Modul X Social Interaction and Emotional Development through AAC
Modul X Social Interaction and Emotional Development through AAC
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MODULE 10Social Interaction and Emotional Development through AAC
1. Introduction / General Overview
Welcome to Module 10. In this module, we explore how Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can provide people who cannot rely on speech with a voice that allows them to communicate, interact socially, and express their emotions effectively. AAC is any method, tool, or system that supports communication when speaking alone is not sufficient.
AAC ranges from low-tech methods, such as picture boards, communication books, and printed symbols, to high-tech solutions, including tablets, apps, and speech-generating devices. For example, Proloquo2Go, TouchChat, and Avaz AAC are popular apps that provide customizable communication boards, visual supports, and speech output. These tools allow users to express a wide range of needs, thoughts, and emotions, not just basic requests.
The purpose of AAC is not only to meet immediate needs but also to support social participation, emotional expression, identity formation, and self-advocacy. With AAC, users can express how they feel, ask for help, participate in conversations, set personal boundaries, and build confidence.
Key principles to keep in mind:
1. Presumption of competence – always assume the user can communicate effectively. 2. Wait time – give the user enough time to process information and respond. 3. Modeling – demonstrate how to use phrases and sentences correctly.
4. Continuous observation – monitor and support communication across different contexts to foster independence and spontaneity.
2. Emotional Vocabulary
One of the most critical elements of AAC is helping users recognize, label, and communicate their emotions. Emotional vocabulary allows users to connect with others and regulate their own feelings. Without words or symbols to describe feelings, frustration, anxiety, and misunderstandings can easily occur.
Most AAC systems start with six primary emotions: Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared, Neutral, and Disgust. These serve as the foundation for more complex emotional expression. Users can combine these emotions with reasons or contexts to form sentences like:
“I feel sad because someone took my toy.”
Many AAC systems also include visual scales that allow users to indicate the intensity of their emotions, such as 1–5 (where 1 is mild and 5 is very strong). For instance, selecting “Sad” at level 4 could generate the sentence:
“I am very sad because someone pushed me.”
Apps and tools for emotional vocabulary:
● Proloquo2Go – customizable emotional boards with core vocabulary and sentence-building frames.
● Boardmaker 7 – create pictograms and visual boards for emotions.
● Twinkl Symbols – printable symbols for emotions and daily communication.
● Canva – design digital emotional boards and visual scales.
Developing emotional vocabulary helps users express feelings to others, request support, manage emotional states, and understand complex emotions, bridging the gap between their inner experiences and social communication.
3. Architecture of Expressions / Screens
Architecture of expressions refers to how vocabulary, symbols, and phrases are organized on AAC devices. Well-structured screens make communication easier, faster, and more intuitive. Without clear organization, users may struggle to find the words they need, which can create frustration.
AAC screens are usually organized by themes or categories. Examples include:
1. Emotions
○ Includes primary emotions and intensity scales.
○ May feature sentence frames such as: “I feel [emotion] because [reason].” ○ Apps: Proloquo2Go, TouchChat, LAMP Words for Life.
2. Greetings and Social Interaction
○ Phrases for saying hello, asking questions, or making polite conversation: “Hi, how are you?” or “Can I play with you?”
○ Encourages conversation initiation and social reciprocity.
○ Apps: Proloquo2Go, Avaz AAC, TouchChat.
3. Basic Needs / Food / Daily Activities
○ Symbols and phrases for expressing hunger, thirst, bathroom needs, or help: “I want juice,” “I need help,” “I need a break.”
○ Apps: Proloquo2Go, TouchChat, CoughDrop AAC.
4. Hobbies and Interests
○ Includes symbols for activities such as drawing, music, sports, or games.
○ Helps users maintain conversation topics and participate in social play.
○ Apps: Proloquo2Go, LAMP Words for Life, Avaz AAC.
5. Social Skills / Politeness
○ Words and phrases like “Thank you,” “Please,” “Excuse me.”
○ Supports positive social communication and turn-taking.
○ Apps: Proloquo2Go, TouchChat, LAMP Words for Life.
Voice personalization allows the user to communicate in a way that feels natural and personal. Tools include:
● Acapela Group – My Own Voice – creates a synthetic voice that sounds like the user. ● Acapela TTS Voices – voice packages compatible with AAC apps.
● NaturalReader – text-to-speech software.
Well-structured screens reduce cognitive load, improve efficiency, and support independence, helping users communicate confidently in any situation.
