Creative Ways to Teach Writing to Kids Using AAC

What is AAC and Why Does It Matter for Writing?

AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. It includes any tool, app, board, or method children use to communicate when spoken speech is limited or unclear. AAC can be as simple as a laminated symbol book or as complex as a speech-generating device with dynamic text output.

Writing with AAC is about far more than typing words, it is about giving children the power to share ideas and participate in literacy-rich experiences, whether they have autism, apraxia, cerebral palsy, or other communication differences.

Some key benefits of integrating AAC with writing include:

• Inclusion: Students can participate fully in classroom writing tasks.
• Agency: Children author their own messages and stories, building self-esteem.
• Literacy: Writing supports language growth, vocabulary, and reading skills.
• Connection: Written AAC lets students communicate with classmates, teachers, and family.

Core Principles for Successful AAC Writing Instruction

Before diving into creative activities, it is important to establish the right habits and classroom culture around AAC-based writing. Effective SLPs and parents support writing development through these evidence-backed core principles:

1. Start with Core Words and Phrase Building:
   • Focus on high-frequency, flexible words like “I want,” “go,” “like,” and “help.”
   • Model combining core words into real sentences, such as “I see dog.”
2. Make Writing Functional and Purposeful:
   • Give writing authentic meaning: letters to family, stories for class, notes, lists, and more.
   • Let writing be about real sharing, not just worksheets or drills.
3. Model, Model, Model:
   • Demonstrate writing with the AAC system during all activities.
   • Use “aided language input”. Pointing and talking as you use the symbols or type.
4. Ensure Access and Choice:
   • Keep the AAC device charged, reachable, and ready, every writing block.
   • Offer topics, formats, or partners to maximize engagement and ownership.
5. Celebrate Every Attempt:
   • All output matters, from a single word to a full story. Praise, encourage, and promote confidence at each step.

When writing with AAC is seen as a joyful, collaborative effort, not a test, children develop both their literacy skills and belief in themselves as communicators.

Creative Writing Activities Using AAC

Ready for practical ideas? Here are eight innovative, flexible activities that spark joy and skill building for AAC writers:

1. Shared Storytelling
   Sit together and co-create a story. Adults model beginnings (“Once upon a time…”) and ask for input on characters and actions. Children respond using their AAC by suggesting words, ideas, or even plot twists. Incorporate visuals, props, or acting out for multisensory fun.
2. Interactive Sentence Strips or Digital Sentence Builders
   Use printable or digital sentence strips with blanks (“I like ____,” “It is a ____”). Invite the child to fill in words or symbols with their AAC, gradually progressing from single words to whole sentences or paragraphs.
3. Choice-Based Journaling
   Design a visual or digital journal with prompts like “Today I feel ____”; “The best part of the day was ____.” Encourage daily entries using pictures, typed words, or pre-set symbol choices. Over time, these journals often evolve into longer stories or personal narratives.
4. Letter Writing and Email with AAC
   Help children use their AAC system to compose notes to friends, family (or even favorite book characters). Model greetings, closings, and “reading aloud” the messages using voice output. For older learners, (always supervised) email exchanges build social writing skills.
5. AAC Poetry and Songwriting
   Try formats like acrostic poems (“A is for…”) or “I Am” poems. Let students select symbols or words for each part, or invent funny chants and rhymes with family and friends.
6. Real-World Writing: Menus, Schedules, To-Do Lists
   Assign daily “writing” tasks like planning a lunch menu, making shopping lists, or organizing the classroom schedule.
7. Collaborative Class Books or E-Books
   Invite each child to contribute a word, phrase, picture, or page. Combine them into a class book, whether digital or printed. Celebrate every “writing voice” by re-reading and sharing their work.
8. Visual Story Maps and Sequencing
   Outline stories using grids: “First… Next… Then… Last…” with symbols, icons, or text chosen via AAC. This boosts both writing and comprehension skills while letting all students see their ideas take shape.

Tech Tools and Supports that Make AAC Writing Engaging

• Writing Apps with Symbol Support: Modern AAC systems (such as Proloquo2Go, TouchChat, LAMP Words for Life, Snap Core First) allow children to create and save messages, stories, and even full texts for sharing.
• Picture-Based Email and Messaging Platforms: Some apps offer picture-supported written communication.
• Portable Keyboards and Switches: Adaptive tools allow access for all such as eye gaze, head tracker, and switch access expand possibilities.
• Online Story Makers: Websites like Book Creator and StoryJumper let students combine images, sound, symbols, and text.
• Word Prediction, Text-to-Speech: These features speed up sentence-building and make revising more meaningful. Students can hear back their creations for error-checking and pride.

