The direct lived experience of augmentative and alternate communication users and autistic people has become central to developments in the field of AAC in the last 5 years. This book updates the field of AAC, bringing it into line with current best practice, centring around 3 core principles: safety, connection and communication.

Throughout this practical guide, Ali Battye, experienced speech and language therapist, weaves the astonishing personal insights from a nonspeaking full time AAC user, Ember Aura. These provide the ‘why’ for this book.

The book includes summaries of current AAC apps, screenshots of edited pages, and templates for personalising AAC vocabularies, note-writing, goal-setting and report-writing. With a focus on neurodiversity affirming practice it addresses the questions of who, what, where, when, how and why we might introduce and support AAC, centring around 3 core principles: safety, connection and communication. Foundational principles such as ‘presuming potential’, ‘modelling without expectation’ and ‘following the joy’ are threaded through every chapter, offering an in-depth reflective learning experience. It concludes with a thought-provoking chapter on nuanced areas of practice, and invites us to approach such topics with humility and an open mind.

Packed with practical strategies and supports as well as templates for AAC resources, all in an accessible format, this book is essential reading for speech and language therapists, teachers and parents.

Alison Battye is a Speech and Language Therapist with 26 years of experience supporting autistic and neurodivergent children. She is the author of highly respected books on AAC, Gestalt Language Processing, and self-care for Allied Health Professionals. Ali regularly supervises other SLTs, provides training and attends speaking events to further awareness of AAC and language development for autistic and neurodivergent children.