Our 2026 Theme is Joy and Connection in AAC. We know there are real challenges to face. We also believe there is hope. Together, we can face the challenges. Through joy and connection, we will help build a stronger, more loving community. There are many ways to support joy and build connection. Each month in 2026 we will feature one. In January, we highlighted joy and connection.
January Roundup
AAC is about more than tools or techniques. It’s about people connecting with people. As we began a new year, we invited our community to reflect on how connection shows up in big and small ways:
- shared laughter,
- quiet understanding,
- moments of trust, friendship, and belonging.
Related Content from the NWACS Website
The Right to Interact Socially and to Build and Keep Relationships (Communication Bill of Rights, Right 6)
This communication right reminds us that every person has the right to interact socially, maintain closeness, and build relationships. Being social isn’t extra. It isn’t optional. It’s a basic human need and a core part of communicative competence.
For AAC users, connection doesn’t happen by accident. It grows when people have:
- real opportunities to interact
- supportive communication partners
- access to social vocabulary
- multiple ways to connect and participate
Connections are where joy lives. They are built through inclusion, intention, and shared responsibility for communication.
Training for Communication Partners
Truth: Connection doesn’t happen without supportive communication partners. AAC is relational. Joy grows when communication partners know how to be supportive! AAC users cannot do all the work alone.
The Training for Communication Partners category on the NWACS website brings together free, on-demand trainings to help families, educators, providers, and communities build the skills that make meaningful connection possible.
Whether you’re just starting or refining your practice, these resources help create communication environments where connection comes first.
NWACS Information Nights (Recordings)
Turn knowledge into meaningful connections with this resource from the NWACS website. These recordings are perfect for families, educators, and providers who want to build confidence, grow skills, and strengthen connection with AAC users.
New Guest Post: The Joy of “Stepping Into AAC”
This post is a reminder that AAC journeys can be full of clarity, confidence, and connection. Lisa shares how discovering Stepping Into AAC transformed the way she supports families, educators, and clinicians by turning uncertainty into teamwork and stress into shared joy.
New Post: Fooled (middle-grade novel featuring AAC)
Meet Lily (“Lil”): a 6th grader with cerebral palsy who’s a part-time AAC user and still figuring out (sometimes reluctantly!) how her speech-generating device can support her communication. The story follows Lil as she navigates middle school, ableism, “protection” that looks a lot like exclusion, and the push for true belonging.
Alongside a group of disabled peers (and one non-disabled friend), Lil and her classmates lean into joy, magic, and community and what begins as a small project becomes something much bigger.
Joyous AAC Moments
Esther Klang’s Story
Esther shared that one of her most joyful AAC moments was using AAC to deliver a presentation at ATIA. During the Q&A session, where she answered questions using AAC and made meaningful new connections with others, was her favorite part.
The World Joy Project
Brad at the Montague Workshop asks, “What does JOY look like?”
In The World Joy Project, he invites young people in any part of the world to draw, color, paint, or create anything that shows what joy looks like to them and submit those creations to the The World Joy Project. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have disability/AAC joy represented?!
Read more about the project in The World Joy Project article by Brad Montague.
Stories That Make Us Smile
During a recent speech therapy session with a young boy learning to use Grid with eye gaze: we had been playing some Look to Learn games and exploring the Super Core 30 vocab, particularly the body parts page. My friend repeatedly selected some specific body parts, like armpit and elbow. I immediately tickled him in those spots and he was laughing uproariously. It was the highlight of my day! I still smile when I think of that interaction.
My 9-year-old son has taken an interest in what I do for work. I’m an SLP with a special interest in supporting AAC users. I showed him videos on YouTube of adult eye gaze AAC users navigating their devices. He was awed and respectfully curious. Opening the door to his learning about disability has been such a joyous experience for me as an SLP and a mom. I love that he knows that every human has value and dignity and is learning more about inclusion, acceptance, and respect for communication in any form.
A 4-year-old that I work with has been trialing an AAC device. Generally he is happiest when he is playing in his own way and prefers that others don’t play with the items he is using. One day he came in and was jumping on the crash pad. I went straight to modeling verbs within the actions page on the device, and he immediately joined in. He imitated lots of verbs, and spontaneously began requesting actions as well. We spent the whole session acting out actions like “climb,” “kick,” “hop,” “knock,” and “run.” But the best was that he kept asking for “tickles” and he had the most infectious laugh! It was truly a joyful and connecting moment. At the end of the session, he selected “this is fun” and “I love you” repeatedly.
From a parent of an AAC user: “I just have to share this with you because it’s both funny and amazing! Yesterday night we were going to bed, but M was very excited, running around, laughing, being silly. I told him on his device that we should sleep, “Good night.” And he said (on his device) “I disagree.” Both “good night” and “I disagree” are in the quick fires, but his dad and I both saw that it was very deliberate and he really meant it!”
Joy and Connection Looks Like…
- All Access Life YouTube Channel – Brad and Dan have fun while educating about accessibility
- Lost Voice Guy YouTube Channel – Lee Ridley is “that speechless comedian with the iPad”
- Lance McLemore connecting with younger AAC users – watch Learn, Hope, Share, Succeed…and Make New Friends on YouTube
- Odin (non-speaking voice actor on the Carl the Collector PBS Kids show) seeing himself on the show for the first time – watch on Instagram in this autismsupportandawareness post
- Small talk with siblings during mealtime – watch Small Talk on YouTube
- Getting updated communication technology – watch Hannah unbox her new AAC device in this post on Instagram
- Sometimes needing quick sources of reliable joy – learn more in this reel from the Occuplaytional Therapist
Connection Matters
Moments of connection remind us why AAC matters. Relationships are at the heart of communication. New connections can look like:
- a first meaningful exchange
- a deepening relationship
- being truly listened to
- finding community and belonging
This month we celebrated connection, curiosity, and hope. We recommitted to building spaces where joy and communication can grow together. Drop your joyful moments of connection in the comments!
Share your comments or questions.