Getting a communication device
A therapist mentioned AAC, or speech isn’t reliable and pointing at pictures isn’t enough anymore. The market runs from free apps to dedicated devices costing thousands, and the right starting point isn’t obvious. Here’s the path, in order, with the free stops built in.
Learn the landscape
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) covers everything from paper picture boards to dedicated speech-generating devices. Two questions shape the search more than any product spec: how the person will physically select what they want to say — touch, switch access, eye gaze — and what vocabulary system fits where they are today with room to grow.
The communication products overview shows the range in one place.
Try before you buy
Communication devices are among the most personal AT there is — an access method that looks right on paper can fall apart in a week of real use. A few weeks of borrowing answers that before anyone spends money.
Every US state and territory runs a federally funded AT Act program offering short-term device loans — typically two to six weeks, free or low-cost — plus hands-on demonstrations. Find your state's lending program and ask what's available to try at home.
Narrow down the options
When the trial has taught you what works, the catalog can do the rest.
The guided match asks a few questions about the situation and returns a shortlist from the full catalog, with plain-language notes on why each product fits. Prefer to look around first? Browse all communication products and use the filters to work down from there.
Paying for it
Dedicated communication devices carry serious price tags, and paying out of pocket is not the expected route.
Four official programs are worth knowing in every state: Medicaid, Vocational Rehabilitation, AT Act financing loans, and ABLE accounts. The state-by-state funding directory lists each one with contact details and the questions to ask — including whether they require a professional evaluation before they'll consider a request.
Bring it to the meeting
Funding conversations and AAC evaluations go better with the homework already on paper.
Once a shortlist exists, the match results can be exported as a PDF report — a plain family handout, or a version formatted for funding conversations with a signature block for the recommending professional. An assistive technology professional (ATP) can run a formal evaluation and confirm fit; find an ATP near you.