AAC and self-advocacy

“Excuse me. Please wait.” -Ellie

Mom had a plan for a video, but Ellie had something else to say and the buttons to say it. We love how Ellie highlights self-advocacy using her AAC device in everyday routines.

This is what self-advocacy sounds like, and it starts young.

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Tips for Teaching Self-Advocacy on an AAC Device

The words in this guide are the ones that give a child a say in what happens next: waiting, stopping, disagreeing, and taking a turn to speak. Print it, share it with your team, and put it somewhere you will see it.

Try it yourself

The words that let a child speak up for themselves.

Most starter vocabularies are full of requests. These are the other half: the words for waiting, stopping, disagreeing, and taking a turn to speak. Tap them and watch the message bar fill.

Put these words on the device where they are easy to reach.

Model them on yourself — say “wait” to them, out loud, with the button.

Honor it when they use it, even when the timing is terrible.

Message bar

Start with “excuse me” →

Eight words that give a child a say in what happens next.

Speaking up

Where a child needs to advocate for themselves.

Self-advocacy is not a milestone at the end of the program. It is small moments where a child gets to change what happens next. Tap one to see the words worth having ready.

Leave room for an answer instead of filling the silence.

Let “no” actually mean no whenever it safely can.

Let them talk to people directly, not through you.

Interrupting a grown-up

Words to have ready

Presume competence

Self-advocacy on AAC: myth or fact?

When a child says something inconvenient, the reaction says a lot. Sort the myths from the facts.

Read the statement at the top of the card.

Pick myth or fact, the right one lights up.

Hit next for the following statement.

Statement 1 of 6

Myth, or fact?

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The device that unlocked her world.

“The QuickTalker Freestyle has been a complete game-changer for Ellie. It was essentially the key that unlocked her world. Before we had it, there was so much she wanted to say, but she just didn’t have the ability to get it out. It’s given her the tools to make her own choices and has even sparked an interest in learning other languages!”

– Stephanie, Ellie’s mom