4. Social Stories
What are Social Stories?
Social Stories are short, structured narratives designed to teach social expectations, appropriate behaviors, and emotional regulation. They are particularly useful for individuals who may feel anxious or unsure about social situations, such as a classroom activity, a playground interaction, or participating in a group game. The main purpose of Social Stories is to prepare users for real-life situations by providing clear guidance, modeling expected behavior, and reducing uncertainty.
Social Stories are not just stories for reading; they are educational tools. They help AAC users:
● Understand what is happening in a situation.
● Learn how to respond appropriately.
● Practice emotional regulation by labeling feelings and choosing strategies to cope. ● Build confidence and independence in social interactions.
The 2:1 Formula
One of the most important principles in Social Stories is the 2:1 ratio formula, which means that for every two descriptive sentences, there is one directive sentence. This balance ensures that the story is informative without being overly controlling.
1. Descriptive sentences:
○ Describe what is happening, who is involved, and what the environment looks like. ○ Provide factual, concrete information to help the user understand the situation. ○ Example: “We are going to play a board game. Everyone will take turns.” 2. Directive sentences:
○ Tell the user what they can do in response.
○ Provide guidance for behavior or coping strategies, rather than commanding. ○ Example: “I will wait for my turn and then play when it is my turn.”
The 2:1 ratio ensures the story emphasizes understanding and context, not just instructions. It also helps users internalize social rules and expectations without feeling pressured.
Integrating Emotional Vocabulary
Social Stories can also include emotional labeling and regulation strategies. This allows the user to recognize and manage their feelings in real time. For example:
“I feel frustrated because it is not my turn. I can take a deep breath and wait patiently.”
By combining emotions + directive strategies, Social Stories teach users to connect feelings with actions, supporting self-regulation and emotional awareness.
Practical Example – Playing a Board Game with Friends
● Descriptive sentences:
○ “We are going to play a board game.”
○ “Everyone will take turns.”
● Directive sentence:
○ “I will wait for my turn and then play when it is my turn.”
● Adding emotional vocabulary:
○ “If I feel frustrated because it is not my turn, I can take a deep breath and wait patiently.”
This structure prepares the user before the activity begins, reducing anxiety, clarifying expectations, and providing a step-by-step guide for appropriate behavior.
Benefits of Social Stories
1. Step-by-step teaching of social expectations: Users can understand each component of a social situation.
2. Anxiety reduction: Clear guidance decreases uncertainty about what to do. 3. Emotional integration: Combining emotions and directives helps users connect feelings with actions.
4. Preparation for independent participation: Users can practice and anticipate scenarios before entering the real situation.
Apps and Tools for Social Stories
1. Boardmaker 7 – A widely used tool for creating visual Social Stories with symbols, boards, and pictograms. Users can add sequences, categories, and scenario-based visuals. ○ Website: https://goboardmaker.com/
2. Canva – Useful for designing storyboards, printable visuals, or custom images to support Social Stories. It allows integration of symbols, text, and photos in a visually appealing way. ○ Website: https://www.canva.com/
3. Proloquo2Go – Allows users to add audio narration to Social Stories. Users can hear each sentence read aloud, which supports auditory learners and encourages independent understanding.
○ Website: https://www.assistiveware.com/products/proloquo2go
Social Stories are powerful tools for AAC users because they combine context, expected behaviors, and emotional guidance in one structured narrative. Using the 2:1 formula, they balance understanding the environment with practical guidance for actions, while apps like Boardmaker 7, Canva, and Proloquo2Go make the stories visual, interactive, and accessible. Social Stories not only teach social rules but also help users regulate emotions, build confidence, and participate independently in real-life social interactions.
5. Social Communication Skills
Social communication skills are essential for AAC users because they allow individuals to initiate conversations, maintain topics, take turns, and respond appropriately in social situations. These skills go beyond knowing individual words; they help users interact meaningfully with peers, teachers, and family members.
Key Areas of Social Communication
1. Conversation Initiation
○ AAC users often need support to start conversations. Pre-programmed phrases like “Hi, how are you?” or “Can I play with you?” provide a way to engage others
socially.
○ Apps for conversation initiation:
■ Proloquo2Go – allows pre-programmed greetings and flexible sentence building. Users can tap symbols to generate phrases for social engagement.
■ TouchChat HD – includes customizable boards for greetings, questions, and small talk. Teachers or therapists can design boards for classroom or playground situations.
