Breaking the Silence: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for Autistic Children

• By: Holly Pinto, MS, CCC-SLP Speech-Language Pathologist
• July 9th, 2025
• AAC, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, communication, language development, nonspeaking, nonverbal communication, parents, speech-language pathologist, Summer 2025 Issue, support, technology
• 101    0

Imagine your child has thoughts, feelings, and ideas but struggles to say them out loud. For many parents of children on the autism spectrum, this is a daily experience. This is where Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can help. What is AAC? Augmentative and Alternative...

Can Being Denied Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Cause Lifelong Trauma?

• By: Ren Koloni, MA CommunicationFIRST
• December 30th, 2024
• actually autistic, advocacy, communication, disability rights, emotional regulation, inclusive education, neurodiversity, nonspeaking, trauma, trauma recovery, Winter 2025 Issue
• 1952    2

Complex trauma happens when someone feels they are trapped and alone in continuing threatening or unsafe circumstances, like child abuse, war, or racism (World Health Organization, 2019). In situations where a person experiences threats every day, changes occur to the part of the nervous system...

Rights and Challenges for Autistic People with Communication Disabilities in the Legal System

• By: Staff CommunicationFIRST
• July 5th, 2023
• AAC, ableism, accommodations, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, communication, cultural competence, disability rights laws, discrimination, equal access to public services, guardianship, law enforcement, nonspeaking, speech-related disabilities, stereotypes, stigma, Summer 2023 Issue, the legal system
• 5972    1

Police should be the last resort.... I shouldn’t have to call the police if my son is having a meltdown. When I get up in the morning, I say, “Thank God he’s not dead,” and “Thank God I’m not dead.” - Kerima Çevik, activist and parent of a nonspeaking autistic son (Sokol,...

How to Advocate for Your Nonspeaking or Minimally Verbal Child or Adult

• By: Amy Kelly, MBA, MNM Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health
• January 2nd, 2023
• advocacy, communication, less verbal, nonspeaking, parenting, self-advocacy, verbal apraxia, Winter 2023 Issue
• 3513    0

Over the last decade, there has been an increase in autistic self-advocates coming into the public eye through their incredible means to advocate for themselves - and others like them. These individuals have become a powerful voice for boards, committees, research and quality improvement...

Let’s NOT Divide the Autism Spectrum: My View From the Trenches on “Profound Autism”

• By: Robert Naseef, PhD Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Parent of an Adult Autistic Son Michael John Carley New York University Connections ASD Program
• November 29th, 2022
• fathers, labels, language, neurodiversity, nonspeaking, opinion, profound autism, stereotypes, support groups
• 3056    1

Editor’s Note: Autism Spectrum News strives to be an inclusive voice for the Autism community by presenting articles that promote discussion and advancement. This article is a response to Alison Singer’s article It’s Time to Embrace ‘Profound Autism’, published by Spectrum on October...

Building Communication Skills in Non-Verbal Children with Autism Using Augmentative or Alternative Systems

• By: Cindy Alterson, PhD, BCBA Jennifer Naughton Basch, MS, CCC/SLP Devereux Millwood Learning Center
• January 1st, 2009
• children, communication, nonspeaking
• 2217    0

According to the National Research Council (2001), approximately one-third to one-half of children and adults with autism do not use speech functionally. When verbal speech or gestures are insufficient for an individual with autism to communicate their needs and wants, augmentative or alternative...