As students across Australia prepare to return to school, it’s an exciting time filled with new opportunities—and sometimes new challenges. For students who use AAC, the start of the school year is a chance to set everyone up for success in communication and learning.
In this blog, we’re sharing some practical tips and tools to support your journey!
Whether returning to familiar classrooms or transitioning to a new environment, read on to find practical ideas that may help AAC systems work seamlessly across all school activities.
One of the most helpful things you can do is work with your child to introduce them to new teachers and staff. You can do this via a letter or email! This quick introduction can help your new team members get to know your child and understand key information they’ll need to support communication effectively.
It’s particularly powerful when your child has input in creating it—after all, they’re the expert on their own communication!
You know your child’s communication better than anyone (except your child, of course!).
If your child uses signals that others might not immediately recognise, consider creating a simple “personal communication dictionary” to share with the school team.
This straightforward resource helps everyone understand and respond to your child’s current communication methods, even before they become familiar with all the features of their AAC system.
You don’t need endless face-to-face meetings to stay in the loop. Simple technology can keep everyone connected:
Remember that privacy and confidentiality are important, so always follow your school’s guidelines about electronic communication.
Make sure you know what to expect in the classroom – and on the playground! Have a chat with the educational team about what adjustments are in place for your child and additional adjustments your child may require.
If anything is unclear, ask questions early. Having these conversations at the start of the year prevents confusion later and ensures your child gets the support they need from day one.
In those first few weeks, collaborate with the student’s team to develop a communication profile for the student. Think of it as a snapshot of how they’re communicating at the start of the year.
For students just beginning their AAC journey, track things like:
Sharing this information early helps you and the entire team support communication growth throughout the year.
If you’re working with a student who uses signals that may be unfamiliar to you, ask families, current support team members or previous teachers if they can share more information with you. A personal communication dictionary can help you quickly learn to recognise and respond to the student’s communication.
If you already have information from previous years, make sure you have an updated copy at the start of the new school year.
Let’s be honest—no one has enough collaboration time built into their schedule. Technology can help bridge that gap:
Of course, make sure you understand what’s acceptable within your organisation regarding electronic communication. All the rules about privacy and confidentiality apply. When in doubt, check your organisation’s policies.
Check that everyone knows what adjustments should be in place for students who use AAC and collaborate with the team if these need reviewing
Invite the student and family to help create a letter of introduction for new team members. This is a wonderful way to help new staff get to know the student and understand key information.
It’s most effective when the student and family have genuine input in creating it!
At Liberator, we understand that supporting AAC in educational settings takes collaboration between families, educators, and speech pathologists. That’s why we offer comprehensive training and resources to help everyone feel confident in supporting communication throughout the school day.
If you have strategies for getting everyone on the same page at the start of the school year, we’d love to hear them. Drop us a line at community@liberator.net.au
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This blog post is adapted from content originally published by PrAACtical AAC. We’re grateful to Carole Zangari and the PrAACtical AAC community for their ongoing commitment to sharing practical strategies that support AAC communicators. You can find the original article and many more helpful resources at praacticalaac.org.