■ Avaz AAC – provides dynamic vocabulary and predictive text, helping users construct new questions or comments based on context.
2. Turn-Taking and Interaction
○ Visual timers and structured boards help users learn when it is their turn to speak or act.
○ Tools/Apps:
■ Time Timer – a visual countdown that shows how long each person’s turn lasts.
■ Proloquo2Go – includes “It’s my turn” or “Next person” phrases, so the user can signal participation without verbal speech.
■ LAMP Words for Life – allows pre-programmed phrases for turn-taking in games or group activities.
3. Topic Maintenance and Repair
○ Users practice staying on topic and clarifying misunderstandings.
○ For example, a user may tap “I don’t understand. Can you say that again?” when confused.
○ Apps supporting topic maintenance:
■ Proloquo2Go – users can combine core vocabulary and phrases to maintain conversations.
■ TouchChat HD – flexible phrase building supports extended responses.
■ Avaz AAC – predictive suggestions help users respond quickly and keep the conversation flowing.
4. Pre-Programmed Scripts
○ Scripts are ready-to-use sentences for predictable social situations, such as thanking someone, asking for help, or responding politely.
○ Examples: “Thank you for helping me,” “Excuse me, I need help.”
○ Apps for scripts:
■ Proloquo2Go – supports creating multiple scripts organized by context (home, school, playground).
■ TouchChat HD – allows teachers or therapists to build scripts for classroom routines or therapy sessions.
■ Avaz AAC – dynamic scripting helps users combine phrases with core vocabulary to match the social situation.
5. Role-Play Practice
○ Role-playing provides a safe environment to practice social scenarios: asking for help, joining a game, responding to conflict, or requesting clarification.
○ Apps for role-play:
■ Proloquo2Go – users can simulate conversations with the device, practicing responses aloud.
■ LAMP Words for Life – allows users to build sequences of sentences to practice multi-step interactions.
■ Avaz AAC – supports flexible, context-based communication for practicing diverse social situations.
6. Message Verification
○ Ensures that users check their messages before sending or speaking, reducing miscommunication.
○ Apps supporting verification:
■ Proloquo2Go – reads the constructed sentence aloud so the user can confirm or edit it before sending.
■ TouchChat HD – includes voice preview and editable message boards.
■ Avaz AAC – allows dynamic sentence preview with speech output to confirm meaning.
Why These Skills Matter
● AAC users can interact independently in social and academic settings.
● They learn to initiate, respond, and maintain conversations effectively.
● They develop confidence, social awareness, and emotional regulation.
● Using apps like Proloquo2Go, TouchChat, LAMP Words for Life, and Avaz AAC ensures that skills learned in therapy transfer to real-life situations.
6.Key Strategies for Teaching Self-Advocacy and Conflict Resolution
1. Visual Supports and Communication Boards:
○ Users can access ready-made phrases or pictograms to express emotions and needs. ○ Example phrases:
■ “Stop. I don’t like it.”
■ “I need a break.”
■ “I am frustrated. Please help me.”
○ Tools/Apps:
■ Proloquo2Go – customizable boards with pre-programmed advocacy phrases. ■ TouchChat HD – allows creating dedicated “Self-Advocacy” pages.
■ Boardmaker 7 – create pictogram cards or boards for practice at home or school.
2. Role-Play and Real-Life Practice:
○ Simulate social conflicts in a safe environment.
○ Example scenario: A peer takes a toy the user wants. Using AAC, the user says: “I don’t like that. Please give it back.”
○ Gradually reduce adult support to promote independence in real situations.
○ Tools/Apps:
■ Proloquo2Go – for spoken response practice.
■ Avaz AAC – supports dynamic sentence building during role-play.
3. Emotion Recognition and Regulation Integration:
○ Teach users to identify emotional intensity using visual scales (1–5).
○ Combine emotion labeling with advocacy phrases:
■ “I feel anger level 4. I need a break.”
○ Tools/Apps:
■ Proloquo2Go – integrates emotional vocabulary with advocacy phrases. ■ Boardmaker 7 – create “Emotion + Advocacy” boards.
4. Social Stories for Advocacy:
○ Social Stories can include how to respond in conflict situations, following the 2:1 formula:
■ Descriptive: “Sometimes my friend wants a toy I am using.”
■ Descriptive: “It is normal to feel frustrated when this happens.”
