Dawn

AAC for toddlers and late talkers

A toddler with only a few words can start AAC while you get advice about their speech. In a trial with toddlers who had developmental delays, AAC did not reduce speech, and a child doesn't need particular skills before starting.

Dawn's symbol board on iPad with the message 'I want to play' built from symbols

Some children are slow to start talking and catch up on their own. Others have a speech or language delay that lasts longer, sometimes as part of autism, Down syndrome or another condition, and sometimes with no clear reason.

AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) means any way of communicating besides speech: gestures, signs, pictures, or an app that speaks. For example, a toddler might tap "more" at snack time.

What the research says about starting early

  • Toddlers don't need to be "ready"ASHA states there are no prerequisites for AAC: a child doesn't have to show particular skills before starting.1 An analysis of 114 studies reported similar benefits across the ages, diagnoses and starting skills it looked at.2
  • AAC didn't reduce speechIn the toddler trial, children in the device groups ended up with larger vocabularies, including spoken words.3 See the research page for details.
  • Speech gains are usually smallWhen speech improves alongside AAC, the gains are usually modest.4
  • Adults using the device helpsChildren learn AAC by watching adults use it. Research supports pointing to words on the child's device as you talk.5

Screen time

An AAC app is used differently from videos or games. You use it together, at snack time for example, and your child taps a word to ask for more.

Dawn has no videos, games, rewards or ads, and nothing plays by itself. With Settings locked, a toddler can press buttons on the board but can't change it.

Dawn's symbol board with core words such as I, want, more, help, stop and finished, each with a picture
The main board keeps everyday words like more, help, stop and finished in fixed places.

Setting up Dawn for a toddler

  • Begin with a few words. Set "Words to show" to First words, about a dozen high-use words like more, stop, go and help. As your child is ready, move to Combining, then Everything. New words appear in their final places, and words already on the board stay where they were.
  • Bigger buttons if they need them. Grid sizes of 3 × 4 and 4 × 6 give larger targets for small or unsteady hands.
  • A child's voice. Dawn includes children's voices.
  • Modeling mode. Turn on modeling mode in Partner Tools when you're the one tapping, so your demonstrations don't change your child's word suggestions or usage history.
  • Photos. Add photos of family, pets and favourite things as buttons.
Dawn's Partner Tools screen with Edit mode, Lock Settings and Modeling mode switches
Partner Tools holds edit mode, the settings lock and modeling mode.

A first week at home

  1. Pick one or two daily routines your child enjoys, such as blowing bubbles.
  2. During those routines, tap a word yourself as you say it: "more bubbles?", "all done". Don't ask your child to copy you.
  3. When your child taps anything, respond as if they meant it.
  4. Keep the device nearby and charged, all day, not just at "practice time".

Our guide on how to start AAC with your child has more ideas, and modeling AAC explains how to use the board yourself without quizzing your child.

Dawn can't assess a speech delay. If you're worried about your child's speech, ask your doctor or health visitor about a referral to a speech-language pathologist (speech and language therapist in the UK). They can assess your child and help you use AAC alongside other support.

Questions people ask

How young is too young for AAC?

There's no minimum age. ASHA, the US professional body for speech-language pathologists, says there are no prerequisites for AAC, and lists the idea that young children aren't ready until school age as a common misconception.1 In one trial, the children were toddlers who said fewer than 10 words.3

Will an app stop my toddler from learning to talk?

The studies don't show that. In a randomized trial with 68 toddlers, children whose parents were coached to use a speech-generating device used more spoken words than children taught with speech alone.3 A research review found no one whose speech went down after AAC was introduced, though speech gains were usually small.4 None of this predicts whether a particular child will talk. Our guide Does AAC delay speech? goes through it.

We were told to wait and see. Should we?

Your child can use AAC before they speak, and while you wait for an assessment. Ask your child's speech-language pathologist or doctor about an assessment, and meanwhile give your child a way to make choices and ask for things.

Isn't more screen time bad for a toddler?

An AAC app gets used during real activities, with you next to your child: they tap a word and you answer. Dawn has no games, videos or ads, and you can lock Settings so the board is the only thing they can use.

What if my child just taps everything?

Tapping different buttons lets a child hear what each word is. Keep using the board yourself during everyday activities, and respond when they tap a word.

Sources

  1. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (Practice Portal). www.asha.org/practice-portal/professional-issues/augmentative-and-alternative-communication
  2. Ganz JB, Pustejovsky JE, Reichle J, et al. Participant characteristics predicting communication outcomes in AAC implementation for individuals with ASD and IDD: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 2023. doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2022.2116355
  3. Romski M, Sevcik RA, Adamson LB, et al. Randomized comparison of augmented and nonaugmented language interventions for toddlers with developmental delays and their parents. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2010. doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2009/08-0156)
  4. Millar DC, Light JC, Schlosser RW. The impact of augmentative and alternative communication intervention on the speech production of individuals with developmental disabilities: a research review. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2006. doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2006/021)
  5. O'Neill T, Light J, Pope L. Effects of interventions that include aided augmentative and alternative communication input on the communication of individuals with complex communication needs: a meta-analysis. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2018. doi.org/10.1044/2018_JSLHR-L-17-0132
  • Does AAC delay speech?Findings from studies of AAC and children's speech, from toddlers to teens.
  • How to start AACSetting up AAC and using it with your child in the first few weeks.
  • AAC modelingHow to use your child's AAC device while you talk to them, with everyday examples.
  • Autistic childrenFor nonspeaking and minimally speaking autistic kids: a talking symbol board that can show a few words or many.

Try Dawn on iPhone or iPad

Symbols, typing and saved phrases, spoken in a natural voice. Dawn can also build a voice from about eight seconds of your own speech.

Requires iOS 17 or later.