Bilingual Family Experiences with AAC Use
Open Access DepositedDevelopment of customized AAC programming with bilingual vocabulary sets. Professional training for SLPs on bilingual AAC strategies. Family-centered models that involve parents as partners in AAC decision-making.
Device Customization and Functionality
Therapy and Professional Support for Bilingual Language Development
Bialystok et al., 2012), integrating AAC into bilingual households introduces unique challenges. Parental beliefs, cultural values, and language practices play a significant role in how AAC is used, and families often face barriers such as limited bilingual resources, cultural stigma, and inconsistent professional support. The study examines how these factors shape the use of AAC in bilingual homes, highlighting challenges related to balancing the child’s first language with proficiency in the dominant language, and concerns about bilingualism hindering language acquisition (Yu, 2013). However, research shows that bilingual children, including those with CCN, can thrive in both languages without adverse effects on communication (Soto & Yu, 2014).This qualitative study involved in-depth semi-structured interviews with six bilingual mothers from diverse cultural backgrounds. Thematic analysis identified key patterns in parental experiences, including the use of AAC in multiple languages, access to bilingual resources, and family-centered support needs. Results revealed eight major themes
Device Usage and Integration into Daily Life
and Bilingualism and Cultural Context. The study highlights the urgent need for more inclusive, bilingual-friendly AAC devices and professional practices. Key recommendations include
This paper investigates the experiences of bilingual families of children with Complex Communication Needs (CCN) who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. The prevalence of developmental disabilities in children has been rising in recent years, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023) reporting an increase in the prevalence of diagnosed developmental disabilities from 7.4% in 2019 to 8.56% in 2021. With the growing use of AAC, Beukelman and Light (2020) estimate that approximately 5 million Americans may benefit from AAC, and Andzik et al. (2018) report that 4.8% of students use a speech-generating device (SGD) in U.S. schools. This increase highlights the need for inclusive, culturally, and linguistically responsive AAC practices for bilingual families. While bilingualism offers cognitive and social development opportunities (Adescope et al., 2010
Perceptions of Progress with the Device
Emotional and Behavioral Adjustments to the Device
Communication Barriers and Aspirations
Training and Support for Device Use
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