Over more than a decade of working with children and their families, I keep hearing the same myths — sometimes from parents, sometimes from educators, occasionally even from medical professionals. These myths have one important consequence: they postpone a decision that children need at a time when every month matters.

Below are the five most common myths about AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) — and what research and practice actually show.

Myth 1: “If we start using AAC, our child will never learn to speak”

This is probably the most common fear parents have, and usually the main reason the start of AAC gets postponed.

The reality: the largest meta-analysis in this field (Millar, Light and Schlosser, 2006), which reviewed hundreds of studies, found not a single case in which AAC had slowed down speech development. In most well-designed studies, children who used AAC spoke more, not less.

A later study by Romski and colleagues (2010) with 68 toddlers with developmental delays showed that the group that received AAC alongside language intervention produced more target words than the group that received language intervention alone.

The logic is simple: when a child has a way to express themselves, frustration goes down, motivation to communicate goes up — and speech, if it is going to develop, often comes along with it.

AAC is not giving up on speech. It is a bridge to it.

Myth 2: “AAC is only for children who do not speak at all”

A mistaken view that keeps help away from many children who would benefit from it.

The reality: AAC can help any child whose speech is not enough to express their needs. That includes:

  • children who have a few words, but not enough of them to express their wishes and thoughts;
  • children whose speech is clear only to their parents, but not to strangers;
  • children whose speech works when they are calm but disappears in stressful situations;
  • children who speak, but very slowly, with difficulty and great effort.

Many children who use AAC do speak — AAC simply helps them close the gap between what they want to say and what they are able to say.

Myth 3: “Paper cards must come first, an app only later”

It is sometimes claimed that a child has to start with “simpler” tools and only later move on to digital ones.

The reality: the scientific literature does not support this hierarchy. The decision about which tools to use depends on the individual child's needs, motor abilities, visual attention and environment — not on any fixed sequence of steps.

Many children successfully start with an app; many others start with paper cards. What matters most is that the tool fits the child, not that a particular sequence of stages is followed.

Myth 4: “Our child is too young / not ready for AAC yet”

This myth often postpones the start of AAC by years. Parents wait for the child to be “ready enough”.

The reality: there is no such thing as “AAC readiness”. Just as we show a child pictures and talk to them long before we expect an answer, AAC can be introduced even to a very young child. Early intervention research shows that the earlier AAC is introduced, the better the child integrates it into their natural way of communicating.

A baby does not wait until they are “ready” to start pointing, gesturing or smiling. The same principle applies to AAC — it becomes one more communication tool in the child's repertoire.

Myth 5: “Foreign AAC apps are the best”

In the Lithuanian context this myth matters especially. Online you can find dozens of AAC apps from the US, UK and Australia — all built in English, with generic symbols.

The reality: for a child whose language is still only forming, the language must be the language of their environment. A child in Lithuania growing up in a Lithuanian-speaking family needs an AAC tool in Lithuanian — not so things are easier later, but so that from the very beginning a clear link forms between the symbol, the sound and the meaning in their native language.

Besides, language is not just words. It is sounds, intonation, structure. Foreign apps, however well designed, can make development harder for a child in Lithuania, because they force the child to work in two systems: learning what they hear at home and what they hear in the app.

A local, Lithuanian AAC tool with the voices of the child's parents and environment is the most natural path.

To sum up

AAC is not a last resort. It is a tool that helps a child find a way to communicate while speech is still forming or when it is not enough. The research is clear: AAC does not slow down speech — it encourages it.

If your child does not speak yet, speaks with difficulty or speaks very little — do not wait. Talk to a specialist who can help you assess whether AAC could be a help for your family.