AAC and Smart Home Devices

Smart home devices and AAC devices can be used together in the classroom setting to help students with communication disabilities better participate in classroom activities and improve their educational experience. Some of these applications of smart home devices may require additional purchases (such as “smart plugs” or compatible lightbulbs) but almost any AAC device can be tweaked to work with smart home devices. First though, here are some ways an AAC user may use smart home devices in the classroom: 
 
1. Controlling Classroom Environment and Activities: Smart home devices can be used to control the classroom environment, such as lights, fans, or anything that can be plugged into an outlet! Students with communication disabilities can use their AAC devices to control these devices, giving them more independence and control over their environment. AAC users can even help control group activities by setting a timer for the whole classroom or a small group. These ways of controlling the environment can also be used for specific activities, such as participating in a science experiment or cooking activity. 
 
2. Incorporating Multimedia Content: Smart home devices can be asked to play certain songs or play a video (if it is linked to an interactive whiteboard). This may be very motivating during circle time for younger AAC users and for independent leisure for older students.  

3. Using Smart Speakers for working on Specific Language Structures: When students are learning to formulate questions or give instructions to others, AAC users can have as much practice as they need with a smart home device to answer or respond to the prompt. This can also be done in game format through different “skills” within the smart home device.  

When programming an AAC device to control smart home devices, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure a seamless user experience. These are, of course, based on the individual abilities, skills, and preferences of the AAC user.  

1. A mid-tech device with a recorded voice can be utilized to control a smart home device with minimal effort. Just have the programmer record the entire phrase on the device and the AAC user just needs to hit the button when desired.  

2. Many high-tech AAC devices now come with pre-programmed smart speaker pages built in with one command per button. Some of these even integrate with the device itself!  

3. AAC users may be able to have one button with the “wake word” and other buttons with the rest of the command.  

4. If the AAC user wants to formulate a more complex command or question, they may need to add a comma or a period after the “wake word” and before the rest of the command to give enough time for the smart home device to activate.  
 
Overall, integrating smart home devices and AAC devices in the classroom can help students with communication disabilities to gain greater independence and control over their environment and participate more fully in classroom activities. It is important to work with educators, parents, and therapists to determine the best ways to integrate these technologies into the classroom setting and ensure they are used effectively and ethically.