People who use AAC deserve literacy instruction. That statement should be obvious, but for decades it wasn't. Many individuals with complex communication needs were excluded from meaningful reading and writing instruction based on the assumption that they couldn't learn.
The research tells a different story. AAC and literacy are deeply connected, and when taught together, each one strengthens the other.
The AAC-Literacy Connection
AAC and literacy share a foundation. Both involve using symbols to represent language. Both require understanding that symbols carry meaning. Both depend on vocabulary knowledge, syntax awareness, and the ability to combine units of meaning into messages.
For AAC users specifically, literacy opens doors that AAC alone cannot. A person with strong literacy skills can:
- Spell novel words their AAC system doesn't have pre-programmed
- Write emails, text messages, and social media posts
- Access written information independently
- Advocate for themselves in writing
- Communicate with people who aren't familiar with their AAC system
Light and McNaughton (2012) argued that literacy is the "single most important skill" for AAC users because it provides generative communication. A person who can spell can say anything to anyone, regardless of what vocabulary their device includes.
What the Research Says
Erickson and Koppenhaver
Karen Erickson and David Koppenhaver have spent decades researching literacy instruction for individuals with significant disabilities. Their work has produced some of the field's most important findings:
- Students with complex communication needs can learn to read and write when given systematic, comprehensive literacy instruction (Erickson & Koppenhaver, 2020).
- Traditional "readiness" models that delay literacy instruction until certain prerequisite skills are demonstrated are not supported by evidence.
- Conventional literacy instruction (phonics, shared reading, guided writing) works for AAC users when properly adapted for access.
- Many individuals who were assumed to be non-readers demonstrated literacy skills when given appropriate assessment tools and opportunities. This finding reinforces why we must presume competence in AAC users.
Their "Comprehensive Literacy Instruction" model emphasizes four components: shared reading, independent reading, shared writing, and independent writing. All four are adapted for students who access text through AAC and alternative pencils (tools for writing without standard handwriting).
Light and McNaughton
Janice Light and David McNaughton's research has focused specifically on the intersection of AAC and literacy. Key findings include:
- Individuals who use AAC often have limited literacy skills, but this is typically due to limited instruction rather than limited capacity (Light & McNaughton, 2013).
- When AAC users receive quality literacy instruction, they make meaningful gains in reading and writing.
- Phonological awareness, a critical foundation for reading, can be taught to individuals with complex communication needs even when they cannot produce speech sounds.
- Literacy instruction should begin early and should not wait for speech or other "prerequisite" skills to develop.
Sturm and Clendon (2004)
Sturm and Clendon reviewed literacy research for people who use AAC and identified several barriers to literacy development. These barriers were primarily environmental rather than inherent to the individual:
| Barrier | Description |
|---|---|
| Limited access to books | Many AAC users have fewer opportunities to interact with books independently |
| Reduced reading aloud experiences | Caregivers may read to AAC users less frequently or less interactively |
| Limited writing opportunities | Without adapted writing tools, AAC users may have few chances to write |
| Lower expectations | Teachers and therapists may not prioritize literacy for students with significant disabilities |
| Inadequate instruction | Standard literacy curricula are rarely adapted for AAC access |
The important point: these barriers are about what we provide, not what AAC users can do. Remove the barriers, and literacy becomes achievable.
Shared Reading with AAC
Shared reading, where an adult reads a book with a child while actively engaging them in the story, is one of the most powerful literacy activities for any child. For AAC users, shared reading requires some adaptations, but the benefits are the same.
How to Do Shared Reading with AAC
Choose engaging books. Pick books the child is interested in, with repetitive language, clear illustrations, and vocabulary that maps to their AAC system. Predictable books (like "Brown Bear, Brown Bear") are excellent because the repetition creates natural opportunities for AAC participation.
Model on the AAC system. As you read, tap relevant symbols on the child's device. You don't need to model every word. Focus on key vocabulary: the main nouns, action words, and descriptive words in the story. If the book says "The dog is running fast," you might model "dog" + "run" + "fast."
Create opportunities for participation. Pause at predictable moments and wait for the child to fill in the next word using AAC. Ask questions that can be answered with the vocabulary on their device. "What do you think happens next?" "Who is that?" "Do you like the dog?"
Read the same books repeatedly. Repetition is not boring for young learners. It's essential. Each reading provides another exposure to the vocabulary, another chance to practice navigating the AAC system, and another opportunity to participate more independently.
Adapting Books for AAC Access
Some books benefit from physical adaptations:
- Page fluffers or tabs make it easier for children with motor difficulties to turn pages
- Velcro symbols on pages allow children to match AAC symbols to story elements
- Digital books on tablets can be navigated with the same access method used for AAC
- Communication boards specific to the book provide vocabulary for discussing the story
Writing with AAC
Writing is often neglected in AAC intervention, but it's half of literacy. AAC users need opportunities to write, not just read.
Alternative Pencils
The term "alternative pencil" (from Erickson and Koppenhaver's work) refers to any tool that allows a person to write without using a standard pencil or keyboard in the typical way. Examples include:
- Alphabet boards that are eye-gaze accessible
- On-screen keyboards with switch scanning
- Adapted keyboards with keyguards
- AAC devices used in spelling mode
- Voice-controlled text input (for those with some speech)
The key principle is that every person needs a way to generate text, letter by letter. Pre-programmed symbols are important for communication speed, but spelling is what allows generative writing.
