AAC stands for Alternative and Augmentative Communication. AAC can be any type of system, device, or tool that helps someone communicate. It can be low tech, like picture cards or high tech, like an I-pad with software that reads out words.
Youth services librarians think about how to support language development and literacy every day. For children with complex communication needs, access to AAC is life-changing. Unfortunately, there is a lot of work to do to ensure equitable access to AAC among children that would benefit. Luckily, there are libraries leading the way to actively include AAC users and support all types of communication!
How can you be a part of AAC Awareness month:
Read books that feature AAC users
Your library probably already owns some books with characters that use AAC. There are lists available, like this one made by the AAC software company PRC-Saltillo or this one put together by the Northwest Augmentative Communication Society.
Titles to read featuring AAC
- Leroy has Something to Say by Emily Rosenthal
- More Than Words by Roz Maclean
- A day with no words by Tiffany Hammond
- Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper
- Rules by Cynthia Lord
- The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit
- Say What You Will by Cammie Mcgovern
- The Year of the Buttered Cat by Susan Haas and Lexi Haas
Make a display for AAC Awareness Month
After you’ve checked out the books your library has to offer yourself, put together a display with books that feature AAC users. The following display was made by Amanda Bell of the Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Education Services and a Librarian at the Independence Branch of the Kenton County Public Library. They recommend putting out Books that feature AAC, as well as using books with disabled characters who use other assistive technology to fill the display. They included some of the one page “Quick Reference” handouts from Project Core and some printed communication boards.
Learn more about libraries that offer AAC related programs or services
There are a handful of libraries that are intentionally supporting AAC users.
Catherine Trautman at the Northville District Library shared how her library created Core Boards for in and out of Library use here.
Organizers of the Storytime with AAC at the Union City library have shared about their program here and here.
Play around with AAC and visual supports when reading to children you already serve
You may not even realize how many potential AAC users that your library is already serving. As an Outreach Programmer, I am in the room with children who use AAC at public preschools, private daycares, and specialty clinics all of the time. I didn’t realize how many children using AAC were being served until I started looking for it and asking the educators I work with about the different ways their students communicate.
You don’t have to go all in with a new specialty AAC storytime or a circulating AAC collection to begin using visual supports and AAC tools with kids. Start small! Bring a core board to model words from the book you are reading to an outreach visit or add a visual schedule to your storytime. Start by exploring a free AAC app like Weave Chat AAC. See how you can model a word or two per page on the device. I use my 3 year old to practice modeling AAC use when I read to him. There are amazing educators sharing videos of themselves modeling AAC use during shared book reading on social media, like Autumn @supportsforourstudents on Tiktok and @supportsforspecialstudents on Instagram or Amanda Hartmann @amandahartmann8016 on Youtube.
Interested in more on accessible services? Check out these other ALSC Blog Posts
Supporting AAC Users in the Library
Evaluating Books about Youth with Disabilities
Accessible Story Times in 3 Easy Steps
Three Ways to Connect with the Disability Community in 2024
In Search of Autistic Representation in Children’s Literature
This post was written by LSUCTC committee member Kelsey Drifmeyer. Kelsey (she/her) is the Youth Services Outreach Specialist at Boone County Public Library in Kentucky, where she partners with community organizations to connect children and families with library services. She holds an MSW from Northern Kentucky University and is pursuing her MLIS at the University of Kentucky. Her professional interests include accessible library programming, disability inclusion, early literacy, and the role of libraries in building more connected and inclusive communities.
This blog relates to ALSC Core Competencies of I. Commitment to Client Group, III. Programming Skills, and IV. Collection Knowledge and Management.
The post October is AAC Awareness Month appeared first on ALSC Blog.
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