Don't Be Boring Customizing Language

One crucial area to think about in communications is customizing because one size just does not fit all.  We tend to customize for academics. So we're adding words like metamorphosis. But we need to think about is customizing for that student. 

One young woman, who's 11, wasn't using her device at all for social interaction until her peers got in and said, "This is boring, and we got to change it up." And they added words such as epic, and that's when it all changed for her. She began to use it because this was the language of her peers.

If you've added some good sparkle words, some juicy words like ginormous, they want to hear it. 

Using an AAC system can be a lot of hard work for the individual. When we customize, we give them a way to feel empowered, this is their words. We also help them have more fun, more engagement, and more interaction. 

Customizing is more than just building language, it is building friendships.