Why We Must Attribute Meaning When a Child Babbles With AAC

Have you ever worked with a student who appears to be randomly activating icons on their AAC?

You may hear people say that the child is “just stimming” or that they're “just playing with it” or they “aren’t using it functionally”. When in actuality, they're engaging in a very crucial part of language development!

I want to share a story about a student of mine whom everyone said was “stimming” all day on their device. I set this student up with high-tech robust AAC and she started activating every single word on that device on repeat. Everywhere she went she brought the device and would not stop activating all of the buttons. The team was calling, emailing, and texting me, saying, “She's not using it functionally!” and “She's distracting the other students in class!” or “She won't stop stimming!” 

One day after four months of intense exploration and non-stop babbling, the student stopped. She started acutely listening to what the adults around her were saying. We realized that any word we said, she could find on her device. Even obscure words like “grasshopper,” “island” and “receipt.” These are words we had never taught her. It was UNBELIEVABLE. The whole team was in shock.

I share this story for two reasons:

1. We can never assume that what a child decides to do on their AAC system isn't purposeful or meaningful. In this case, the child was learning where every single word was located on her device. It was truly incredible that she had taught herself this skill!

2. This child knew where every single word was on their AAC --- BUT she still very limited understanding in how to use all of those words in meaningful ways. Memorizing the words on the device did not translate to her magically being able to communicate with us. This illustrates how CRUCIAL it is for the adults around an AAC user to model language in meaningful ways.

AAC learners sometimes explore their devices by pressing buttons and saying words out of context. This exploration is similar to the “babbling” stage that infants go through when acquiring language. Just like when babies explore producing sounds to say words, AAC learners explore their devices to learn the meaning and power of their words.

When a baby says “da” for the first time how do adults typically respond? “DADDY! You said DADDY, DADDY is coming home soon!”

That “da” could have been completely random —- but over time when we respond to that “da” as intentional then the baby learns that’s how they say “daddy”. It’s no different when it comes to AAC.

So what do we do when a child is “babbling” on their device? We attribute meaning to what they are communicating in the exact same way.

If a child says “shark” even though you are holding up the “dolphin” you can attribute meaning by taking what the child says and responding naturally.

EXAMPLE: “Should we try to find a shark?” or “This DOES look like a shark —- but it’s actually a dolphin.”

By attributing meaning, it validates what a child is saying. It also demonstrates that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between what a child says on their device and the actions of their communication partner.

Instead of expecting our students to have immediate intention and accuracy with their AAC, how do we cultivate space for more explorative learning of language? We can shape their language learning and see more progress if we actually pull back on our expectations and let the process flow more freely.

Read more about Stimming and AAC on my Instagram with my 5 part collaboration with Laura Hayes. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Watch my YouTube video on What to do When a Child Makes a "Mistake" on their AAC device

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This Small Shift in Language Makes a Huge Impact on Communication

When I’m working with children who have complex communication needs, my goal is to always strive for spontaneous language. This means a child has a novel thought or idea in their head, and they can communicate it autonomously.

In fact, it’s one of the first questions I ask parents: “What is your child communicating completely on their own?” If they’re not sure, I have them track their child’s spontaneous language throughout the week by writing down what a child said and in what context. During my consults I like to use this helpful PDF below that breaks this down even further: 

When I give the homework of tracking spontaneous language,  families often come back and report there’s not a lot of spontaneous language happening! This exercise made them realize their child is waiting for them to ask a question or model language or give them some level of prompting in order for them to communicate.  

So the big question is: How do we get kids communicating more spontaneously? I use a least-to-most prompting hierarchy, featured on my AAC Vocabulary Bundle, that prioritizes giving kids the space and time they need to start initiating more communication.

Decreasing Demands and Increasing Invitations 

I love this quote from Caroline Musselwhite. I often witness communication partners using demanding language like“What do you want?” or “Tell me with your device.”  in order to elicit communication. While this might seem helpful, this type of language often results in children feeling pressured rather than encouraged to communicate. Instead, we can make a subtle shift in our language to be more enticing. For instance, if a child wants crackers, you might naturally comment, “Mmm, crackers!” or “Yes, I love these crackers.” When you use commenting like this you’re modeling language in a way that invites communication without demanding it. 

I always start simply commenting about what’s happening FIRST to see if that’s enough to inspire communication. 

Start building awareness of the types of language you’re using to encourage communication with AAC. Aim for your interactions to sound more like natural conversations.

Here are my favorite strategies to encourage communication:

Exposure to a Specific Word Repeatedly

First we need to give a child a lot of exposure to a specific word/phrase. For example, if I’m teaching the word “OPEN,” I immerse children in that word by modeling it frequently on their AAC system during motivating activities. 

This could be opening up the refrigerator for a snack, opening up a game box or opening the door to go outside. Once I've given lots of repeated exposure to teach this word, it's time to start following the least-to-most prompting hierarchy.

Tempt and Pause

Pick a familiar routine like opening up the refrigerator. The first step is to simply tempt and pause. This might mean that you put your hand on the refrigerator door to tempt and then pause and wait a communication attempt. Make sure the device is easily accessible to your child and be sure to recognize ANY attempt at communication… even if it’s not “accurate”. 

A child doesn’t even have to select the “correct” word. The key here is that we're giving the child the space to have an idea and then independently initiate communication with us. If they use a word that doesn’t make sense we can simply attribute meaning to that word. 

Use Body Language

Let’s say the child doesn’t respond to tempting and pausing. You can use body language like a facial expression like raising your eyebrows or shrugging your shoulders as if to say “I don’t know. ”

Ask an Open-Ended Question/ Provide a Comment

If the child still doesn’t respond, then you can ask an open-ended question, such as “Now what?” or a comment like, “Hmm, I wonder what we should do next…”

Ask for a Specific Response

Still no response? You might try asking a more specific question like “What do you want?” or “Tell me with your talker.” 

Point to the Device/Word

If a child continues to need help you might give more support by pointing to their device or even pointing to the word “OPEN” on their device.  

I never venture into physical prompting because it violates bodily autonomy AND I haven’t found it to be useful in supporting independence down the line.

If I’m not getting a response it tells me either the child isn’t motivated by the activity I’ve chosen OR they haven’t had enough modeling or teaching with the specific word/phrase I’m targeting to use it on their own.  

Avoid Over-Prompting

The reality is that the more support and prompting we give, the more reliant our students will become on that high level of support. The secret art of amazing therapy is pushing kids out of the comfort zone just enough so that they are able to start learning and growing. When we give children space and time to formulate their ideas into communication we are supporting a broader vision of heling our students become as independent as possible when it comes to sharing their thoughts and connecting with those around them. 

Watch this video about How Over-Prompting Kills Spontaneous Language

The takeaway message here is that we need to be really cognizant of how often we’re asking questions to a child and demanding communication. Ultimately, if we do this too much we’re training kids to learn to only talk when someone tells them to.

Instead, we can build a strong foundation for independent, autonomous communication. That starts with giving kids the space and time to formulate and communicate their thoughts on their own.

Over to you...

Do have a child who relies heavily on prompting in order to communicate? What strategies have you've found successful? Share your story in the comments below OR reach out to me on my Instagram - I’d love to hear from you!

Enjoyed this post?

If you want even more helpful AAC strategies and resources that I don’t share anywhere else then join my email list!

That’s where I share my clinical insight and my favorite resources. You also will gain access to my Freebie Vault where you’ll find downloadable AAC resources I use everyday in my practice. 

Let’s be friends on social media: I love to share my AAC ideas on Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok

P.S. Spread the word!

Loved this post? Share it on Facebook or send it to your friends via email using the icons below!