The holiday season is a time filled with social gatherings, family traditions, and special celebrations, making communication even more important as people come together to share in good times and create memories. For individuals who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), the holidays can present unique opportunities and challenges in connecting with friends and family.
With the right preparation and strategies, AAC can be a powerful tool for enhancing participation, fostering meaningful interactions, and ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard during this festive time. Embracing AAC during the holidays helps create an inclusive environment where everyone can express joy, share stories, and engage in the spirit of the season. Below are some helpful tips and resources from our Clinical Director of Speech Therapy, Alinoel Navia, M.S. CCC-SLP for using AAC during your holiday celebrations.
Using AAC During the Holidays: Supporting Communication and Inclusion
The holiday season brings family gatherings, festive meals, and gift exchanges— all of which provide rich opportunities for children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to express themselves, join in, and share in the holiday excitement. Incorporating AAC into holiday activities supports communication and empowers children to participate meaningfully. Here, we’ll explore ways to make holiday moments AAC-friendly and accessible, along with some helpful resources and research insights to guide your approach.
Why Use AAC During Holiday Events?
For children who use AAC, the holidays offer a unique chance to practice social language skills and expand their expressive abilities. Whether using a communication device, picture exchange cards, or a core board, AAC supports children in expressing a range of needs, emotions, and comments, helping them to feel included and engaged. Research highlights that including AAC users in social gatherings benefits both the child and their peers or family members, fostering understanding and acceptance while strengthening the child’s language skills (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013).
Core Vocabulary and Social Interactions
Many holiday conversations revolve around common actions and feelings—such as greetings, sharing food, and opening presents—that can be easily expressed using core vocabulary. For example, phrases like “open,” “more,” “thank you,” and “I like it” can be used in various holiday contexts, helping children communicate effectively with just a few essential words. By focusing on core vocabulary words, families can make AAC communication feel natural and versatile.
Here’s a link to an AAC Holiday Core Board. This visual support can help children communicate effectively during gift exchanges, a central holiday activity where they may want to express themselves.
Tips for Using AAC During the Holidays
- Prepare Ahead of Time
- Introduce Holiday Vocabulary: In the weeks leading up to the holidays, introduce holiday-related vocabulary on your child’s AAC device or core board. Words like “gift,” “open,” “tree,” and “light” provide a foundation for communication during the festivities.
- Practice Key Phrases: Practice phrases such as “I want,” “thank you,” or “let’s go” on their AAC device, so they feel comfortable using these expressions during holiday events.
- Read Holiday Stories: Books about holiday traditions can reinforce vocabulary in a fun, relaxed way. Stories also introduce narratives that children can use to discuss the holiday events.
Research Support: Studies show that introducing new vocabulary ahead of special events improves engagement and helps AAC users feel more prepared to communicate in real-time situations (Romski et al., 2010).
- Incorporate AAC Into Family Traditions
- Gift Giving and Receiving: When it’s time to open presents, ensure your child has access to their AAC device or core board. Encourage them to express feelings like excitement or surprise, and provide opportunities for them to use words such as “open,” “happy,” or “more.”
- Meal Time: Family meals are great opportunities to practice AAC in a social setting. Children can use their AAC devices to request foods, say “please” and “thank you,” or comment on their meal. You can also download an AAC placemat to use during meals when a device in unavailable.
- Holiday Crafts and Baking: Engaging in holiday crafts or baking sessions offers natural ways for children to request items, describe actions (e.g., “mix,” “add”), and share preferences (e.g., “I like,” “more sprinkles”).
Research Support: Incorporating AAC into everyday family traditions reinforces social communication, creating a sense of inclusion while expanding vocabulary (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013).
- Encourage Social Interaction With Peers and Relatives
- Greetings and Farewells: Encourage children to use their AAC device for greetings, such as “hello” and “goodbye.” Greeting family members is often one of the simplest ways to start a conversation, building social confidence.
- Expressing Preferences: Encourage children to express likes and dislikes using their AAC device. Phrases like “I like it” or “I don’t want” help them make choices and assert themselves during group activities.
- Turn-Taking Games: Board games or other group activities provide a structured setting to practice turn-taking language, such as “my turn” or “your turn.”
Research Support: Studies have shown that children who use AAC are more engaged and successful communicators when family members actively support and model AAC use in social settings (Light, McNaughton, & Weyer, 2020). Social engagement using AAC also promotes peer interaction and helps children develop social skills through hands-on practice.
Creating an AAC-Friendly Environment
Model Communication and Reinforce Usage
Modeling AAC usage is essential to help children learn how to use their device effectively. Use the device or core board yourself to demonstrate phrases like “open it” or “I want that,” making AAC feel natural and reinforcing its purpose.
Use Visual Supports
Visual schedules and choice boards can ease transitions and give children a clear idea of the day’s activities. For example, a simple visual schedule can include pictures of gift-opening, meals, and playtime, helping AAC users anticipate the next event and plan their communication.
Encourage Participation at Their Pace
Some children may feel overwhelmed by large gatherings, so it’s essential to let them participate at their comfort level. Offer AAC options for expressing feelings, such as “I need a break” or “quiet, please,” so they can advocate for themselves when needed.
Textbook Reference: In “Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Supporting Children and Adults with Complex Communication Needs,” Beukelman and Mirenda (2013) emphasize the importance of creating supportive environments for AAC users, allowing them to engage and participate on their terms.
Making AAC Part of Your Family’s Holiday Tradition
The holidays are a wonderful time to introduce new words, practice social skills, and strengthen communication through AAC. By preparing in advance, modeling AAC use, and creating a welcoming environment, families can help AAC users feel valued, heard, and included during this festive season.
References
- Beukelman, D. R., & Mirenda, P. (2013). Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Supporting Children and Adults with Complex Communication Needs. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
- Romski, M., Sevcik, R. A., Adamson, L. B., Cheslock, M., Smith, A., Barker, R. M., & Bakeman, R. (2010). Randomized comparison of augmented and nonaugmented language interventions for toddlers with developmental delays and their parents. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 53(2), 350-364.
- Light, J., McNaughton, D., & Weyer, M. (2020). Evidence-based AAC interventions for children and youth with complex communication needs. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, 13(1), 33-43.
By incorporating AAC into your holiday festivities, you’re creating a joyful, inclusive space for your child to grow and shine. Happy holidays!
Ali Navia is an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist who provides speech therapy services to children and families throughout Philadelphia. Ali is experienced in working with all populations, from early intervention to skilled nursing facilities. She primarily works with children with developmental language delays and various diagnoses. Additionally, Ali enjoys creating individualized resources for each child’s learning style and interests to make communication fun, meaningful, and engaging. She is passionate about helping families optimize their child’s ability to communicate. She is experienced in supervising younger clinicians seeking certification in SLP. Ali is PROMPT-trained, PECS Level 1-trained and SOS feeding-trained. Read more>>
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