Many parents of nonverbal or minimally verbal children search for the “best” way to help their child communicate. Most families hear two terms often: AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) and speech therapy. These tools are powerful on their own, but they work even better together.
What AAC Does for Nonverbal Children
AAC gives a child an immediate way to communicate. That includes picture-based apps, symbol boards, and communication tablets. These tools allow kids to express wants, needs, feelings, and thoughts without waiting for speech to develop.
AAC supports nonverbal children in several ways:
- It reduces frustration because the child finally has a voice.
- It builds early vocabulary through repeated visual exposure.
- It creates more chances for social interaction.
- It helps the child practice sentence building.
AAC does not stop speech. Research shows that children who use AAC often develop more spoken words, because they feel successful and understood.
What Speech Therapy Does
Speech therapy helps a child learn how to produce sounds and form words. A speech therapist teaches skills such as:
- Oral motor movements
- Breath control
- Sound shaping
- Word imitation
- Turn-taking and social communication
Therapy helps build the physical and cognitive skills needed for speech. It also gives the child strategies to communicate clearly and confidently.
Why Both Are Needed Together
AAC gives a child communication right now. Speech therapy helps build communication for the future. When used together:
- AAC provides immediate language access
- Speech therapy teaches speech, clarity, and social skills
- Both create a strong foundation for growth
Kids do not need to “earn” speech by waiting. They can use AAC while also learning new speech skills in therapy. Many children who start with AAC later speak more because they already understand how language works.
How TalkingTiles Supports Both Paths
TalkingTiles is designed to support speech therapy and AAC at the same time. It works as a full communication system for nonverbal children, and it grows with them as they gain skills.
With TalkingTiles, children can:
- Learn new words through clear symbols
- Build sentences easily
- Hear natural-sounding voice output
- Personalize their vocabulary with custom tiles
- Practice communication during daily routines
TalkingTiles gives nonverbal and minimally verbal kids a reliable voice. As they learn more sounds and words in speech therapy, TalkingTiles adapts and grows with them. The goal is not to replace speech—it is to support communication at every stage.
When AAC and speech therapy work together, children have more ways to express themselves, more chances to learn, and more confidence in their own voice.