Stages of Writing Development
AAC users go through the same writing development stages as speaking children, though the timeline may differ:
- Scribbling/exploring. Interacting with the writing tool without forming letters. For an AAC user, this might look like randomly selecting letters or exploring the alphabet.
- Letter strings. Producing strings of letters without conventional spelling. This shows understanding that letters make words.
- Invented spelling. Using letter-sound knowledge to spell words phonetically. "KAT" for "cat." This is a critical stage showing phonological awareness.
- Conventional spelling. Spelling words correctly with increasing frequency.
- Compositional writing. Creating sentences and longer texts to express ideas. At this stage, understanding word forms (tense, plurals, possessives) helps AAC users produce more grammatically complete writing.
Practical Writing Activities
Predictable chart writing. The whole group contributes sentences following a pattern ("I like ___"). The teacher writes each child's contribution, then the class reads them together. AAC users participate by selecting their word using their device.
Journal writing. Daily writing time, even if the child is only selecting random letters at first. The routine matters as much as the output.
Interactive writing. The adult and child write together, taking turns contributing letters or words.
Functional writing. Making lists (grocery list, wish list), writing messages to family members, labeling drawings. Writing that has a purpose motivates practice.
Strategies for Parents
Parents can support literacy development without being reading specialists. Here are practical starting points:
Read aloud every day
Aim for at least 15 to 20 minutes daily. Use the AAC system to discuss the book. This one habit, practiced consistently, provides more literacy exposure than most other activities combined.
Put text everywhere
Label objects in the house. Put the child's daily schedule in written form. Leave notes for them. Use environmental print (cereal boxes, signs, logos) as reading material. AAC users need the same text-rich environment that supports literacy development for all children.
Let them see you read and write
Children learn that literacy matters by watching the adults around them read and write. Read in front of your child. Write grocery lists. Send texts. Narrate what you're doing. "I'm writing a note to Grandma."
Provide alphabet access on their AAC device
Make sure your child's AAC system includes a keyboard or alphabet page. SabiKo's spelling keyboard includes word prediction with symbols, so children see the connection between letters and words as they type. Even before they can spell, having access to letters normalizes spelling as part of communication.
Celebrate attempts, not accuracy
If your child types "BTTRFL" and means "butterfly," celebrate it. They used letter-sound knowledge to represent a word. Correction can come later. Right now, the goal is building the habit and confidence to write.
Strategies for SLPs
Integrate literacy into every AAC session
Literacy and AAC goals are not competing priorities. They support each other. Every AAC therapy session can include a literacy component:
- Shared reading with AAC modeling
- Writing activities using the AAC device's spelling feature
- Phonological awareness activities adapted for AAC access
- Vocabulary instruction that connects spoken words, AAC symbols, and written words
Collaborate with educators
AAC users need literacy instruction in the classroom, not just in speech therapy. Work with classroom teachers to adapt literacy curricula for AAC access. Train classroom staff to support literacy activities using the child's AAC system.
Assess broadly
Standard reading assessments often underestimate AAC users' literacy skills because they require verbal responses or fine motor skills. Use alternative assessments that allow AAC responses: eye-gaze pointing, switch-accessible choices, or device-based answers.
Set literacy goals in the IEP
If you're an SLP working with school-age AAC users, advocate for literacy goals in the IEP. Our guide to AAC goal writing for the IEP covers how to write measurable objectives. These might include phonological awareness targets, sight word recognition, spelling goals, or writing composition goals, all adapted for AAC access.
The Bottom Line
Literacy and AAC are not separate skills taught in separate contexts. They're interconnected abilities that grow together. Reading builds vocabulary knowledge that enriches AAC use, especially when grounded in core words that matter most. AAC provides the communication foundation that supports reading comprehension. Writing through spelling gives AAC users the ability to say anything.
Every AAC user deserves comprehensive literacy instruction, starting early, taught systematically, and adapted for their access needs. The research is clear: the limiting factor for AAC users' literacy has been opportunity, not ability.
Download SabiKo free and explore AAC as a foundation for literacy.
References
- Light, J., & McNaughton, D. (2012). The changing face of augmentative and alternative communication: Past, present, and future challenges. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 28(4), 197-204.
- Light, J., & McNaughton, D. (2013). Literacy and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): The expectations and priorities of parents and teachers. Topics in Language Disorders, 33(2), 162-185.
- Erickson, K.A., & Koppenhaver, D.A. (2020). Comprehensive Literacy for All: Teaching Students with Significant Disabilities to Read and Write. Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
- Sturm, J.M., & Clendon, S.A. (2004). Augmentative and alternative communication, language, and literacy: Fostering the relationship. Topics in Language Disorders, 24(1), 76-91.
- Browder, D.M., Wakeman, S.Y., Spooner, F., Ahlgrim-Delzell, L., & Algozzine, B. (2006). Research on reading instruction for individuals with significant cognitive disabilities. Exceptional Children, 72(4), 392-408.
- Copeland, S.R., & Keefe, E.B. (2007). Effective Literacy Instruction for Students with Moderate or Severe Disabilities. Paul H. Brookes Publishing.