Alphabet Charts & Books

ABC spelling charts

Alphabet communication book templates

Alphabets you can eye point to

Alphabets you can point to

Charts for Listener Mediated Scanning

Charts with the alphabet + some words and phrases to point to

Coded alphabet charts

Encoded alphabet charts

Frequency layout spelling charts

High contrast charts

Letter codes

QWERTY alphabet charts

Getting Started

Learning

Communication

Made by Ace

Digital Publications

E-Books

Software

Seasonal resources

Shop

Symbol Charts

Altered colours

Altered spacing to support direct access

Coded access

Combination access

Core vocabulary symbol charts

Encoding

Symbol charts for active play

Symbol charts for creative play

Symbol charts for daily routines

Symbol charts for imaginative play

Symbol charts for playing games

Symbol charts for playing with toys

Symbol charts for reading, looking at photos & telling stories

Symbol charts for watching television

To learn more about literacy instruction for people who use AAC or who have complex needs we suggest the following sources:
General literacy: 
<a href="https://literacyforallinstruction.ca/">Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities </a> website with information and guidance
<a href="http://www.project-core.com/">Project Core </a> website with information and free professional development modules
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/46177933-comprehensive-literacy-for-all">Comprehensive Literacy for All</a> book with information and guidance
<a href="http://www.teachustoo.org.uk/">Teach Us Too</a> UK based charity promoting literacy education for all
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Self Directed Reading: 
<a href="https://praacticalaac.org/praactical/5-ways-to-make-page-fluffers-and-spacers">PrAACtical AAC </a>blog with tips on making books accessible
<a href="https://www.janefarrall.com/self-selected-reading-books-for-every-reader/">Jane Farrall</a> presentation handout with tips and informations
<a href="https://tarheelreader.org/">Tar Heel Reader </a>large bank of free online books
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Shared Reading: 
<a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/all?category=symbol-charts&amp;page=1&amp;subcategory=symbol-charts-for-reading-looking-at-photos-telling-stories">Ace Centre Symbol Chart</a> free printable symbol charts to support reading books
<a href="https://www.sharedreader.org/">Tar Heel Shared Reader</a> website with information and free professional development modules
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Letter and Sounds 
<a href="https://www.janefarrall.com/teaching-and-learning-the-alphabet-playing-with-letter-shapes-and-sounds/">Jane Farrall</a> blog post on teaching the alphabet
<a href="https://sites.google.com/view/emergingreaders/home?s=09">Reading &amp; Writing 4 All</a> website with free resources for teaching the alphabet
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Writing: 
<a href="https://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/alternative-pencils/">Centre for Literacy and Disability Studies Alternative Pencils </a>information and resources
<a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/all?category=alphabet-charts">Ace Centre Alphabet Charts </a> free printable alphabet charts to use for writing

Getting Started with AAC and Literacy

This leaflet is a starting point for introducing literacy instruction to people who use AAC and why it is important.

Core 8 with high contrast PCS

Balloons 8 with bigger gaps

Colours

Arts and Crafts

Make Up

Bath

Kerplunk

Simon Says

Read Dear Zoo

Reading

Check out <a href="https://youtu.be/fCgGy8dFIFE">this video</a> to learn about the eBook features
There is a lot of emphasis on communication partner skills in this resource. That is because communication does not happen in isolation – it is a social act involving two or more people. The person who is communicating with someone who cannot rely on speech needs to develop a range of skills that will enable them to support that person to fulfil their potential.
Please note that this resource is not suggesting that paper-based AAC is ‘best’, or that using paper-based communication resources is a prerequisite to using an electronic communication aid. It is simply about valuing the role of paper-based communication systems, and sharing lots of ideas and strategies to help develop and support them. You may well find that many of the ideas and strategies are useful when it comes to other forms of communication too

Getting Started with Paper-Based Symbol Resources

The aim of this resource is to introduce you to paper-based AAC involving symbols to enable you to support those who can’t rely on speech to communicate. Communication enables us to express ourselves, learn, have fun and be active members of society. Supporting communication with symbols can unlock so many opportunities for those unable to rely upon speech to communicate.

