When AAC Looks Random: How to Honor Intent and Spark Autonomy

When AAC Looks Random: How to Honor Intent and Spark Autonomy

SLP Summit Jan 2026 – Session Recap

For many speech-language pathologists, there comes a moment in AAC intervention that feels unsettling. A student taps buttons that don’t seem connected. Messages appear out of context. Communication looks inconsistent, repetitive, or “random.”

But what if it isn’t random at all?

This SLP Summit presentation invites clinicians to pause, reframe, and look more closely at what AAC users are doing, and why. Instead of viewing unexpected AAC use as a breakdown or misuse, the session challenges us to consider regulation, intent, and development through a neuro-affirming lens.

🎥 Watch a clip from the session below
Registration is available until Feb. 6, 2026—register now to access the full course and earn ASHA CEUs.

Reframing “Random” AAC Use

One of the core messages of this presentation is simple but powerful: behavior is communication, and AAC use is no exception. When AAC output doesn’t align with adult expectations, it often reflects unmet needs, sensory regulation, emotional expression, or emerging language patterns rather than a lack of understanding.

Students may use AAC to:

  • Regulate their nervous systems

  • Explore cause and effect

  • Express scripts, emotions, or internal states

  • Practice language without immediate social demand

What appears disorganized on the surface may actually be deeply meaningful when viewed in context.

Regulation Comes Before Intention

The session emphasizes the role of regulation in communication. Many AAC users are navigating sensory input, emotional demands, and environmental expectations simultaneously. When regulation is compromised, communication may shift from functional requests to exploratory or repetitive use.

Rather than asking, “Why aren’t they using AAC correctly?” clinicians are encouraged to ask:

  • Is this student regulated enough to communicate intentionally?

  • What might this AAC use be telling us about their internal state?

  • How can we support regulation without shutting down communication attempts?

This shift moves AAC intervention away from compliance and toward connection.

Meaning Is Not Always Obvious

Another key takeaway is that meaning does not always look like clear, linear messages. AAC users may communicate through patterns, repetition, scripting, or combinations of symbols that reflect their lived experiences and language development.

The session highlights the importance of:

  • Observing AAC use across contexts

  • Listening to families and caregivers

  • Noticing patterns over time rather than isolated moments

  • Respecting unconventional communication as valid

When clinicians slow down and document what they see, meaning often becomes clearer.

Supporting AAC Without Over-Correcting

A common instinct when AAC looks “off-task” is to redirect, correct, or restrict access. This presentation cautions against over-correcting AAC use, as doing so can unintentionally limit autonomy and reduce communication opportunities.

Instead, participants explore how to:

  • Model language without demanding specific responses

  • Expand on AAC use rather than replacing it

  • Honor exploration as part of learning

  • Maintain access to AAC even during dysregulation

AAC is not only a tool for producing expected messages; it is a language system meant to be available at all times.

A Neuro-Affirming Approach to AAC

At its core, this session reinforces that AAC intervention should be grounded in respect, curiosity, and trust. When AAC looks random, it is an invitation to learn more about the communicator, not a signal to take control.

By reframing “random” AAC use as communication in progress, clinicians can create therapy spaces that are safer, more affirming, and more responsive to individual needs.

This presentation reminds us that meaningful communication does not always arrive neatly packaged. Sometimes, it arrives in fragments, repetitions, and moments that ask us to listen differently. When we do, AAC becomes not just a tool for output, but a window into understanding.

🎧  Check out the full course!

You can register for the SLP Summit through February 6, 2026! Registration is free with an optional ASHA add-on for $29.99 for all eight courses. Courses must be viewed by Feb. 6, 2026 and you must opt in for ASHA credit after each course by Feb. 15, 2026.

🔖 This course was originally presented live at the Jan 2026 SLP Summit. Captions available on replays.

Register for Jan 2026 SLP Summit


🕒 Replay Access Ended? You Can Keep Learning!

If you missed registration, we’ve got a perfect next step to support your journey.

👉 Supporting gestalt language processors with AAC

In this self-paced course, you'll:

  • Understand key considerations when supporting GLPs who use AAC

  • Explore how gestalt language processing influences AAC use and design

  • Learn practical strategies for adapting light-tech AAC supports

  • Discover ways to modify high-tech AAC systems, including TD Snap, Proloquo2Go, GRID for iPad, and Avaz

  • Use real-life examples to support functional, meaningful communication

  • Empower AAC users by aligning devices with their natural communication style

This course is ideal for SLPs and educators who want concrete, immediately applicable strategies for supporting gestalt language processors through AAC in affirming and effective ways.