Modelling is an approach that encourages us to communicate with the AAC user, using their AAC system. This helps AAC learners see what it looks like to communicate with their AAC system in real conversations and therefore enables them to learn new words and sentences. This involves pointing to symbols on an AAC system as you talk (you don’t need to point to every word you say, just the important ones!) This approach is also known as Aided Language Stimulation.
The following YouTube video below is an excellent animation describing how important it is for us to speak to AAC users in their language using a Modeling approach.
I have put together a short video tutorial (approx. 14 minutes) on this approach, which can be viewed below
For more useful information on this approach, please see the following websites;
Links to websites with useful information on;
- https://www.assistiveware.com/blog/dos-and-donts-aac-modeling
- https://praacticalaac.org/tag/modeling/
Completed by:
Ciara Dunne (Senior Speech & Language Therapist in Enable Ireland Wicklow