Gains:
- Ability to understand the logic of AAC (alternative and supplementary communication) and use artificial intelligence to produce communication cards, symbol sets and social story outlines
- Ability to create a visual support text that explains a daily routine or social situation step by step in plain language
- Ability to accept that artificial intelligence production communication support requires speech-language pathologist/expert approval and individual adaptation to the child.
Some students do not use speech at all, some use it very limitedly, some understand it but have difficulty expressing it. Communication is much broader than speech: a child can point to a card and say "water", touch a symbol board and ask for "toilet", say "stop" with a gesture. All of these approaches are called AAC (alternative and supportive communication - Augmentative and Alternative Communication). "Alternative", speech substitute; “supportive” refers to ways that strengthen existing speech. AAC ranges from symbol cards to communication boards, from illustrated daily schedules to speech-producing devices.
In this unit we will see how to use AI to produce outlines of AAC materials: communication card sets, symbol lists, daily routine visuals, and social stories. A social story is a short text that tells a child, step by step, about a particular social situation (e.g., waiting in line, having a visitor, exam day) in simple, positive language. Limit from the beginning: AAC material must be individually adapted to the child and must be approved by the speech-language pathologist/specialist; A general outline cannot be directly applied.
Steps to prepare AAC material
- Determine the purpose of communication. Why will the child communicate? Expressing a request, refusing, making a choice, expressing emotion, social greeting. Purpose determines which symbols you prioritize.
- Choose your core word set. In AAC, "core words" are frequently used, very useful words: "I want, over, more, stop, help, yes, no". You start with a small but strong set.
- Determine the symbol/image type. Photograph, drawing symbol or text? It is chosen according to the child's level of recognition; Generally, one moves from the concrete to the abstract.
- Provide consistency. The same concept is represented everywhere by the same symbol and location; Consistency accelerates learning.
- Simplify social story/routine text. Use short, first-person, positive, descriptive sentences ("I wait my turn. Waiting is hard, but I can do it.").
- Test it with the specialist and the child. The material is approved by the speech-language pathologist/expert; It is tested with the child and adapted according to the reaction.
Caution: Giving AAC does not inhibit speech; On the contrary, it often supports speech. The worry that "If I give him a card, he won't talk at all" is a common but wrong worry. However, the choice of method belongs to the expert.
The table below shows the different types of AAC materials and the role of AI:
material
Purpose
Role of AI
Expert approval
Core word card set
Basic request/rejection
Word list draft
Therapist/specialist
selection board
Choosing from two or three options
Content and layout suggestion
expert
Daily routine visual
Predicting the course of the day
Step text draft
Teacher + expert
social story
Prepare a situation
Simple text outline
Expert + family
emotion cards
Emotion recognition/expression
Emotion-example matching
expert
three mini cases
Case 1 — Core word set. For a 6-year-old student with very limited verbal communication, the teacher requested a set of 12 core word cards to start the day. He anonymously gave the purpose (request/rejection/selection) and level to the AI and received a draft list. The AI suggested "I want, more, done, stop, help, toilet, water, play, yes, no, it hurts, I". Instead of "it hurts", the teacher added "music" appropriate to the child's interest and reviewed the set with the therapist. Result: the child started using three cards functionally in a week.
Case 2 — Social story. One student was very worried about the field trip. The teacher asked AI to draft a simple social story that described the day of the trip step by step: "We will take the bus tomorrow. The bus may be a little noisy. I can put on my headphones. My teacher will be with me." AI produced the draft; The teacher adapted it according to the child's actual program and sensory needs and added visuals. The child's anxiety decreased significantly on the day of the trip. The story prepared the event in advance and positively.
Case 3 — Error in using the general outline directly. A teacher used the "turn waiting" social story produced by the AI verbatim on three different children, without adapting it at all. For one child it seemed too abstract, for one the child did not experience an example in the text at all, for another the sentences were long. The result was that the story didn't work. The right way was to adapt the story according to each child's language level, real situation and interests. Mistake: Implementing AAC material without individualizing it.
