#TalkingAAC 2025

Digital assistants can be integrated into weekly speech therapy sessions to teach clients that they are a portal to information that can be accessed at any point through a series of steps. The steps to access digital assistancs vary depending on the user's communication strengths (i.e., using their voice, using direct-selections on an iPad, and/or using their eyes to activate buttons on an iPad through infrared technology). Clients and their families learn to build trust in the technology by using skills learned in therapy for generalization into the home using the same portal.

The perception of digital assistants could be a privacy concern because they have a recording feature, but it can be turned off in a simple procedure where you choose not to save voice recording and opt out of voice recording. For example, to ensure that client and staff privacy are at the forefront of decision making, the following features need to be enabled on Alexa:
Go to Alexa App>Alexa Privacy> Manage your Alexa Data> Don’t Save Recordings
Go to Alexa App>Alexa Privacy>Manage your Alexa Data>Help Improve Alexa>Uncheck “Use of Voice Recordings”

Through the use of digital assistants, clients can learn independence and autonomy in the areas of communication, environmental access, medical support, and/or socialization.

Communication independence and autonomy can look like asking “What’s the date?”, “What is the Day of the week?”, “What is the time?”, “What is the weather?”, “When is the holiday?”.
Environmental independence and autonomy can look like using digital assistants to turn the lights off/on, turn on the TV, open/close doors, run the vacuum, and/or start the laundry.
Medical independence and autonomy can look like asking digital assistants to remind me to take my medicine, ask when a doctor’s appointment occurs, set a wake-up, set a timer, and/or make a to-do list.
Socialization independence and autonomy can look like digital assistants dropping-in on a family or friend, telling a joke, telling the news, playing a game, listening to music, and participating in cooking with recipes.

In addition,digital assistants features can be taught to promote clients’ independent knowledge seeking (Alexa read me a book, Alexa spell____), dual language capabilities (Translation from English to Spanish), and for adaptive listening mode (Recognize different speech patterns like stuttering and gives more time to finish speaking).

Digital assistants are an influential therapy tool that can be used as a portal to access information independently for all communicators.

Direct selection is the preferred method of access for AAC apps. It is efficient, simple, and reduces cognitive load. However, some AAC users still struggle with default settings, which can lower their success, confidence, and interest. This session will cover small but impactful settings in iOS and communication apps that can positively impact the independence and experience of AAC users in their communication journey. Customizing visual presentation, button interaction, and auditory settings can help develop efficient motor skills for direct selection, allowing AAC users to focus on language and communication development. In addition to adjusting grid size, most robust AAC apps offer a variety of setting options to modify direct access interactions. This supports fine-tuning features to subtly change how apps respond to an AAC user's touch. Adding visual and auditory supports to touch interactions can improve accuracy and interest with neurodiverse learners. We will also discuss iOS settings for adding accessory tools such as a mouse or stylus to enhance direct selection success. Additional iOS setting features can be used to improve direct touch access outcomes and engagement with keyboard options and accessibility settings. Furthermore, this session will highlight the importance of positioning, both in terms of the device and the user's body, to improve direct selection access. Participants will leave with programming setting workflows for implementing auditory feedback, release time delays, and visual cues. Finally, once we have increased the confidence and independence of our direct select AAC users, we will explore iOS settings options in Guided Access and Assistive Access to ensure consistent AAC app access. By leveraging iOS settings, AAC app features, and considering positioning or external tools, we can create an environment that helps AAC users transition from being ‘nearly there’ to confidently independent.