Back-to-School with the AAC Language Lab: A Year of Communication Growth Starts Here!
As backpacks are packed, classrooms are prepared, and therapy schedules begin to fill, many AAC teams are asking the same question:
How do you get started with a comprehensive plan?
Whether you're supporting a new AAC user, welcoming a student back to school, or revisiting goals from last year, having a clear starting point can make AAC implementation more intentional, organized, and effective.
This week, we're highlighting two AAC Language Lab resources that can help: the AAC Language Lab Guide and the Language Skills Survey. Together, these resources help communication partners identify where an AAC user is now, determine meaningful next steps, and connect with AAC Language Lab resources that support continued communication growth throughout the school year.
The result is a practical road map that helps communication partners move from planning to implementation with confidence.
Back-to-School with the AAC Language Lab: Getting Started with a Plan
Last week, we introduced the AAC Language Lab and explored how it can support communication partners in bringing AAC into everyday life. We highlighted new features and resources within the AAC Language Lab and shared ways these resources can support meaningful communication and language development throughout the school year.
The AAC Language Lab Guide
The AAC Language Lab Guide was created to support planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. Rather than wondering where to begin or what to target next, the guide walks communication partners through a simple process for identifying priorities and selecting resources that match an AAC user's current needs.
The guide encourages teams to:
- Complete an AAC User Snapshot
- Identify the AAC user's current language stage using the Language Skills Survey
- Select skills and objectives to target
- Choose activities and lesson plans aligned to the AAC user's language stage
- Identify resources and supports needed for success
- Observe, reflect, and document progress
- Revisit and adjust plans as the AAC user grows and develops
One important component of the AAC Language Lab Guide is the AAC User Snapshot. This tool helps communication partners gather information about the AAC user and build a shared understanding of their strengths, interests, supports, and everyday communication experiences.
We'll take a closer look at the AAC User Snapshot and how teams can use it to guide planning in next week's post.
The Language Skills Survey
A common challenge at the beginning of the school year is determining an AAC user's current language stage and identifying meaningful next steps for instruction.
The Language Skills Survey was developed to help communication partners quickly identify an AAC user's current language stage and determine when they may be ready to progress to the next stage. The survey provides a practical starting point for planning instruction and selecting appropriate resources.
The Language Skills Survey is available in two formats. A free printable version is available to anyone through the AAC Language Lab. AAC Language Lab subscribers also have access to the online Language Skills Survey Wizard.
The survey can be especially helpful when:
- Beginning services with a new AAC user
- Starting a new school year
- Developing goals
- Monitoring progress
- Determining when it may be appropriate to introduce new language targets
Many teams also find value in completing the survey collaboratively. Because the survey uses clear, easy-to-interpret descriptions, parents, teachers, therapists, and support staff can often provide valuable perspectives on the AAC user's communication skills across environments.
A Road Map for the School Year
One of the strengths of using the AAC Language Lab Guide and Language Skills Survey together is that they create a practical road map for implementation.
The process looks like this:
- Complete the AAC User Snapshot.
- Take the Language Skills Survey.
- Identify the AAC user's current language stage.
- Select target skills and objectives.
- Choose activities and lesson plans aligned to those targets.
- Implement, observe, and reflect.
- Revisit the survey as needed to celebrate growth and plan next steps.
The guide is intentionally designed to be flexible. Teams can revisit observations, update supports and reassess language skills whenever needed to ensure instruction continues to match the AAC user's development.
A Back-to-School Tip
Don't think of the Language Skills Survey as a one-time task.
Consider completing the language skills survey at the beginning of the school year to establish a baseline, then revisit it periodically throughout the year. Comparing results over time can help teams recognize progress, identify emerging skills, and make informed decisions about future goals and supports.
Ready to Get Started?
The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to step back, gather information, and create a plan. The AAC Language Lab Guide and Language Skills Survey work together to help communication partners discover where an AAC user is today, identify meaningful next steps, and support continued language growth throughout the year.
Think of the AAC Language Lab Guide and Language Skills Survey as your roadmap. The destination may change as the AAC user grows, but having a starting point helps everyone move forward together.
Next week, we'll explore tools and resources that help communication partners get to know the AAC user beyond goals and assessments. We'll take a closer look at the AAC User Snapshot, a new AAC Language Lab activity for back-to-school, the AAC Ambassadors program, and blog resources available within the AAC Language Lab. Stay tuned!
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