When a child uses AAC, parents naturally become the primary communication partners. They learn the system, attend the training sessions, and do the daily modeling. But there's another group of people in the house who spend just as much time with the child, often more. Siblings.
Brothers and sisters are uniquely powerful communication partners. They're present during play, meals, downtime, and all the unstructured moments where communication happens most naturally. Research backs this up. Goldstein and Ferrell (1987) found that peer-mediated communication interventions were effective for children with disabilities, and siblings are the most consistent peers a child will ever have.
Here's how to get them involved in ways that work for everyone.
Why Sibling Involvement Matters
Think about how much time siblings spend together. They argue over toys, negotiate turns, narrate pretend play, and comment on everything. These interactions are rich with communication opportunities that don't happen in structured therapy.
When siblings learn to use AAC, several things happen:
- More modeling hours. The AAC user sees the system being used by someone other than adults, in contexts that feel natural rather than instructional. (For tips on how much modeling to aim for, see our dedicated guide.)
- More communication partners. The child has more people they can actually communicate with throughout the day.
- Normalized use. When a sibling casually uses the device, it stops being "the therapy tool" and becomes a normal part of family life.
- Peer-level language. Siblings model different language than parents do. "Give me that" and "my turn" and "watch this" come up constantly in sibling interactions. These are high-value phrases for real-world communication.
Trent-Stainbrook, Kaiser, and Frey (2007) studied sibling interactions and found that siblings, when trained, could effectively serve as communication partners and increase the communicative turns of children with disabilities. The key word is "trained." Siblings don't automatically know what to do. They need guidance, but it doesn't have to be complicated.
Age-Appropriate Ways to Involve Siblings
What you ask of a sibling depends on their age and maturity. Pushing too hard creates resentment. Keeping it playful creates buy-in.
Toddlers (ages 2 to 4)
Very young siblings won't understand AAC as a concept. That's fine. At this age, the goal is simple exposure.
- Let them watch. When you model on the device, let the toddler sibling see it too. They absorb more than you think.
- Let them tap. Toddlers love pressing buttons. Let them tap symbols on the device during play. "Can you find the dog? Tap dog!" This is fun for them and normalizes the device as a household object.
- Name things together. During snack time or play, model words on the device and let both children hear them. "Cracker. You both want cracker."
Don't expect a toddler to be a communication partner. Just let them be present. That's enough.
School-age children (ages 5 to 10)
This is the sweet spot. School-age siblings are old enough to understand the purpose of AAC and young enough to think it's interesting rather than embarrassing.
- Teach them three to five words. Show them how to find and tap "want," "my turn," "look," "help," and "more." That's enough to participate in play exchanges.
- Make them the expert. Kids this age love being good at things. "You're really good at finding words on the app. Can you show Grandma how it works?" This gives them ownership and pride. (If grandparents or other relatives need more context, our guide on explaining AAC to family can help.)
- Play together with the device. Board games, pretend play, building with blocks. Any play activity can include AAC. "Tell your brother what color you want. Tap it on the app."
- Read together. The sibling reads a book aloud, and the AAC user comments using the device. "What did the bear do? Can you find 'eat'?"
Teenagers (ages 11 and up)
Teens are trickier. They're navigating their own social world and may feel self-conscious about their sibling's disability. They may also feel resentful if they perceive that the AAC user gets more attention.
Here's what works with teens:
- Respect their boundaries. Don't force participation. Forced involvement breeds resentment.
- Find their lane. Some teens are natural helpers. Others connect better through shared interests. A teen who loves music could help the AAC user build a playlist and talk about it using the device. A teen who games could play alongside and model words during the game.
- Be honest. Teens respond to direct information better than vague encouragement. "Your brother understands more than he can say. When you use the device with him, he gets to practice with someone his age. That matters."
- Acknowledge the hard parts. It's okay for a teen to say "this is frustrating" or "I wish things were different." Those feelings are valid. Denying them doesn't help.
Modeling Together: A Family Activity
One of the best things you can do is make AAC modeling a family habit, not a one-person job. Here are specific ways to do that.
Mealtime modeling
Meals are naturally repetitive and predictable, which makes them perfect for AAC. Assign each family member a word to model during dinner.
| Family member | Word to model | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Parent 1 | want | "Do you want more?" |
| Parent 2 | all done | "Are you all done?" |
| Older sibling | yummy / yucky | "This is yummy!" |
| Younger sibling | more | "More please!" |
Rotate words each week. This keeps it fresh and gives everyone something specific to do. It also means the AAC user hears the same core words modeled by multiple people in a natural context.