■ Directive: “I can say, ‘Stop, I don’t like that,’ and ask for help if needed.” ○ Tools/Apps:
■ Boardmaker 7 – visual stories for conflict scenarios.
■ Proloquo2Go – add audio narration and interactive responses.
5. Behavior Contracts and Reinforcement:
○ Reinforce successful self-advocacy through positive reinforcement (verbal praise, stickers, points).
○ Example: If a student uses an AAC device to express frustration appropriately, reward immediately to encourage repetition.
○ Tools/Apps:
■ ClassDojo or Seesaw – track behaviors and reinforce advocacy success digitally.
■ Twinkl resources – printable reward charts linked to communication goals. 6. Message Verification:
○ Users review what they intend to say before sending or speaking, which ensures clarity and reduces miscommunication.
○ Example: The user constructs a sentence: “I need a break because I feel frustrated.” The device reads it aloud; the user confirms or edits before communicating.
○ Tools/Apps:
■ Proloquo2Go – built-in speech output verification.
■ TouchChat HD – allows sentence preview and editing.
Why This Matters for AAC Users
● Builds confidence in social situations.
● Reduces frustration by giving a clear, safe way to express needs.
● Helps develop problem-solving and emotional regulation skills.
● Promotes independence and self-determination.
When AAC users are equipped with structured tools, practice, and visual supports, they can handle social challenges safely, participate fully in group activities, and advocate for themselves consistently.
7.-Practical Tips for Using AAC and Evaluating Progress
This chapter focuses on practical guidelines to ensure that AAC implementation is effective, meaningful, and sustainable over time. It emphasizes both daily intervention strategies and systematic progress evaluation.
Using AAC successfully is not only about having the right device or materials. It requires a supportive communicative environment, consistency across contexts, and a respectful attitude toward the communication process.
One of the most important principles when working with AAC users is to give them time to answer. Formulating a message on an AAC device requires multiple cognitive and motor processes: locating vocabulary, navigating between screens, constructing a sentence, and activating speech output. Rushing the user can increase anxiety and reduce communication attempts. Therefore, adults and peers must consciously allow ample wait time, maintaining eye contact and signaling that the communicative attempt is valued and expected.
Another essential recommendation is to use AAC in all settings. Communication does not occur only during therapy sessions. AAC must be integrated into everyday routines at home, at school, and in community environments. This includes mealtimes, playtime, academic tasks, social interactions, outings, and problem-solving situations. Consistent exposure across contexts promotes generalization,
strengthens communicative competence, and reinforces the idea that AAC is the user’s voice in every aspect of life.
It is equally important to celebrate small wins. Every communicative attempt — whether it is selecting a single word, navigating independently to a new screen, or initiating interaction — represents progress. Acknowledging these moments through positive reinforcement builds confidence, motivation, and willingness to communicate. The goal is to create a safe environment where communication attempts are always validated.
At the beginning of the intervention, it is advisable to keep it simple. Starting with core vocabulary — high-frequency, versatile words such as “want,” “go,” “more,” “help,” “stop,” or “like” — provides a functional base for communication. As the user becomes more confident and skilled, more specific and complex vocabulary can be gradually introduced. Expanding language step by step prevents overload and supports long-term development.
Practice should always be interactive and shared. Adults should model AAC use consistently, speaking and selecting symbols on the device at the same time. This modeling demonstrates how messages are constructed and reinforces language learning. Communication practice should feel natural and collaborative rather than corrective or test-like.
Finally, patience and consistency are fundamental. AAC development is a gradual process. Progress may be uneven, and setbacks may occur. Maintaining a stable, predictable, and encouraging approach helps the user build trust and persistence in their communication journey.
8.-Evaluating AAC Progress
Monitoring progress is a crucial part of effective AAC intervention. Evaluation should focus not only on linguistic growth but also on emotional well-being and social participation.
One key question to consider is whether the user is trying to communicate more frequently. An increase in spontaneous communication attempts is often one of the earliest and most meaningful indicators of success.
Another important indicator is whether the user is using new words and phrases. Vocabulary expansion, longer utterances, and more varied sentence structures demonstrate linguistic development and increased confidence in navigating the system.
Emotional indicators should also be observed. It is important to ask whether the user seems happier and less frustrated. AAC should reduce communicative breakdowns and provide a reliable way to express needs, emotions, and preferences. A decrease in behavioral frustration can reflect improved communicative competence.
Social participation is another essential measure. Are they joining in more with others? Increased engagement with peers, participation in group activities, and initiation of conversations are signs that AAC is supporting meaningful inclusion.