Identifying vocabulary for topic pages

Throughout our work there are many many unanswered questions; Whats the best way? Whats the fastest? What works for a client and why?
The problem is many of these questions are either hard to answer – or require a long detailed research study. Well we have one such question to do with our ongoing work supporting people who we assess to use morse code; Whats the fastest way of learning it? If you speak to traditional Morse users they largely say “Auditory” “You can’t use it fast unless you have heard it”. What they traditionally mean is the dot and dash sounds – because a lot of people use it for amateur radio operating where this is the medium. But – if you are using it to write – without hearing the sound – is it really auditory?
<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/030802269405700405">A study looked at this</a> – and concluded a mixed approach was probably best – and interestingly that auditory alone wasn’t useful.  But the sample was small and the cues not that engaging. So how can we easily fix this?
Well we have taken the morse-learn game that Google made – and further developed it. Mainly:
<ul>
<li>Adding Auditory cues</li>
<li>Adding Visual cues that match the auditory cues (Download posters and cards if you need them in different colours: <a href="https://morse-learn.acecentre.net/HelloMorse-Poster-Cards-AllColors/HelloMorseAce-Poster-Cards-Blue.pdf">Blue</a>, <a href="https://morse-learn.acecentre.net/HelloMorse-Poster-Cards-AllColors/HelloMorseAce-Poster-Cards-Green.pdf">Green</a>, <a href="https://morse-learn.acecentre.net/HelloMorse-Poster-Cards-AllColors/HelloMorseAce-Poster-Cards-Orange.pdf">Orange</a> or <a href="https://morse-learn.acecentre.net/HelloMorse-Poster-Cards-AllColors/HelloMorseAce-Poster-Cards-Peach.pdf">Peach</a>)</li>
<li>Provide the ability to turn on/off these cues – along side the dot/dah sound</li>
<li>And we can keep track of your learning – anonmously – to see how fast users take to get through the game. We honestly can’t track anything more – not your location, not your hobbies or dogs name. Just how fast it takes you to learn – and with what settings you are using. (If this means something to you  – take a look at the code <a href="https://github.com/AceCentre/morse-learn">https://github.com/AceCentre/morse-learn</a> )</li>
</ul>
By having no authentication and making this truly open to anyone (and most important of all – FUN!) we hope to gain a greater understanding of how fast it takes people to learn morse.
Tips:
<ul>
<li>Use chrome if you can. Its slightly less buggy (backstory: It was a chrome only experiment. We’ve done some work to make it as work as well as we can on safari/iOS but its not without some issues still)</li>
<li>Stick to one device. As we have no login system we can’t migrate you from one device to another.</li>
<li>Please try and stick with the settings you are given. These are randomised to make sure a random sample of people are provided different options</li>
</ul>
Check it out at<a href="https://morse-learn.acecentre.net/"> https://morse-learn.acecentre.net </a>

Morse Learn

Morse Learn is a game to enable everyone to learn morse code by attaching mnemonic cues to letters. It has auditory and visual cues so is accessible to both blink and deaf users.mnemonic

pasco is a development project by the <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/" rel="nofollow">Ace Centre</a> to create a AAC app to support people who require auditory scanning only. This may be with one or several Text to Speech (TTS) languages or recorded speech. The app supports auditory cues in a headphone and main speech out of the main speaker of a device. Currently only these features are supported in iOS &#8211; other platforms are due to be supported in the future.
<h2>So what is pasco?</h2>
pasco is designed for a specific need and is a development project led by Ace Centre. Its primary purpose is an AAC solution for individuals who need an auditory scanning system and who possibly require multi-lingual support. We felt a system that would work on a range of platforms would be useful so the software is web-based, however it can be  specially created to work off-line on iOS, Windows or Android. In the first phase of this work, we focused on iOS mainly because the individual client we are working with has an iPhone.
What pasco will do:
<ul>
<li>Have an auditory cue and main voice, these can be different voices</li>
<li>The cue and main voices can be recorded messages rather than text-to-speech</li>
<li>The cue and main voices  can be split between a wired headphone and the internal speaker of the iPhone</li>
<li>Be able to spell using purely auditory scanning – speaking out each letter as it is written and then speaking out the whole word on a space or finish command</li>
<li>The language can be created and edited  using a simple text file – where each tree is just an indented list of words or phrases</li>
<li>Support one switch scanning</li>
<li>Support direct access, so that a communication partner can use it and/or so that clients who are able to make small movements are able to use it.</li>
</ul>
Try out the app on an <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pasco/id1317265884?ls=1&amp;mt=8">Apple iOS device (iPhone or iPad) by downloading the free app here</a>. The web version can be trialled at <a href="https://app.pasco.chat/">https://app.pasco.chat</a> . Please note that the different audio for a headphone and device speaker is only available in the iOS app.

