A small study suggests that brief independent practice with augmentative and alternative communication apps can enhance caregivers’ ability to fluently model language, potentially improving interactions with children who use these devices.
A small study published in Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups suggests that caregivers may become more fluent with a child’s augmentative and alternative communication app if they practise it on their own for a short period before trying to model language in the moment.
The research, led by Elena Dukhovny and Clara Ackerman, focused on a simple problem that many speech and language therapists will recognise: telling families to use a child’s AAC system is easier than helping them do it smoothly when a child is hungry, moving or losing interest. The authors argued that aided language modelling depends on speed and confidence as much as on good intentions, especially when a device has a large vocabulary grid and several layers of navigation.
To test that idea, the researchers worked with three caregivers whose children used real AAC systems, including LAMP Words for Life and Proloquo2Go. After a single consultation with a licensed speech-language pathologist, the caregivers were asked to practise independently for 15 minutes at a time, four times a week, while choosing words linked to their child’s interests and daily routines. The children’s devices were left untouched, so the exercise mirrored the systems they actually used at home.
The study found that two of the three caregivers used more words and a wider range of words on the device during play with their children after the practice period. One caregiver showed no measurable increase, which the authors suggested may reflect an already high baseline rather than a lack of benefit from the approach. A follow-up check also suggested that one caregiver maintained gains after the practice period ended.
The study’s results also point to an important limit. Caregivers used only a small share of the words they had rehearsed during actual interaction, which suggests the value of the exercise lay less in memorising a script than in building enough fluency to search the device more quickly and with less hesitation. Multiword combinations did not improve reliably, indicating that confidence with single words may be only the first step towards fuller language modelling.
The findings sit alongside broader recent research showing that families often struggle to fit AAC into everyday routines and that support needs to be practical, culturally appropriate and realistic. Other 2025 studies have highlighted the pressures on caregivers learning AAC at home, including work on family routines and coaching in Spanish-speaking households. Against that background, the new study offers an appealingly low-cost idea: give caregivers a little protected practice time first, so the device feels familiar before they are asked to use it with a child in real life.
The authors say the approach is promising, but the evidence is still early. The study was small, involved no control group and took place alongside other community services, so it cannot prove that the practice protocol alone caused the changes. Even so, it adds to a growing body of work suggesting that if caregivers are expected to model language well, they may first need a chance to become fluent themselves.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
