AAC Trick or Treat!

Trick or Treating is a beloved Halloween tradition for so many children. But for those who are non-verbal or struggle with verbal communication, the traditional chant of “Trick or Treat!” doesn’t always work. Every child deserves to be a part of the fun, which is why one of our Speech Therapists, Miss Rachael, has been working with her patients this week to practice trick or treating in a way that works for them.

To do this, she gathered several different AAC tools for her patients to choose from. These included a wristband with relevant symbols, a printout to paste onto their candy bucket, and introducing new words onto their electronic AAC devices. There are so many ways for children who communicate differently to participate in the holiday fun!

In the Robinson office this week, our patient Jolie got to try out using her electronic AAC Device along with a printable wristband. This gave her lots of options and allowed her to express herself fully even when she could not use her words to do so.

On her AAC Tablet, Miss Rachael helped her add special terms like “Trick or Treat!” “Thank you!” and “Happy Halloween!” Which she can use when she wants to make sure someone can hear what she wants to communicate! 

With her wristband she can show someone what she wants by pointing. When she visited the Reach for Speech front office, she was able to point to her wristband’s symbol for “Trick or Treat!” and she got a cool prize in return. Using her new tools she was able to go around to all of our therapists' rooms and fill her goodie bag with treats! 

Jolie points to the “Trick or Treat” symbol on her wristband.

She was able to communicate and got her treat!

We want each and every one of our patients to be able to participate in traditions like Trick or Treat, just like any other kid! Nobody should be left out just because they communicate in a different way, which is why we are sharing these printable resources for you to download and print for your little one this Halloween!