Pasco

At Ace Centre we meet a number of clients where traditional AAC solutions aren’t suitable. Here are some examples
Said is a 45-year-old man who lives at home with his wife. Said and his wife are Kurdish and have lived in the UK for 10 years..  Said speaks and understands English, his  wife has limited English and speaks to Said in Kurdish. He has Motor Neurone Disease which has now affected his speech to the point others can no longer understand him. His eyesight is poor. He still operates a TV remote by holding the remote between his thumb and forefinger – but can only operate the 4 way TV controls. He wants to spell out whole words and communicate his care needs with carers. He has tried eyegaze technology in the past but this has not been successful.
Fen is a 56-year-old woman who lives in the UK, she is a first-generation immigrant from China. She has had a brainstem stroke limiting her physical skills to a small thumb movement. It is not clear what Fen can see – her family and care staff feel she can hear better than she can see. Prior to her accident she spoke and understood verbal Chinese (Mandarin) well with her family members. Fen now lives in a care home where staff are English speaking. Fen would like to make her care needs known to staff and her family would like to communicate further with her. Fen has begun to use a partner assisted auditory scanning system using a paper-based book put together with her family. As this system is in Chinese  it is not accessible to care staff.
Joel is a 6-year-old boy who has a significant visual impairment and physical difficulties. He lives at home with his Mum, Dad, baby brother and dog. His family speak both Portuguese and English. He has trialled some AAC by auditory fishing (dragging his hand across a device and hearing a cue about what is underneath it) and selecting with a switch – but this has proven difficult. He can activate a switch well with his head. He has begun to use a partner assisted scanning book with his mother e.g to choose  activities to play with; to make comments  like telling his mum he loves her.
In these cases, there is a range of issues but in general, we need to identify solutions that:
<ul>
<li>Use one or four discrete (in close proximity) movements to operate a device.</li>
<li>Be able to support different languages</li>
<li>Support auditory cues. This  may be with the cue in one language and the main voice in a different language</li>
<li>Where a language cannot be supported with text to speech, it needs to be possible to have audio recordings for the  cue and main voice.</li>
<li>Really simple to edit the vocabulary items for support staff, with the ability to take something already in existence and import the language into a different system</li>
</ul>
Some auditory scanning solutions exist but these are all traditionally grid-based[KS1]  systems which are designed to do multiple things like support symbol systems and access methods such as eyegaze.  Often the language can be edited but it’s hard to import from something like a word document to the software. Few solutions can really support re-organising large blocks of language and “trees” (lists of words organised in categories or blocks) [KS2] of words quickly. If we imagine that, for someone who has a visual impairment, the words are not in a block but are in a list – then it makes more sense to have the words in a list. On paper based systems words and phrases are traditionally organised in lists rather than grids. This led to the question – can we replicate something similar on an electronic system to solve some of these issues?
<div>
<h2>Introducing Paul Pickford</h2>
Paul Pickford is a user of Assistive Technology and a past client of the Ace Centre. You can view more about Paul in the video below.
Paul now uses head controlled technology to operate his computer and has been keen to raise funds for Ace Centre. He contacted us to donate some money to help us fund a bespoke solution to one or two of our clients. We identified the need from the case studies above and sketched out what was required. We are hugely grateful to Paul for offering this and hope that his input helps the development of AAC solutions for many individuals. The result is pasco – Phrase Auditory Scanning Communicator.
</div>
 
<div class="responsive-embed widescreen"><iframe title="Paul Pickford" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8lxpvI3lk8w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
 
