This free AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) board helps children and adults who don’t speak, or don’t speak reliably, say what they need. Tap pictures to build a short sentence, then press Speak to have it read aloud. It works in any modern browser on phones, tablets, and computers, with no download or sign-up. Your settings stay on your device.
How to Use It
- Start with the yellow buttons: “I want,” “I need,” “Help,” “Stop,” “Yes,” and “No” are the most useful words to begin with.
- Pick a category: Needs, Feelings, Food & Drink, Activities, People, or Time.
- Tap pictures to add them to the sentence bar at the top. Each word is spoken as it’s tapped (you can turn this off).
- Press Speak to say the whole sentence, for example “I want · Outside.”
- Model it yourself: tap the words while you talk, many times a day, without expecting your child to copy right away. That’s how AAC is learned.
What Is AAC?
AAC means any way of communicating besides speech: pictures, sign, letter boards, or speech-generating apps and devices. Research has not found that AAC stops children from learning to talk; for many children it supports spoken language. It can help autistic children and adults, and people with apraxia, cerebral palsy, or other speech difficulties.
This board is a simple starting point. If AAC helps, ask a speech-language pathologist (SLP) about a full AAC system with a larger vocabulary that can grow with your child. Many families can get a dedicated device covered by insurance or the school district.
Related Tools
- Feelings Explorer: practice naming emotions
- Feelings flashcards
- Visual recipe cards for picture-based learners