Turn-taking games
Games with clear turns are natural AAC situations. Siblings can model:
- "My turn" and "your turn" during any game
- "Go" when it's someone's turn to roll, spin, or draw
- "I want" when choosing a card, piece, or color
- "Again" when they want to repeat something
Simple games like Candy Land, Go Fish, and building towers with blocks work well. The game provides structure. The AAC fills in the communication.
Narrating play
During pretend play, siblings can use the device to narrate what's happening. "The car is going fast. Oh no, it crashed. Help!" This is aided language stimulation happening naturally because the sibling is genuinely playing, not running a drill.
When Siblings Feel Frustrated or Jealous
This is the part that doesn't get enough attention. Siblings of children with disabilities often carry complicated feelings. They may feel:
- Jealous of the time and attention the AAC user receives
- Frustrated when communication is slow or unclear
- Embarrassed in front of friends
- Guilty about feeling any of the above
- Worried about their sibling's future
These feelings are normal. They don't make a child a bad sibling. Ignoring them makes things worse.
What helps
Talk about it openly. "I know it can be frustrating when it takes a long time for your sister to answer. That's okay to feel." Naming the feeling gives the sibling permission to have it.
Protect sibling time. Make sure the non-AAC sibling gets dedicated time with parents that has nothing to do with AAC or therapy. They need to feel like they matter on their own terms.
Connect them with other siblings. Organizations like the Sibling Support Project run Sibshops, which are workshops specifically for siblings of children with disabilities. Knowing other kids in the same situation helps enormously.
Don't make them a caregiver. There's a difference between involving a sibling as a communication partner and assigning them responsibility for their brother or sister's communication. Siblings should participate because it's fun and natural, not because they're expected to provide care.
Peer Modeling Research
The idea of siblings as AAC partners isn't just a nice concept. It's grounded in research.
Goldstein, Kaczmarek, Pennington, and Shafer (1992) studied peer-mediated interventions and found that trained peers increased the social-communicative interactions of children with disabilities. While these studies focused on classroom peers, siblings fit the model even better because they interact daily in low-pressure settings.
Trent-Stainbrook, Kaiser, and Frey (2007) found that siblings who received brief training in responsive interaction strategies increased the number of communication turns in their interactions with their sibling who had a language delay. The training was short and straightforward, just a few sessions of learning to wait, respond, and model.
What this tells us is that siblings don't need to become therapists. A small amount of guidance can significantly increase the quality of sibling interactions, and those interactions add up over days, weeks, and months.
Getting Started: A Simple Plan
If you want to involve siblings, start small. Here's a one-week plan.
Day 1: Show the sibling the AAC app. Let them explore it. Let them tap symbols and hear the words. Make it fun, not a lesson.
Day 2: Pick one play activity the siblings already do together. Show the sibling two or three words they can model during that activity.
Day 3: Let them play together. Observe but don't direct. Praise the sibling afterward for any modeling attempts, even imperfect ones.
Day 4 to 5: Repeat the same activity. Consistency helps both children.
Day 6 to 7: Add one new word or try a different activity. Keep the expectations low and the praise high.
That's it. No formal training sessions. No pressure. Just gradual, natural inclusion of the sibling into the AAC ecosystem.
The Whole Family Benefits
When siblings are part of AAC, the whole family dynamic shifts. Communication becomes a shared project rather than a clinical one. The AAC user gets more practice. The sibling builds empathy, patience, and communication skills that will serve them for life. Parents get support.
Most importantly, the relationship between siblings gets stronger. Communication is the foundation of every relationship. When siblings can actually talk to each other, even through a device, the bond grows.
Download SabiKo free and get the whole family involved.
References
- Goldstein, H., & Ferrell, D.R. (1987). Augmenting communicative interaction between handicapped and nonhandicapped preschool children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 52(3), 200-211.
- Goldstein, H., Kaczmarek, L., Pennington, R., & Shafer, K. (1992). Peer-mediated intervention: Attending to, commenting on, and acknowledging the behavior of preschoolers with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25(2), 289-305.
- Trent-Stainbrook, A., Kaiser, A.P., & Frey, J.R. (2007). Older siblings' use of responsive interaction strategies and effects on their younger siblings with Down syndrome. Journal of Early Intervention, 29(4), 273-286.
- Meyer, D.J., & Vadasy, P.F. (2008). Sibshops: Workshops for siblings of children with special needs (Revised edition). Paul H. Brookes Publishing.