way to show what they know without relying only on verbal output.

2. Frustration is replacing communication.

If a student is crying, walking away, or refusing to participate, it might not be “behavior.” It might be communication fatigue.

AAC can reduce frustration by giving students tools to express needs and emotions clearly. Once communication becomes easier, participation and confidence usually follow.

3. They use scripts or repeated phrases.

Students who speak in scripts are often communicating in their own way, using familiar language to share meaning.

When AAC is introduced alongside a Gestalt Language Processing approach, those scripts can evolve into flexible, spontaneous communication that reflects what the student truly wants to say.

4. Their language isn’t progressing.

If a student stays at the one- or two-word level, even with strong comprehension, AAC can help them build more complex language.

It supports grammar, word combinations, and sentence structure, giving students a way to organize their thoughts and expand expressive language at their own pace.

5. They go quiet in groups.

Many students who can communicate in one-on-one settings shut down when they’re with peers.

AAC tools like sentence starters, visuals, or communication boards can take the pressure off and make participation more accessible. Even small supports can make a big difference in how comfortable a student feels communicating in class.

So…

AAC isn’t about replacing speech, it’s about giving students access to communication that works for them. When we recognize the signs early and provide the right supports, we make space for every student to be heard.

If AAC feels like a big step, our self-paced graduate course, Implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication in the School Setting, walks you through exactly how to get started—from assessment to intervention to collaboration.

🎓 Fall 2025 registration is now open 💸 Use code 40Fall25 for $40 off by 10/31/25

 🔗 Explore the course here.

 

How to Make More Money as a School-Based Therapist

Attention school-based SLPs, OTs, PTs, and Special Education Teachers: Have you ever or do you currently work another job in addition to your school job?

We polled our Instagram followers with this question and the results, while not entirely shocking, are worth discussing. 75% of people said YES.

So chances are pretty good that like us, you have spent long days at school and then afternoons, evenings, and/or weekends working in another setting or a different job altogether in order to bring home more money.

It's one thing if you're working extra shifts or taking on additional clients because you love your job or enjoy dabbling in other settings (we've been there). It's an entirely different thing if you're stretching yourself too thin because you don't feel like your school salary is enough (we've been there, too). We work so hard in school, isn't there a way to get compensated more JUST by working our full-time job? YES-- keep reading!

Imagine getting paid more money to do just your school job?

It doesn't have to take years and it doesn't have to cost you thousands of dollars. Therapy Advance Courses can help you with our affordable, relevant, and self-paced courses that are 100% online so you can complete them wherever and whenever you want. Many school districts allow employees to take graduate coursework to move laterally on their salary guide and in turn, make more money. Consult with your individual contract/district to learn more about your specific situation.

If you have the ability to move laterally on your salary guide by taking graduate courses, you would benefit from doing this as soon as possible. Take a look at your own salary guide, do some math, and you will see that by investing in courses you will bring home the money to cover said courses and then some.

We want you to move up on your salary guide and finally bring home that salary you deserve without burning yourself out.