Mealtime Magic

I'm on a mission to make augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) feel realistic for families and speech therapy professionals by highlighting everyday moments and experiences. Let’s start with mealtimes.

Mealtimes with my own baby and my toddler (ahem, my newly established preschooler!) always remind me of AAC implementation. They both are most successful when:

1. All forms of communication are honored: body language, gestures, pointing, sign language, verbal speech (and yes, even throwing food on the floor is a means of communication…)

2. The topic or food is meaningful for the person

3. The adults take an active role in encouraging engagement

Oh, and they both are often a bit messy!

At any age, and regardless of a person's current communication stage, offering choices and creating opportunities to connect over meals is powerful. The consistency and repetition of this frequent activity naturally teaches new vocabulary and demonstrates the different reasons to communicate within a familiar context. (Anybody else notice a 3-year-old can protest in many different ways?!) It also encourages communication partners to practice patience while everybody is coordinating eating, thinking, and communicating.

Whatever mealtimes look like for your family or in your client's home (sit-down meals vs. food on the go, full menus vs. modified diets…), I guarantee there are golden communication opportunities within them every single day. They are just waiting to be noticed.