Smartbox AAC - UK and Ireland

16/10/2026

This week’s accessible read in collaboration with Collins Big Cat: Percy and the Rabbit.

Written and illustrated by Nick Butterworth, Percy and the Rabbit comes from the Collins Big Cat collection, aimed at KS1 readers.

Alongside exploring the story, learners can develop skills such as recall, sequencing, prediction and retelling, with accessible activities and communication partner support built into the Grid set.

Explore ‘Percy and the Rabbit!’ in Read with Me: Accessible Stories in Grid, by going to: Menu > Add grid set > Education > Read with Me: Accessible Stories.

16/10/2026

Spooky season, but make it accessible!

This little spider uses an infrared remote, which means its controls can be programmed into Grid too.

In a few steps, our Clinical AAC Specialist and SLT, Ailsa, shows how you can teach Grid an infrared signal and use it to control compatible toys and devices.

And while a remote-control spider is a fun Halloween example, the same feature can open up lots of opportunities for interaction, play and independence.

05/10/2026

Get the whole school involved in AAC Awareness Month with our free resource pack.

Inside the pack you'll find ready-to-use resources to help raise awareness across your school:
✅ An introductory presentation
✅ Decorative bunting
✅ Awareness posters
✅ Super Core 30 and 50 printable AAC boards

This October, empower students and staff to grow their communication partner skills, make AAC readily available across your school and demonstrate your commitment to inclusive communication.

Download the AAC Awareness Month school resource pack: https://hub.thinksmartbox.com/topic/resources-grid-for-schools/

30/09/2026

This week’s accessible read in collaboration with Collins Big Cat: Get the Fruit.

Written by Paul Shipton and illustrated by Trevor Dunton, Get the Fruit is a wordless story from the Collins Big Cat collection, aimed at KS1 readers.

Using illustrations to follow the story creates opportunities for learners to make predictions, sequence events and tell the story in their own way – with accessible tools in Grid to support participation and communication along the way.

Learn more about our collaboration with Collins Big Cat books in our blog: https://smartboxaac.com/ukie/news/six-collins-big-cat-books-are-now-available-in-grid/

30/09/2026

Want to access WhatsApp through Grid?

Our Clinical AAC Specialist and SLT, Ailsa, shows how to get connected in just a few steps with Grid for Windows, so you can send messages, share photos and, of course, all those GIFs.

Another way to stay connected with the people who matter.

Explore all our Accessible Apps in Grid 3 by going to: Menu > Add grid set > Accessible Apps.

25/09/2026

This week’s accessible read in collaboration with Collins Big Cat: Dad Nips!

Written by Jane Clarke and illustrated by Natalie Kilany, Dad Nips! comes from the Collins Big Cat collection, aimed at KS1 readers.

The accessible Grid set provides opportunities to explore early reading skills alongside communication, with differentiated resources to support recall, retelling, comprehension and story exploration as learners develop.

Learn more about our collaboration with Collins Big Cat books in our blog: https://smartboxaac.com/ukie/news/six-collins-big-cat-books-are-now-available-in-grid/

22/09/2026

This week’s accessible read in collaboration with Collins Big Cat: Around the World.

Written by James Carter and illustrated by Anne Wilson, Around the World is part of the Collins Big Cat collection, aimed at KS1 readers.

The accessible story creates opportunities to develop reading and communication skills together, from exploring the story and new language to sharing ideas and building confidence with reading.

Find ‘Around the World’ in Read with Me: Accessible Stories in Grid by going to: Menu > Add grid set > Education > Read with Me: Accessible Stories.

22/09/2026

Books have always been a big part of Vega’s world.

From family trips to the library to sharing stories at home, reading gives Vega opportunities to explore, have fun and connect with the people around her.

Now, through our new Read with Me: Accessible Stories collection, in collaboration with Collins Big Cat books, Vega can access familiar stories through Grid and take an active role in the reading experience.

Her mum Alba shared how valuable it is to see mainstream children’s books becoming more accessible to AAC users, creating more opportunities for children like Vega to enjoy the same stories as their siblings and peers.

Learn more about our collaboration with Collins Big Cat books in our blog: https://smartboxaac.com/ukie/news/six-collins-big-cat-books-are-now-available-in-grid/

15/09/2026

Did you know you can link different vocabularies together in Grid?

In this Mighty Minute, our Clinical AAC Specialist, Becky, shows the 'Change grid set' command in action, creating an easy way to move between our Voco Chat and Super Core 50 vocabularies in Grid.

A handy bit of personalisation for bringing different grid sets together and making it quicker to move between them.

Save this one to try later!

15/09/2026