# What Is a Communication Board and How Is It Used? Canonical: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-a-communication-board-and-how-is-it-used Publisher: Pinnacle Blooms Network / Bharath Healthcare Laboratories Private Limited A communication board is a low-tech AAC tool showing pictures, symbols or words that a child points to in order to communicate needs and feelings. It gives a voice to children who are not yet speaking and, far from holding back speech, often supports spoken language to grow. *Your child has so much to say — a communication board can be the bridge that lets it through.* ## In short A communication board is a simple, low-tech AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) tool — a flat board or page displaying pictures, symbols, photos, letters or words that a child points to in order to share thoughts, needs and feelings. It gives a voice to children who are not yet speaking, or whose speech is hard for others to understand. It does not replace talking; in fact, it often *supports* spoken language to grow. ## How a communication board is used A child communicates by **pointing, looking at, or touching** the picture or word they want — for example a cup for "drink", a toy for "play", or a happy face for "I'm happy". The people around them then respond and "say it out loud", modelling the link between the symbol and the message. - **Choose meaningful symbols first** — favourite foods, people, activities and core words like *want, more, stop, help, go*. - **Model it yourself** — point to symbols as you speak, so your child sees how the board works (this is called *aided language stimulation*). - **Keep it always available** — at mealtimes, play and bath time, not locked away for "therapy time". - **Honour every attempt** — respond to any pointing or glance towards the board as real communication. - **Grow with your child** — boards expand from a few symbols to fuller vocabularies, and many children move on to high-tech speech-generating apps and devices. A common worry: *will it stop my child from talking?* Research is clear and reassuring — AAC supports communication and often *encourages* spoken words rather than holding them back. ## The Pinnacle way Which symbols, layout and AAC approach suit your child is best decided with a speech-language therapist who knows them. Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional., under qualified clinician care — never from an app or online form. From there we build a communication plan that fits your child today and grows with them. Explore our [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) support, see [how the AbilityScore works](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated), or start at our [home](/). ## Trusted sources American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) guidance on augmentative and alternative communication; American Academy of Pediatrics family resources on supporting communication. **Next step —** Curious whether a communication board is right for your child? [Book a Pinnacle assessment](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/enroll-autism-speech-aba-therapies-india) and a speech-language therapist will guide you. This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. ## Sources - ASHA — Augmentative and Alternative Communication: https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/aac/ - AAP — HealthyChildren.org family resources: https://www.healthychildren.org ## Connected topics and perspectives - Parent: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/stakeholder/parent - Support: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/intent/support - Screen: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/lifecycle/screen - Book Assessment: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/route/book-assessment - Family Empowerment: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/empowerment/family_empowerment ## Related question paths ### Explore therapy & support - What low-tech communication options are there?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-low-tech-communication-options-are-there - How can a non-verbal child with Social Communication Difficulties communicate?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-a-non-verbal-child-with-social-communication-difficulties-communicate - How AAC Helps a Non-Verbal or Minimally Verbal Child: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-augmentative-and-alternative-communication-aac-help-a-child-with-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation - What communication options help a non-speaking child with Intellectual Disability?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-communication-options-help-a-non-speaking-child-with-intellectual-disability - Are tablets useful for children with special needs?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/are-tablets-useful-for-children-with-special-needs - AAC Apps for Non-Speaking Children: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/are-there-apps-that-help-non-speaking-children-communicate - Can AAC help a child who is minimally verbal?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-aac-help-a-child-who-is-minimally-verbal - Can educational apps actually help my child learn?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-educational-apps-actually-help-my-child-learn - Can my child use both speech and AAC together?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-my-child-use-both-speech-and-aac-together - Does screen time cause speech delay?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/does-screen-time-cause-speech-delay - Does using picture cards help my child talk?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/does-using-picture-cards-help-my-child-talk - How do I choose the right AAC for my child?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-do-i-choose-the-right-aac-for-my-child ### At home & in everyday life - How can I work on a Communication Board with my child at home?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-i-work-on-communication-board-with-my-child-at-home - What AAC and communication tools help a non-verbal child?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-aac-and-communication-tools-help-a-non-verbal-child