Communication support should remain available when a battery runs out, a device is being repaired or the environment makes a screen awkward. Digital AAC, printed material and written notes can be considered together. A backup is not a reason to restrict someone’s main system; it is another way to keep communication available.
Plan the backup with the communicator
Ask which messages, vocabulary and access arrangements matter in a particular setting. A printed board may be useful for one person; a notebook, alphabet board or saved text may suit another. Keep the backup somewhere reachable and make sure communication partners know to offer time and respond. Do not assume a short list of basic needs is enough for everything a person wants to express.
A practical example
For a journey, think beyond “drink” and “toilet”. The person may need to say that the route is wrong, ask when you will arrive, decline help or explain discomfort. If a prepared phrase does not fit, there needs to be a way to create a different message. Include the person in deciding what is carried and how it will be used.
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Options to compare
Proloquo2Go. Symbol-based AAC. Check AssistiveWare’s current Apple-device compatibility and purchase options.
Proloquo2Go product information →
Proloquo4Text. Text-based AAC. Check the publisher’s supported devices, voices and purchase options before choosing.
Proloquo4Text product information →
These options illustrate different jobs, not a ranking or a claim that we have clinically tested them. Product information was checked on 3 October 2026; verify the current listing before purchasing.
Try it in your own setting
Test the whole arrangement, not only the software. Can the person reach it from their usual position? Is it readable in the available light? Does anyone know where it is stored? Check charging and transport without making the communicator responsible for every failure. When selecting or changing a comprehensive AAC system, seek a suitable assessment and maintain the existing method during the transition.
Explore the related practical guide →
Make the backup easy to recognise
Agree a place for it at home, in a bag or beside the main device. If the person wants a communication-partner note, it might say: “Please give me time to finish my message. Ask before helping.” Keep the note in their preferred wording. Practise finding the backup in an ordinary moment, rather than introducing it for the first time during a device failure. Review it when routines or vocabulary change.
Frequently asked questions
Choose it with the communicator, keep it reachable and include a way to express more than basic requests. It supports access when the main method is unavailable rather than replacing it.
Test the whole arrangement, not only the software.