Aided Language Input Modeling

Therapist models AAC symbols during activities.

Use with a student — free
Page 1 of 12
Model without expecting a response. Point to the symbol as you say the word.
Say it out loud
This pass0 correct · 0 cued · 0 incorrect · 0/12
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Session summary (SOAP)

Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.

Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.

How to run it

Pick one routine and do it properly rather than sampling all twelve. Snack is usually the best starting point because it repeats daily and the vocabulary is small. Model one word above where the student is — if they are producing single symbols, model two — and then wait the full ten seconds, which is much longer than it feels. The card about aiming for twenty models before expecting independent use is the one to keep visible; most modeling programmes fail on dosage rather than technique.

Cueing ladder

Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.

  1. Step 1IndependentSet up the moment, then wait with an expectant look for 10 seconds.Log as correct
  2. Step 2GesturePoint toward the device or the right area of the page.Log as cued
  3. Step 3ModelTouch the symbols on the device yourself while you say the message.Log as cued
  4. Step 4Partial physicalOnly if the team agrees and the student accepts touch: a light touch at the elbow toward the page. Never press the symbol for them.Log as cued

Adjust it

Easier

Fewer symbols on the page, and model the message several times before you expect it.

Harder

Wait longer before prompting, or expect one more symbol in the message.

Matching IEP goal

During structured activities, Student will use their AAC system to say target words such as 'eat', 'stop' and 'again' in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a gestural prompt.

Send it home through the parent portal →

About this activity

Twelve modeling routines for the adult rather than the student: model without expecting a response; at snack, model more, eat, all done; in play, model go, stop, my turn, again; wait ten seconds after modeling and do not prompt; model a comment, not just a request. Aided language input is the intervention with the least glamorous mechanics in AAC — an adult pointing at symbols while talking, for weeks, before anything comes back.

What to listen for

Watch the adult, not the student. Count models per session and check whether they are all requests — modeling that's funny or don't like is what shows a student the system is for more than getting things. Watch for the prompt creeping back in during the wait; a model followed by an expectant look is a demand, and it changes what the student learns from it.

Carrying it home

This is the AAC practice families can do best, because it needs no session time and no materials. Point at the symbol while saying the word during things that were happening anyway, and ask nothing. The last card — logging which symbols were modeled — is worth handing to the family too.

What's in this activity

  • Model without expecting a response. Point to the symbol as you say the word.
  • Snack time: model 'more', 'eat', 'all done'.
  • Play: model 'go', 'stop', 'my turn', 'again'.
  • Reading a book: model 'turn', 'look', 'like', 'finished'.
  • Art: model 'want', 'help', 'different', 'done'.
  • Model one word above the student's current level (1 word → 2 words).
  • Wait 10 seconds after modeling. Do not prompt.
  • Model a comment, not just a request: 'that's funny'.
  • Model repair: 'no — not that one — this one'.
  • Model refusing: 'stop', 'don't like'.
  • Aim for 20 models per session before expecting independent use.
  • Log which symbols you modeled today and how many times.

Questions

How long before I see a response?
Longer than most people expect, and the wait is normal. Model consistently and count models rather than responses in the early weeks — the dosage is the variable you control.
Do I need an account?
No. The full set of routines is free to read and use here.
Should I stop modeling once the student is using symbols?
No. Modeling stays useful indefinitely, and it is how new vocabulary gets introduced — you keep modeling one level above wherever the student is.

Use this board with your caseload

With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.

Track progress free

Free for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.