{"id":146536,"date":"2026-06-25T15:26:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T22:26:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/phoenix\/?p=146536"},"modified":"2026-06-25T15:26:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T22:26:30","slug":"the-biggest-myth-about-aac-will-my-child-stop-talking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/phoenix\/the-biggest-myth-about-aac-will-my-child-stop-talking\/","title":{"rendered":"The Biggest Myth About AAC: “Will My Child Stop Talking?”"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of the first questions I hear when talking with families about Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is, “If my child gets an AAC device, won’t they stop trying to talk?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a completely understandable concern, but the answer is no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decades of research have consistently shown that AAC does not prevent speech development. In fact, research consistently shows that AAC often supports spoken language development while giving individuals another way to communicate while speech and language continue to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AAC Doesn’t Replace Speech<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people think AAC is an either\/or decision. They worry that if a child starts using AAC, they’ll stop talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reality, that’s almost never how it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AAC doesn’t replace speech. It expands communication options!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another misconception I’d like to address is that once someone receives an AAC device, speech therapy no longer needs to focus on speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is not the case!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AAC doesn’t directly teach speech sounds or replace traditional speech therapy. Instead, it gives individuals more opportunities to communicate, hear language, practice words, and experience successful interactions, all of which can support the development of spoken language.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Our Approach at GiGi’s Playhouse Phoenix<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At GiGi’s Playhouse Phoenix, we work every day on speech, language, and communication. We continue to target speech while using AAC to support communication because the two often work hand in hand. Our goal is to help every individual become the most effective communicator they can be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have Questions?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’ve ever wondered whether AAC might be right for your child, or if you already have an AAC device that’s sitting in a closet, feels overwhelming, or just isn’t working the way you hoped it would, you’re not alone. We hear that from families all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that it doesn’t have to stay that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes all it takes is a little troubleshooting, additional support, more opportunities to model the device during everyday activities, or simply a fresh perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have questions, please ask!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Phoenix Amina Grace speech-language pathologists can help families navigate the process of obtaining an AAC evaluation in Arizona and connect them with appropriate resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an AAC specialist, I’m also happy to answer questions and help point families in the right direction \u2013 just shoot me an email! shales@gigigsplayhouse.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’re here to help!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah Hales, M.A., CCC-SLP, is the Director of Clinical Programs & Impact at GiGi’s Playhouse Phoenix. She has more than 30 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist and has a special interest in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Sarah oversees the Amina Grace Speech Therapy Program and is passionate about helping individuals with Down syndrome reach their communication potential while supporting families with practical, evidence-based strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the first questions I hear when talking with families about Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is, “If my child gets an AAC device, won’t they stop trying to talk?” It’s a completely understandable concern, but the answer is no. Decades of research have consistently shown that AAC does not prevent speech development. In…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpo365_audiences":[],"wpo365_private":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-146536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/phoenix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/phoenix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/phoenix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/phoenix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/phoenix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/phoenix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146536\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/phoenix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/phoenix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/phoenix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}