Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)
If your child struggles to speak or share what they need, there are other beautiful ways to help their voice be heard. At Allison’s Therapy Corner, we use Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) to help children connect, express, and feel understood — at home, in school, and in the community.
Our speech-language pathologists (SLPs) specialize in helping kids find meaningful ways to communicate through visuals, and assistive technology. Every small step brings big confidence and connection. Schedule an evaluation today to see how AAC can help your child thrive.
What Is Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)?
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) includes any form of communication that supports or replaces spoken words. It helps children express thoughts, needs, and feelings when speech is difficult.
AAC can be as simple as gestures, picture cards, and symbols, or as advanced as speech-generating tablets and communication devices. For example, a child might use a picture board to ask for their favorite snack or a tablet app to tell their teacher how they feel.
Children with speech delays or motor speech disorders (like apraxia)
Children who understand language but have trouble speaking
Who It Helps
AAC can benefit a wide range of children, from those who are nonverbal to those who just need extra help expressing themselves.
We often support:
Common reasons families reach out include:
Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) helps children who struggle to communicate their needs, thoughts, or feelings through speech alone. For many families, AAC opens the door to clearer communication at home, in school, and in daily life. Families often reach out when their child needs support with expressive language, social interactions, or finding a reliable way to share what they want.
We’ve worked with many families who’ve seen incredible changes once their child starts communicating more easily. Every milestone — every new word — is something to celebrate.
Speech Therapy
Speech therapy plays a big role in AAC because communication isn’t just about speaking — it’s about helping your child share their needs, feelings, and ideas in the way that works best for them.
Our speech-language pathologists teach children how to use AAC during real-life moments — through routines and meaningful interactions. We also support families and teachers so communication stays consistent across home, school, and daily activities.
AAC-focused speech therapy can help if your child:
- Gets frustrated when trying to be understood
- Struggles to express needs or feelings
- Uses gestures or sounds instead of words
- Has limited verbal communication
- Needs visual or tech-based tools to communicate
We take a gentle, child-led approach. Sometimes that means starting with simple picture symbols or modeling words on a device. Over time, AAC becomes a natural part of how your child shares what they want, who they are, and how they feel.
Our goal is to make communication easier and more joyful — giving your child a reliable voice in every setting.
Where We Serve Families
Allison’s Therapy Corner proudly serves families across the Fort Worth and Grapevine areas with two convenient clinic locations.
Our Keller / Fort Worth clinic supports families from Roanoke, Alliance, North Fort Worth, Southlake, and North Richland Hills, offering speech therapy close to home.
Our Grapevine clinic welcomes families from Euless, Colleyville, Bedford, Coppell, Irving, North Arlington and North Richland Hills, providing the same warm, family-centered care in a nurturing environment.
Wherever you’re coming from, you’ll find a caring team ready to support your child’s growth — one step, one smile, and one success at a time.
How It Works at Allison’s Therapy Corner
Every AAC plan at Allison’s Therapy Corner is tailored to your child’s unique strengths and communication style.
Personalized evaluations
To find the right AAC system — from low-tech boards to high-tech speech devices.
Family and teacher collaboration
To keep communication consistent across all environments.
Real-time parent coaching
To help you confidently model AAC use at home during everyday routines.
Meaningful Communication Growth
We help your child take meaningful steps toward clearer communication, reduced frustration, and more confident expression — with or without spoken words.
During AAC sessions, you might see your child choosing symbols to share what they want, using a device to tell you how they feel, or learning new core words they can use across many situations. You may also notice modeling, where therapists use the AAC system themselves to show your child how communication can work.
Whether your child communicates through pictures, gestures, or a speech-generating device, we create a space where they can build communication skills that truly work for their daily life.
What to Expect
From your first phone call to your child’s first clear word or confident sentence, we’re here to guide you through every step. Here’s what the process looks like:
- 1
Free Consultation
We begin with a quick phone conversation to learn about your child’s communication needs and your goals as a parent. You can share any concerns, ask questions, and get a sense of whether our team is the right match for your family.
- 2
Initial Speech & Language Evaluation
Your child meets with a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) for a thorough evaluation. We observe how your child communicates, listens, uses words, understands directions, and interacts during simple activities. Parents are included throughout this step — your insight helps us see the full picture and shape the plan in a meaningful way.
- 3
Individualized Treatment Plan
After the evaluation, your SLP creates a customized therapy plan with clear, achievable goals based on your child’s strengths and needs. We’ll walk you through the plan so you understand what each goal means, why it matters, and how therapy will help. Collaboration is priority — your voice and preferences guide the direction of care.
- 4
Insurance & Scheduling
We’ll verify your insurance benefits, explain what your plan covers, and help you choose a schedule that works for your family. Before services begin, you’ll receive a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) that clearly outlines your benefits and expected costs. Our team handles the paperwork so you can focus on your child’s communication growth—not logistics.
- 5
Ongoing Speech Therapy
Once therapy begins, your child attends one-on-one sessions with their SLP. Sessions are engaging, supportive, and tailored to your child’s interests — using books, toys, games, visuals, or movement to practice new skills. Parents receive regular updates, simple at-home strategies, and guidance to help generalize skills across environments, ensuring progress carries over into everyday routines at home, school, and in the community.
Our Team & Approach
At Allison’s Therapy Corner, you’re not just getting speech therapy — you’re joining a caring team that celebrates your child’s growth every step of the way. Your child’s therapy plan may include:
Autism Therapy (ABA), Speech Therapy (ST), and Occupational Therapy (OT)
Therapy Working Together
At Allison’s Therapy Corner, AAC support doesn’t stand alone. Our speech-language pathologists work closely with our ABA and OT teams to help your child communicate clearly, build independence, and feel more confident in daily life.
By working as one team, we share insight, keep goals aligned, and celebrate every communication win together — all in a warm, coordinated, family-centered environment.
- Learn more
Speech Therapy
Helps children communicate clearly, build vocabulary, and develop conversation skills.
- Learn more
Autism Therapy (ABA)
We help children grow in communication, behavior, and learning through structure and reinforcement.
- Learn more
Occupational Therapy
We help children with fine/gross motor coordination, self-care, emotional regulation, and sensory processing.
Insurance & Scheduling
We know getting started with therapy can feel overwhelming, so we do our best to make it easy. Our clinic accepts Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Magellan (with BCBS), United Healthcare, Optum, Cigna, Scott & White, Tricare, and Private Pay.
If you’re unsure what your plan covers, our team can verify your benefits and walk you through every step before your child’s first appointment.
(Please note: we currently do not accept Medicaid, Medicare, or Cooks.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all. Research shows that AAC supports speech development. Many kids actually begin using more spoken words once they feel confident communicating through AAC.
We use a wide range of tools — from simple picture boards and visual aids to advanced speech-generating devices — always matched to your child’s needs.
If your child struggles to express themselves verbally, an AAC evaluation can help identify the best way to support communication growth.
Absolutely. We coach parents, caregivers, and teachers to make AAC consistent across home, school, and therapy — because communication works best when everyone’s on the same page
Every child is different, but many families see early wins within weeks — like reduced frustration or clearer communication attempts. Growth builds step-by-step with consistent practice.
Every child deserves the chance to be heard
If you’re ready to help your child communicate with confidence, we’d love to meet you. Call us today or schedule an evaluation at our Keller / Fort Worth or Grapevine clinic. Let’s make communication fun again — one word, laugh, and story at a time.