How do we start assisting our students to use their AAC devices? It is difficult to know all of the steps for implementing AAC. However, don’t get lost in the details, remember that as an SLP or teacher you already have many of the skills you need to get started. Two mnemonics to help you recall the steps are S’MoRRES and SIMPLE AAC. Both methods are appropriate to use with AAC users from Paper-Based/Rapid Access methods to high-tech AAC devices. It doesn’t matter what method you use to help remember the steps to assisting your AAC learners, only that you show them how to love using their device to communicate.

What do campfires, yummy treats, and AAC have in common? S’MoRRES is a mnemonic developed by Dr. Jill Senner and Matthew Baud to describe a strategy for building partner interaction skills.

S- Slow Rate

Mo – Model

R – Respect and Reflect (Model the child’s communication attempt without making the child repeat      him or herself.)

E – Expand – Repeat the communication attempt and expand the utterance. (“Bubble” = “Big Bubble”)

S – Stop – Pause and allow the child time to process the information and respond. 

S’MORRES is a simple but handy way to remember the steps to helping your students with learning how to use their AAC device.

Jill Senner & Matt Baud: SMoRRES and Partner-Augmented input, AAC in the Cloud 2017

Simple AAC is another mnemonic used to describe how we can support our early AAC learners to develop communication skills.

S – Show - model

I – Interesting – Make communication fun.

M- Months and months – It can take months of modeling before an AAC user is ready to start using the device.

P – Pause – Give the learner time to respond.

L – Language – Teach a variety of words for communicating in different contexts.

E – Explore – Allow the AAC learner to play and explore their device.

A – Always available – Have the device ready to communicate at any time.                         

A – Add words – Expand on what they say.

C – Comment – Comment on what is happening not questioning and testing the AAC user.

Webinar: Getting Started with Simple AAC webinar with Daisy Clay

Click below for a getting started guide, poster, and more in-depth explanations of SIMPLE AAC.