How to Scaffold and Support the AAC Writing Process

Success in AAC-based writing unfolds through structure, encouragement, and the right level of challenge. Here is how to create an effective learning environment:

• Start with Pre-writing Activities: Brainstorm ideas together. Use webs, symbol cards, or the AAC itself to collect and organize ideas.
• Offer Structured Templates: Use sentence starters for scaffolding (“I see…”, “My favorite…”). Let students fill in the blanks using their device.
• Model “Thinking Aloud”: Talk through your own process for planning, composing, and editing and showing every step on the device.
• Use Frequent Check-ins: Review, celebrate, or problem solve together after each writing step such as idea, draft, revision, publication.
• Accept Alternative Output: Celebrate any combination of pictures, icons, typed text, or drawings. Handwriting isn’t essential for “writing” with AAC.
• Involve Peers and Family: Pair students or invite family for shared projects, letter exchanges, and audience-sharing to motivate real communication.

Sample Scaffolded AAC Writing Lesson (Numbered Steps)

1. Brainstorm ideas using symbol cards or AAC device.
2. Choose a topic together using visual options for support.
3. Begin with a sentence starter, model on AAC.
4. Let the child finish the sentence, support as needed.
5. Pause to celebrate effort, offer positive feedback.
6. Share the “writing” with an audience for validation and purpose.

Tips for Speech-Language Pathologists and Parents: Making AAC Writing Meaningful

• Model on the AAC device alongside your child. Avoid simply directing. Use your own voice as a bridge.
• Schedule short, daily writing breaks, even five minutes a day yields results.
• Anchor writing tasks to everyday events and routines such as shopping, meal planning, or classroom transitions.
• Display and share written work with an audience for meaningful feedback.
• Let student interests lead when choosing writing topics for maximum engagement.
• Be patient, persistent, and generous with praise. Celebrate progress, not perfection.

Privacy, Student Data, and Responsible Technology Use

When using digital AAC tools and platforms, SLPs and parents must uphold all federal and local child privacy regulations as well as clinical ethics. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) govern how children’s writing samples, device settings, and communication data should be stored, shared, and used. Always:

• Ensure all apps and cloud-based platforms are compliant with child privacy standards.
• Obtain required parental consent for digital communication, email, or data storage.
• Teach students and families the basics of device safety and privacy.
• Only share AAC-written content with explicit permission, especially when it includes personal details.
• Work closely with your school or clinic’s compliance leadership before introducing new technology.

Empowering children through AAC writing is only possible when their privacy, security, and dignity are protected fully at every step.

Frequently Asked Questions: AAC Writing Instruction

What are the best AAC systems for supporting writing?

Both low-tech (paper symbol boards, PECS books) and high-tech (speech-generating devices, tablets with AAC apps) can be highly effective. Match the tool to the child’s fine motor, vision, and cognitive profile.

How should I address spelling and grammar with AAC users?

Prioritize communication and meaning, not perfect spelling. Use word prediction, stored phrases, and symbol support. Over time, offer direct instruction in spelling and sentence construction, but always celebrate every attempt.

How does AAC writing integrate with other literacy skills?

Blend writing and reading instruction regularly. Have students write about favorite books, use AAC to summarize stories, or write questions to book characters. Writing with AAC reinforces reading and vice versa.

What if my student resists using their AAC device for writing?

Make writing activities playful, choice-rich, and anchored to student interests. Peer involvement and real-world topics boost motivation. Honor every try, seek out meaningful topics, and minimize pressure.

Should writing always be a one-to-one activity, or can it work in groups?

Both individual and group writing have value. Group activities build audience awareness and collaborative skills, while one-to-one work allows for customized modeling and support. A mix of both is ideal.

Final Thoughts: Building a Community of Confident Writers

Writing is a bridge to learning, laughter, and lifelong participation. When you empower students with speech challenges to write, in whatever way fits them best, you nurture not just literacy, but agency and joy.

By embracing creativity, using the right scaffolds, partnering with families, and championing each small step, you fuel success for children who use AAC. Their words matter. Their stories belong. And every single writing opportunity brings us closer to a world where all children can share their ideas freely and proudly.