Case 4 — Emotion cards. For a student who could not express himself in moments of anger, the teacher wanted to prepare a set of cards showing basic emotions (happy, sad, angry, tired, afraid). He received a draft from the AI that included a simple definition for each emotion, a concrete example of the child's experience, and the sentence pattern "I'm feeling it right now." The teacher changed the examples according to the child's real life and simplified them with the therapist. Over time, the child learned to show his "angry" card instead of exploding. The communication card opened a safe outlet for an unexpressed emotion; The draft came from the AI, the individual adaptation from the expert.
Weak prompt / Strong prompt
Weak prompt:
Write a social story about waiting in line.
This prompt does not include child, level, and status. The result is a text that is general, abstract, and probably not a good fit for any child.
Powerful prompt:
Your role: assistant to the special education teacher. Student (anonymous): 7 years old, understands short sentences, communicates with concrete words, has difficulty waiting during the game and gets angry. Task: write a SOCIAL STORY DRAFT on the topic "I wait my turn". Rules: first person singular, short and positive sentences, maximum 8 words; [IMAGE: ...] suggestion next to each sentence; The ending is reassuring ("I can do it"). Using abstract concepts. Assume this is a draft and will be adapted with the expert and family.
In this prompt, the profile, subject, sentence constraint, visual note and tone are clear. The output is a sketch close to the child; individual adaptation and expert approval are still required.
Additional template: selection board and routine
Suggest the content of a CHOICE BOARD:- 3 options (appropriate to the child's interest, concrete)- Symbol/photo note for each option- "I want + [choice]" sentence pattern- 2 lines of instructions on how to present the boardNote: Symbols and layout will be finalized with expert approval.
Extract step text for a DAILY ROUTINE visual:Morning routine: (max. 6 steps, 3-4 words each step, [VISUAL] annotated)Use "done/now/later" expressions that make transitions easier.
Tip: In AAC, "modeling" is one of the most powerful ways of teaching: the adult first speaks the communication he expects from the child, demonstrating it with cards (he touches the cards when saying "I want — water"). You can ask the AI for a short teacher script that models a routine. But remember: communication is not learned under pressure. Instead of forcing the child to use the card, it is more effective to create an opportunity and wait (for example, keeping the object he/she likes visible but inaccessible and waiting for him/her to initiate communication); These strategies are planned together with the expert.
Common mistakes
- Using the general outline without individualizing it. Each AAC material should be adapted to the child's language level, interest, and actual situation.
- Bypassing expert approval. The choice of method and symbol is determined by the speech-language pathologist/specialist.
- Starting with too many symbols. Starting with few but functional core words makes learning easier.
- Using abstract language. In a social story, abstract concepts and long sentences lose the message.
- Inconsistency. Showing the same concept with different symbols/positions creates confusion.
- Thinking that AAC prevents speech. On the contrary, it supports; Do not avoid material out of false concern.
In summary
AAC opens doors to communication beyond speech: the card, the symbol, the board, the social story. AI quickly produces drafts of these materials; It proposes a core set of words, writes social story and routine texts in plain language, and produces selection board content. However, each material should be individually adapted to the child, started with few and functional symbols, consistency should be maintained, and should be approved by a speech-language pathologist/expert. The draft is the beginning; Communication is specific to the child.
Application task
For a student with limited verbal communication, choose a communication purpose (e.g., "making a request"). With the "Power prompt" in this unit, ask the AI for either a core set of words or a draft of a social story. Adapt the output to the child's language level, interest and actual situation; Change at least two symbols/phrases and make notes to review the material with an expert.
checklist
- [ ] I clarified the purpose of communication (request/rejection/choice/emotion).
- [ ] I started with few but functional core words.
- [ ] Social story/routine text is short, positive and concrete.
- [ ] I used consistent symbol/location for the same concept.
- [ ] I adapted the material to the child's interest and real situation.
- [ ] I took a note for the approval of a speech-language pathologist/expert.