What Is an AAC Board?
AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. An AAC board is a grid of pictures that a child can point to in order to express needs, feelings, and ideas — without needing spoken words.
For autistic children who are non-verbal or minimally verbal, an AAC board gives them a voice. Instead of melting down because they cannot say "I'm hungry," they can point to a picture of food. Instead of screaming because something hurts, they can point to a body part. This one change — giving children a way to communicate — often dramatically reduces meltdowns and problem behaviour.
Does AAC Delay Speech?
This is the most common concern Indian parents have, and the answer is definitively no. Decades of research show that AAC does not delay speech — it actually helps many children develop more spoken words. A 2015 meta-analysis of 24 studies found that AAC intervention increased both communication frequency and spoken language in autistic children.
The reason is simple: AAC removes the pressure to produce speech while building the understanding that communication works. Children who know that pointing to a picture gets results are far more likely to attempt speech than children who are frustrated and shut down.
Types of AAC for Indian Families
Low-tech AAC: Printed picture boards, communication books, or single picture cards. Free to make, works without electricity, highly durable. Most Indian families start here.
Mid-tech AAC: Speech-generating devices that play a recorded voice when a picture is pressed. GoTalk and similar devices cost ₹8,000–25,000 in India.
High-tech AAC: iPad or Android apps (Proloquo2Go, TouchChat, LetMeTalk). Expensive but highly customisable.
App-based free AAC: Autism Saathi's built-in AAC board — free, works on any phone, includes Hindi and English labels, organized by category.
The Fitzgerald Key — How Professional AAC Boards Are Organized
Professional AAC boards (used in hospitals and therapy centres) use a colour-coding system called the Fitzgerald Key:
- Blue: Core words (I, want, more, stop, help, go, here)
- Green: Actions/verbs (eat, drink, play, sleep, go)
- Yellow: People (Mama, Papa, baby, teacher, doctor)
- Orange: Things/nouns (food, toy, water, clothes)
- Red: Body parts and feelings (head, tummy, happy, hurt)
- Purple: Places (home, school, hospital, park)
This colour system helps children and caregivers navigate the board quickly — even in the middle of a meltdown, the child can scan for the red section when something hurts.
The Autism Saathi AAC board follows this clinical standard — it is not just pictures with emojis, but a properly structured communication system.
How to Introduce AAC at Home: Step-by-Step
Week 1: Start with Core Words
Print or open the AAC board on your phone. Focus only on 4 words: More, Stop, Help, Want. Use these words yourself throughout the day while pointing to the picture. "Do you want more? More!" [point to More card]
Week 2: Model Without Requiring
When your child wants something, point to the relevant card yourself before giving it. "You want water! [point to Water card] Here is water." You are showing them how it works, not requiring them to do it yet.
Week 3: Create Opportunities
Give your child a small piece of a favourite food. When they reach for more, hold it slightly back and point to the More card: "Can you show me?" If they look at or touch the card, give more immediately.
Week 4: Expand Vocabulary
Add cards relevant to your child's daily life: their specific foods, their toys, the people in your family. Add real photos of their actual biscuit packet, their favourite toy, their family members.
Indian-Specific AAC Vocabulary
Most AAC boards are designed for Western families and include words and foods that Indian children do not encounter. Autism Saathi's AAC board includes:
Indian foods: Roti, dal, sabji, chawal, dosa, idli, paratha, khichdi, aloo, paneer, chai
Indian family terms: Dadi, Dada, Nani, Nana, Mausi, Chacha, Bhaiya, Didi
Indian places: Mandir, bazaar, school, ghar, hospital, park, dukan
Hindi labels on every card for families who speak Hindi at home
Common Mistakes When Using AAC
Putting the board away between uses. The board must be available at all times — in the kitchen, at the table, in the car. Communication needs do not disappear when the board is out of reach.
Only using AAC for wants/needs. AAC should also be used for commenting ("Look!"), greeting, protesting, and social interaction — not just requesting food.
Expecting the child to initiate immediately. Most children need 6–8 weeks of consistent modeling before they begin pointing to the board independently. Model, model, model.
Using low-quality images. Blurry or abstract pictures are harder to process. Use clear, simple images with minimal background detail.
Free AAC Board for Indian Families
The Autism Saathi app includes a fully free AAC board with:
- 150+ symbols organised by Fitzgerald Key categories
- Hindi + English labels on every card
- Indian vocabulary (foods, family terms, places)
- ARASAAC pictograms (clinical-grade symbols used in therapy worldwide)
- Photo upload — add your child's real items to the board
- Search across all cards
- Text-to-speech when cards are tapped
No app download needed — works in any phone browser.