Language Up Games

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Language Up Games

Hello there! I'm Hayden. I'm a speech-language pathologist and AAC specialist, and I create games f

05/27/2026

Combine AAC with powerful language tools like narrative intervention to boost outcomes 💪

05/08/2026

Does the idea of leading a telepractice session make your eyes turn into spirals 😵‍💫? (Or posssibly just a 🙄? 🤣)

Focusing on a strong setup and solid preparation are the keys to reducing anxiety and increasing confidence behind the camera 💪

Remember, your clients are interested in your skills for therapy not tech, and it’s ok to make mistakes! Keep trying new things and find a style and flow that works for you and your clients! 😌

Stress freeeee, easyyyyyyy, therapyyyyyyy! 😝 🎶

That’s my little song for you ☺️

Hope this tutorial helps give you a boost! 👍

04/23/2026

Sick of AAC abandonment? 🍪

The number one reason I see families and educators abandon AAC is because of how complicated and intimidating it can seem at first.

We can take away a lot of the stress and complexity of AAC implementation through a very simple technique, which I call 3 Steps to AAC Success:

1) just try any activity you like. It could be structured or unstructured but it helps to have something easy to converse about for the purposes of learning how to use vocabulary naturally. Reading is a great choice but so are things like games, toys, routines or anything fun and engaging (without being too messy)

2) make sure the AAC is set up, accessible and ready to be used and explored!

3) this part feels odd at first but gets more intuitive over time. You simply use the AAC to express whatever you’re thinking. You can use verbal speech as you make the selections too. If whole sentences are a lot to start, just use phrases and try to lock on to the main words in each sentence.

Simply repeat this technique and you can take away a lot of the HOW?! behind AAC intervention and help people gain valuable knowledge and skills which would otherwise be left unlearned, due to technical and system barriers.

Let’s work on uplifting our language learners and individuals with complex communication needs by making LEARNING how to TEACH AAC more accessible too! 😉👍👍

After making it cookie themed I am now basically needing to make some. I’ll include my favorite “healthy” chocolate chip cookie recipe:

2c almond flour
1t baking soda
1t salt

Mix those together then add:
1/3c maple syrup
1T vanilla extract
1/2c chocolate chips
(Optional: 1/2c walnuts)

Form into cookie balls and bake at 350 for 12 min! 🍪

04/22/2026

Can we learn things about AAC from dogs? 🐶

Yes! 👍

Our inventive canine companions are amazing teachers and they provide us with a unique way of seeing AAC too!

I love that Aly is able to use her AAC to help give herself daily affirmations, and I want all of you to consider this for your own AAC devices too! That positive energy and encouragement is just infectious! 😊

And yes you’re all pretty girls and boys too! 💖

Don’t forget: AAC can also be used to control smart assistants and help overcome speech and language barriers to technology access. All you have to do is edit the button to say:
Hey (Alexa, Google, Siri, etc) + command

Of course keep this controlled, so that only super safe electronic devices are able to be accessed when you’re away!

Have fun exploring what AAC can do for you and your learner! 😌

04/21/2026

Which modality gives me the most with the least hassle? 📚🗣️

Narrative Intervention! 📕 Because narrative work is language therapy that uses ancient grooves in the brain, it feels intuitive and just flows 😉

Here’s more on why I target narratives:

👉 Narratives = school success
Research shows that oral story skills are linked to later reading, writing, and overall academic outcomes (Pico et al., 2021). When kids can tell a clear story, they’re better prepared for book reports, essays, and even math word problems.

👉 One goal, many skills
In one narrative lesson, I can support vocabulary, grammar, sentence complexity, inference, perspective-taking, and organizing ideas… all while talking about a picture book or a silly story. Narrative interventions like SKILL have been shown to produce moderate to large gains in narrative skills for children with language and learning needs (Gillam & Gillam, 2016).

👉 Narratives show us the “big picture”
Tools such as the Narrative Scoring Scheme (NSS) help capture how well a child organizes a story (macrostructure) and are closely related to vocabulary and overall oral language performance (Heilmann et al., 2010).

👉 Real-life payoff
Being able to tell what happened at recess, explain a science experiment, or write a personal narrative is narrative language in action. Studies support that targeted narrative intervention leads to meaningful improvements in children’s language performance (Pico et al., 2021; Gillam & Gillam, 2016).

So yes, we’re “just telling stories”… and secretly rewiring language for school and life. 😎✨

04/19/2026

Semantic vs. motor-based AAC organization: same goal, different road map 🗺️💬

A semantic system groups words by meaning or category (like food, people, actions). This can feel intuitive for beginners and communication partners because it “makes sense” where words live 🍎👩‍🏫🏃

A motor-based system keeps words in the same spot so users can build automatic movement patterns over time, kind of like touch-typing, but for communication 🎯🤖 The big idea: less hunting, more saying.

What does the evidence say?

✨ There is no one-size-fits-all AAC system. ✨

Research and clinical guidance support matching AAC design to the individual’s language, motor, sensory, cognitive, and access needs, while also giving plenty of aided modeling and practice (Beukelman & Light, 2020).

So if you’re an SLP, educator, family member, or AAC user:
👉 “Is this organization system helping or hindering?”
👉 “Can they find words efficiently, learn it over time, and use it across real life?”

Communication is the goal and how we organize our words matters! Now… maybe I should get to organizing my own office?? 😅🗂️ 🤫 🤫 🤫

04/07/2026

🌟 Your voice, your vibe, your AAC 🌟

If we don’t all wear the same shoes, why would we use the same AAC page set? 😉✨

Customizing AAC isn’t “extra,” it’s supportive! When we tailor vocabulary, layout, and access to real interests, routines, and communication partners, we see:

💬 More authentic messages
💪 Increased independence and participation across home, school, and community
💖 Better buy-in from users and caregivers (because it actually fits their life)

Research backs it up:

👉AAC works best when it’s personalized and embedded in everyday contexts (Beukelman & Light, 2020)

👉Motivating, meaningful vocabulary boosts engagement and communication attempts (Light & McNaughton, 2012)

👉Successful intervention includes individualized systems plus partner training and real-world practice (Kent-Walsh & McNaughton, 2005)

So no more “one-size-fits-all” AAC. Let’s build systems that sound like them: their jokes, their favorites, their people, their life. 🧠💬🌈

Reposted cuz this deserves more love!! ❤️

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http://languageupgames.com/

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