Remember playing the Snake and Ladder game as kids? We learnt addition, counting, and taking turns all the while having fun. Similarly, ‘I Spy’ worksheets and dress up games helped us learn vocabulary and social skills while we were busy enjoying the activities. Needless to say, games help children to pick up language and communication skills much easier. With a bit of customization and creativity, AAC users too can be included in family games and classroom activities and gain important skills along the way.
Would You Rather
This fun game helps with choice making where communicators can express their preferences. You can make your own Would you rather’ cards by giving two options for learners to choose from. Make the choices interesting and include situations/things that you know interests the communicator. Make sure the communicator’s AAC system has all the vocabulary programmed in their AAC systems with which they can make their choice.
Here are a few examples of questions you can ask emergent communicators:
Would you rather
Get 5 candies or get a new toy?
Would you rather
Eat a giant apple or a tiny cookie ?
You can also take turns and have the communicators ask the questions too. Make sure they have the phrase “Would You rather’ programmed in their AAC systems.
Tell me Something
In this game, all you have to do is give communicators a bunch of pictures and encourage them to utter anything about those pictures. This can be a fun family game where each person picks a picture card and says something that is related to the picture. This activity is very open-ended and players can comment, question, joke, or say anything about the picture.
For example, a picture of a red car can lead to conversations about the fun car trip the family went on, about your dream car, your first car, the ‘Cars’ movie, car racing, the colour of your car, or about the time you forgot your car keys. Make sure that the communicator has easy access to descriptive words in their AAC systems while playing this game.
Download the free ‘Tell me Something’ resource here
Download the free ‘Tell me Something’ resource here
Hope you found these ideas AAC games useful. Please give us your feedback and suggestions in the comment box below
