Will AAC Delay My Child’s Speech?

The short answer is no.

The slightly longer answer is that there is no evidence that giving children access to augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC, has a negative impact on the development of speech.

AAC provides children with ways to communicate when speech alone is not consistently meeting their needs. This may include picture-based communication systems or speech-generating devices. AAC can be used alongside speech, gestures, signs, and, for some children, reading and writing as part of a multimodal approach to communication.

Why This Is Such a Common Concern

It is completely understandable to wonder whether an AAC system might interfere with your child’s speech development. After all, children who use AAC are often late

r to meet communication milestones, and some may continue to rely on AAC as one of their primary ways of communicating.

The important distinction is that AAC is introduced because a child is already having difficulty communicating consistently through speech alone. AAC does not cause that difficulty. It gives the child another way to communicate while their speech and language skills continue to develop.

Many families also worry that their child will not be motivated to speak if another option is available. Speech is typically faster and more flexible than navigating a device or finding a picture, when speech is truly accessible to the child. If a child can say something easily in that moment, they will often do so.

When a child chooses their device instead, that may tell us that speech is not the easiest or most reliable option for them at that time. They may know what they want to say but need another way to express it.

What the Research Tells Us

A number of studies have looked specifically at the impact of AAC on speech development. The findings have consistently shown no evidence that AAC causes children to lose speech or delays the development of spoken language.

A 2021 systematic review examined 28 studies involving autistic children who used AAC. Overall, AAC was associated with improved speech production. However, children’s gains in speech were generally smaller than their increased ability to communicate through AAC (White et al., 2021).

It is also important to be clear about what the research does not tell us. Introducing AAC does not guarantee that a child will develop spoken language. Some children develop more speech after AAC is introduced, while others show little or no change in speech.

AAC should be offered as a reliable way for a child to communicate now, not as a promise that they will eventually speak.

For families interested in reading more, AssistiveWare also offers a helpful overview: Will AAC stop a person from learning to speak?

Why AAC Can Support Communication

Our focus is on giving children access to communication, no matter what form that communication takes.

Many children struggle to communicate even their most basic wants and needs. They may know exactly what they want, what they do not want, or what they are trying to tell us, but they do not yet have a reliable way to express it. This can be frustrating for the child and for the people supporting them at home, at school, and in the community.

AAC gives children another way to make themselves understood. It may allow them to ask for something, reject something, make a choice, or share an idea when speech is not available to them.

Shifting the focus away from one specific form of communication allows us to respond to the message rather than requiring the child to communicate it in a particular way. Speech, gestures, signs, pictures, and speech-generating devices can all be meaningful forms of communication.

The goal is not to make AAC the only option. The goal is to make sure the child has an option that works.

AAC Isn’t Giving Up on Speech

Introducing AAC does not mean that anyone has stopped supporting speech.

The emphasis should be on giving children access to multimodal communication rather than requiring or valuing one form of communication over another. When we introduce an AAC system, we continue to provide access to as many other forms of communication as possible, including speech.

For some children, multimodal communication may include speech, gestures, signs, pictures, or a speech-generating device. For others, it may also include reading and writing. A child may use different methods at different times, with different people, or in different situations.

We do not need to take one form of communication away in order to make room for another.

What This Looks Like at Play & Thrive

When a child comes to us without consistent speech or routine access to an AAC

system, our team will often begin by trialing communication options using a clinic speech-generating device or picture exchange system.

If a family is interested in obtaining a device for their child, we may recommend working with a company such as AbleNet to pursue insurance coverage when possible.

During therapy sessions, we continue to prioritize connection through play-based activities. We model language using the AAC system and make it available to the child without requiring them to use it before we listen or respond.

We honor and reinforce all forms of communication. A child may speak, gesture, point, sign, use a picture, or select a message on a device. We respond to the message and strive to meet each child where they are on any given day.

The Bottom Line

The goal is not to choose between AAC and speech.

The goal is to make sure a child has a reliable way to communicate now while continuing to support their future growth.

References

White et al. (2021). Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Speech Production for Individuals With ASD: A Systematic Review. Abstract available through PubMed.