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<h2>So what is pasco?</h2>
<div class="rounded-img aligncenter wp-image-6308 size-medium"><img loading="lazy" src="https://acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-20-at-12.58.48-144x300.png" alt="" width="144" height="300" srcset="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-20-at-12.58.48-144x300.png 144w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-20-at-12.58.48-600x1248.png 600w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-20-at-12.58.48-492x1024.png 492w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-20-at-12.58.48-640x1331.png 640w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-20-at-12.58.48.png 672w" sizes="(max-width: 144px) 100vw, 144px" /></div>
pasco is designed for a specific need and is a development project led by Ace Centre. Its primary purpose is an AAC solution for individuals who need an auditory scanning system and who possibly require multi-lingual support. We felt a system that would work on a range of platforms would be useful so the software is web-based, however it can be  specially created to work off-line on iOS, Windows or Android. In the first phase of this work, we focused on iOS mainly because the individual client we are working with has an iPhone.
What pasco will do:
<ul>
<li>Have an auditory cue and main voice, these can be different voices</li>
<li>The cue and main voices can be recorded messages rather than text-to-speech</li>
<li>The cue and main voices  can be split between a wired headphone and the internal speaker of the iPhone</li>
<li>Be able to spell using purely auditory scanning – speaking out each letter as it is written and then speaking out the whole word on a space or finish command</li>
<li>The language can be created and edited  using a simple text file – where each tree is just an indented list of words or phrases</li>
<li>Support one switch scanning</li>
<li>Support direct access, so that a communication partner can use it and/or so that clients who are able to make small movements are able to use it.</li>
</ul>
Try out the app on a <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pasco/id1317265884?ls=1&amp;mt=8">Apple iOS device (iPhone or iPad) by downloading the free app here</a>. The web version can be trialled at <a href="https://app.pasco.chat">https://app.pasco.chat</a> . Please note that the different audio for a headphone and device speaker is only available in the iOS app. For some support see: <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/page/pasco-support/">https://acecentre.org.uk/page/pasco-support/</a>
Warning: Please remember this is very much a development project. There is limited support. If you are looking at this app to see if it is something that may help you or someone you are supporting please contact your local AAC service for guidance on whether this is the correct solution for your needs. 
<h2>What do we expect to happen now?</h2>
pasco is an open source development project. We believe that to meet the wide range of needs of our clients a large number of solutions are required. As part of this mix of solutions, a broad number of individuals are best supported by a business model of good long-term support and maintenance. As well as providing a solution for a few niche use cases, we hope to inspire the development of future AAC software and solutions focused on this area of need. To do this we aim to share publicly case studies and data regarding the use of the app going forward on this page. <a href="http://github.com/acecentre/pasco/issues">Issues with our software will be publicly available here</a>.
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At Ace Centre we meet a number of clients where traditional AAC solutions aren’t suitable. Here are some examples Said is a 45-year-old man who lives at home with his wife. Said and his wife are Kurdish and have lived in the UK for 10 years..  Said speaks and understands English, his  wife has limited&hellip;
<a class="moretag" href="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/project/pasco/">Read the full article</a>

pasco

Phrase Auditory Scanning COmmunicator &#8211; AAC App for iOS and the Web

Hit your switch when you find two images that match. There are lots of themes to choose from as well as uploading your own images.
<a href="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ace-Centre-Christmas-Snap-Instructions.pdf">Checkout this help sheet to learn how play Snap with your switch.</a>
Why not try it out with our free EyeCommander eye blink switch app?  <a id="LPNoLPOWALinkPreview" title="https://acecentre.org.uk/blog/introducing-eyecommander" contenteditable="false" href="https://acecentre.org.uk/blog/introducing-eyecommander">Introducing EyeCommander | Ace Centre</a>.

Snap!

A fun and engaging switch accessible game made by Ace Centre.

This worksheet helps you to identify the words, topics and phrases that you might want to consider for populating a communication book