Progress should be reviewed systematically, ideally on a monthly basis. During these reviews, professionals and families can analyze data, discuss observations, identify barriers, and make necessary adjustments to vocabulary organization, access methods, or intervention strategies. Regular monitoring ensures that AAC continues to meet the evolving needs of the user.
In summary, successful AAC implementation requires time, consistency, positive reinforcement, and structured evaluation. When these elements are combined, AAC becomes not only a communication system, but a pathway toward autonomy, participation, and improved quality of life.
9. Conclusion
AAC is more than a communication tool. It provides users with the ability to: ● Express emotions clearly and authentically.
● Participate socially and independently in different environments.
● Advocate for themselves, set boundaries, and ensure their safety.
● Build identity, confidence, and long-term independence.
By combining emotional vocabulary development, the structured architecture of expression, Social Stories™, social scripts, turn-taking practice, role-play activities, and self-advocacy training, users develop meaningful communication, active social participation, and emotional resilience.
However, successful AAC implementation also requires consistent practical strategies. Giving users sufficient time to formulate their messages, integrating AAC into all daily contexts, celebrating small communication attempts, starting with core vocabulary, practicing interactively through modeling, and maintaining patience and consistency are essential elements that sustain progress.
Equally important is ongoing evaluation. Monitoring whether the user is initiating communication more frequently, expanding vocabulary and sentence complexity, showing reduced frustration, and participating more actively with peers allows professionals and families to adjust supports effectively. Monthly reviews ensure that the system evolves alongside the user’s developmental needs.
AAC is therefore not a short-term intervention but a lifelong tool. When implemented with consistency, respect, and structured evaluation, it becomes a pathway to authentic expression, social inclusion, emotional well-being, and personal empowerment.
10. Bibliography
Beukelman, D. R., & Light, J. C. (2020). Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Supporting Children and Adults with Complex Communication Needs (5th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Gray, C. (2010). The New Social Story Book (10th Anniversary Edition). Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.
Light, J. (1989). Toward a definition of communicative competence for individuals using augmentative and alternative communication systems. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 5(2), 137–144.
Light, J., & McNaughton, D. (2014). Communicative competence for individuals who require AAC: A new definition for a new era of communication? Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 30(1), 1–18.
Prizant, B. M., Wetherby, A. M., Rubin, E., & Laurent, A. C. (2006). The SCERTS Model: A Comprehensive Educational Approach for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Romski, M., & Sevcik, R. A. (2005). Augmentative communication and early intervention: Myths and realities. Infants & Young Children, 18(3), 174–185.
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Social Interaction and Emotional Development through AAC
EduZone | Urdaneta School · Spain
We are sharing the teacher assessment for Module 10, developed by Urdaneta School, Spain, as part of Result 1 of the EduZone Erasmus+ project. It focuses on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) as a means of supporting social participation, emotional expression and self-advocacy.
The assessment explores how learners can use AAC to express feelings, join peer activities, repair misunderstandings and communicate personal boundaries. It also considers supportive communication partners, appropriate vocabulary and ways to observe spontaneous participation. Teachers complete ten multiple-choice questions, two classroom scenarios and a practical task to design an AAC resource with an accompanying plan for its use.
This questionnaire connects the module’s concepts with inclusive classroom practice. It encourages teachers to provide communication opportunities beyond basic requests and to support learners in expressing their own choices, needs and emotions.
Click here: Teachers evaluation
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Social Interaction and Emotional Development through AAC
EduZone | Urdaneta School · Spain
We are sharing the parent assessment for Module 10, developed by Urdaneta School, Spain, as part of Result 1 of the EduZone Erasmus+ project. This questionnaire reviews how Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can support children’s emotional expression and participation in family and social life.
It covers recognising and expressing feelings, joining games, asking for help or a break, setting boundaries and using visual stories to prepare for unfamiliar situations. Parents consider how to model AAC, allow time for a response and keep communication supports available across daily routines. The assessment includes seven multiple-choice questions, two true-or-false questions and a practical response about supporting a child who becomes frustrated during a family game.
The aim is to help families apply the module’s strategies in meaningful everyday situations. It assesses parents’ understanding of the material, rather than the child’s abilities.
Click here: Parents evaluation
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the National Agency for Community Programs in the Field of Education and Vocational Training (ANPCDEFP). Neither the European Union nor ANPCDEFP can be held responsible for them.
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