Supporting Autistic and Non-Speaking Students with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Targeted to Intermediate English (B1+) speakers.^{Read more}

This is the standard requirement for most courses. Participants at this level can participate actively in discussions and manage everyday and professional situations. If they are unsure about their English level, they can test it here or explore our courses facilitated in Basic English.

Cross-Curricular, Special Needs Educators.^{Read more}

The listed audiences are those for whom the course is especially recommended, but courses are not exclusive to them and are open to everyone. In fact, most of our workshops are built around the collective sharing of participants’ experiences and having a variety of profiles enriches the learning process and is highly encouraged!

Description

Every student needs a way to communicate, participate, and be understood.

Yet autistic students and learners with speech and language difficulties, developmental disabilities, or complex communication needs may face barriers that limit their participation in classroom life.

For teachers, this diversity raises very practical questions:

• How to support participation when communication is difficult?
• How to prevent frustration from escalating?
• How to create routines, materials and environments that help autistic students feel safer, more independent and more included?

This course helps educators create more inclusive and communication-friendly learning environments through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Assistive Technology (AT) , visual supports and positive behavior strategies.

It is designed for teachers and school staff working in mainstream, special education, or inclusive settings.

Participants will have the chance to explore how communication, behavior, sensory needs, and emotional regulation are deeply connected and influence each other.

Challenging behavior will be approached as a possible form of communication, helping teachers identify triggers, recognize early warning signs, prevent escalation, and respond to difficult moments in a calm and structured way.

A central focus of the course is the practical use of AAC and visual supports in everyday classroom routines.

Participants will work with both low-tech and high-tech tools such as communication boards, choice cards, visual schedules, First–Then boards, social stories, symbol systems, AAC apps, communication software and speech-generating devices.

They will learn how to select appropriate supports, model communication, create opportunities for student voice and encourage participation across academic and social activities.

The course also focuses on autism-friendly classroom design, predictable routines, transition support, emotional regulation tools and collaboration with families, support staff and multidisciplinary teams.

Through workshops, case studies, demonstrations and hands-on activities, participants will design resources that can be adapted to their own students and contexts.

Finally, a study visit to an institution or organization that works with AAC and Assistive Technology will offer the opportunity to observe real-world implementation and reflect on classroom transfer.

By the end of the course, participants will have created a personalized communication and inclusion toolkit, including visual supports, communication resources, regulation tools, break cards, social stories and classroom routines.

They will leave with practical strategies to support student voice, independence, self-regulation and inclusion.

Concept by Mirna Carević

Learning outcomes

The course will help participants to:

• Understand the principles of AAC and Assistive Technology in inclusive education;
• Recognize communication, sensory and behavioral needs of autistic students and learners with complex communication profiles;
• Identify barriers that limit student participation, self-expression and independence;
• Distinguish between low-tech and high-tech AAC solutions and select appropriate tools for different learners;
• Create communication boards, visual schedules, First–Then cards, choice cards, social stories and other visual supports;
• Apply communication partner strategies and AAC modelling techniques in daily classroom routines;
• Understand behavior as communication and identify triggers, stress signals and early warning signs;
• Use positive behavior support, emotional regulation and crisis prevention strategies;
• Design autism-friendly and communication-accessible classroom environments;
• Embed AAC and visual supports into academic, social and everyday learning activities;
• Collaborate with families, support staff and multidisciplinary teams;
• Create a personalized Communication and Inclusion Toolkit for immediate classroom use.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Introduction to the course

• Introduction to the course and the Academy;
• Introduction to the host city and the week’s cultural activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools and institutions.

Understanding Communication, Autism and Inclusion

• What communication means in inclusive education;
• Understanding autism and complex communication needs;
• Communication differences, sensory processing and barriers to participation;
• How communication, behavior and emotional regulation are connected;
• Identifying participants’ goals and classroom challenges.

Day 2 – AAC and assistive technology for student voice

• Introduction to AAC and Assistive Technology. Who benefits most from it?;
• Low-tech AAC: communication boards, choice cards, communication books and symbol systems;
• High-tech AAC: apps, communication software and speech-generating devices;
• Selecting AAC tools according to student needs and classroom contexts;
• Communication partner strategies and aided language stimulation;
• Workshop: creating communication supports for classroom use.

Day 3 – Visual supports and classroom routines

• Visual schedules, First–Then boards, task supports and transition tools;
• Structured teaching and autism-friendly classroom organization;
• Embedding AAC into daily routines, activities and transitions;
• Supporting choice-making, participation and peer interaction;
• Creating communication opportunities across the curriculum;
• Workshop: designing visual supports and routines for participants’ own contexts.

Day 4 – Behavior support and crisis prevention

• Understanding behaviour as communication;
• Identifying triggers, stress signals and early warning signs;
• Supporting emotional regulation and preventing escalation;
• Break cards, regulation supports and calm communication strategies;
• De-escalation techniques for challenging moments;
• Developing individualized support plans;
• Case studies and problem-solving common classroom situations.

Day 5 – Building your communication and inclusion toolkit

• Creating social stories and visual narratives for everyday situations;
• Designing individualized AAC and behavior support resources;
• Working with families, support staff and multidisciplinary teams;
• Study visit to an institution or organization specializing in AAC and AT;
• Finalizing participants’ Communication and Inclusion Toolkits;
• Presentations, peer feedback and reflection on classroom transfer;
• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussions;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance.

Day 6 – Structured cultural activities

• Structured cultural activity(ies) according to the hosting location;
• Learning journal: individual written reflection on the course experience;
• Course reflection: self-reflection and review of course materials and resources.

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