Identifying vocabulary for a communication book

<a href="https://docs.acecentre.org.uk/eyecommander/">Check out the EyeCommander documentation, including the version history.</a>
Feedback on any beta features is always welcome.
Checkout this video which outlines what EyeCommander is and includes a short demo:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VZ1k-D2hcIE" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>Getting started with EyeCommander</h2>
To install EyeCommander go to our <a href="https://github.com/AceCentre/EyeCommander/releases/latest">page of downloads here</a> and follow the instructions there.
Watch our help series on YouTube which shows you how to install EyeCommander and calibrate it:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tvVEM9Ch39GuyFAP_zYhAhW" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>Who would use EyeCommander?</h2>
To help explain EyeCommander we created two personas that are not based on specific individuals but a collection of people who could benefit from using this technology.
Our first persona is Alexis Anderson who had a brain stem stroke and cannot use body movement to trigger switches. She uses paper based AAC with a limited group of communication partners who understand how she indicates her selections by blinking. Alexis is frustrated that she can only communicate when one of these communication partners are available. Her current solution also means that she cannot access environment control.
Our second persona is Ben Brown who has MND and currently uses eye gaze when he has the energy to do so. Typically, he has to move to a low-tech solution as he becomes tired throughout the day. Ben is very proficient with his high tech device and has learnt where all his vocabulary is stored. It is very problematic that his access depends on having enough energy to use eye gaze and Ben’s family is worried that he will be not able to access his eye gaze as time goes on.
Ben and Alexis are both examples of people who would benefit from using EyeCommander. Ben could use it when he is tired and he can continue to use the same vocabulary no matter his energy levels. Alexis can use EyeCommander to communicate independently and not be reliant on the presence of a specific communication partner.
<h2>Previous Work</h2>
Detecting an eye blink is something that has been done before, however the solutions don’t work in every scenario which is what lead us to create EyeCommander. Some of the problems we found with solutions that already exist are explained below.
Android recently added a <a href="https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/11150722?hl=en">new accessibility feature</a> to allow users to control their device using eye gestures. It is great and if an individual uses an Android app to communicate then this can be a great option.
Mac computers also have a similar solution built into their operating system, allowing users to trigger switches using blinks or other facial gestures. If you want to access your Mac this way it is a good option. However, we found that the Mac facial gestures don’t allow you to change and calibrate the detection enough for it to work for everyone.
Another similar software solution is <a href="https://smylemouse.com/">SmyleMouse</a>. Like EyeCommander it uses consumer grade hardware to detect facial gestures. However, SmyleMouse doesn’t detect blinks or eye gesture, which we plan on implementing in EyeCommander in the future. Other software solutions exist, include <a href="http://sviacam.sourceforge.net/">SViaCam</a> and <a href="https://github.com/danetomseth/Blink1.5">Blink1.5,</a> but we found they didn’t fully met our needs.
<a href="https://getnous.app/">Nous is a hardware device</a> that users wear to detect their blinks. However, we wanted our solution to work on consumer grade hardware that was readily available. There are a variety of other hardware options on the market, such as <a href="http://www.techaccess4you.com/ist-switch/">IST Switch</a>, <a href="https://www.home.eyecontrol.co.il/product">EyeControl</a>, and <a href="https://key2enable.com/produtos/a-blinx/">a-blinx</a>.
The main difference between EyeCommander and these previous solutions is that it allows you to control Windows devices and will work with the computer you already have meaning you do not have to purchase and maintain new hardware.
<h2>Background</h2>
EyeCommander was initially developed by a group of students and graduates as part of the <a href="https://www.propelprojects.org/">Project Propel program</a> to give them real world experience. They were given the brief to create something that could detect eye gestures using consumer grade hardware.
The group created a machine learning model that could detect when someone looked up, down, left, or right. The machine learning model was trained using a varied set of videos of people doing these gestures. The model was then retrained to individual users so that it worked for them.
The work the group did proved that it is possible to create a very accurate eye gesture detection algorithm.
The current version of EyeCommander doesn’t use the eye gesture model but the plan is to include it in future versions.
<h2>Future of EyeCommander</h2>
EyeCommander will continue to be developed by Ace Centre and the wider Ace Centre community. We have <a href="https://github.com/AceCentre/EyeCommander/projects/1">created a roadmap</a>, with things we want to add and future plans for the project. If you have ideas for us to add please let us know.
We are looking for people to contribute to EyeCommander and to help us add more features. <a href="https://github.com/AceCentre/EyeCommander">If you want to get involved, then check out the code on Github</a>. Have a read through the open issues and comment if you want to be a part of it and we can help you get up and running.
<h2>Feedback</h2>
If you have any feedback on EyeCommander then email me at <a href="mailto:ghenderson@acecentre.org.uk">ghenderson@acecentre.org.uk</a>
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EyeCommander

EyeCommander is a desktop application that uses the front facing camera of any Windows or Mac device to detect when you blink. EyeCommander then uses that blink as a switch input for communication software.

Ace Centre E-Tran Frame

Frequency layout charts - for Listener Mediated Scanning

ABC charts - for Listener Mediated Scanning

High contrast (yellow on black) ABC & QWERTY you can point to

ABC chart you can point to

Number encoded ABC you can point to

Colour encoded ABC you can point to

Coded ABC chart you can point to

Combination access ABC

ABC and Numbers

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Check out <a href="https://youtu.be/fCgGy8dFIFE">this video</a> to learn about the eBook features
Find videos and support materials if you or are a family member requires solutions to help communicate due to a progressive condition such as MND/ALS, PSP, MS, Parkinson&#8217;s disease.
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</section>

Paper-based resources to support Communication for Adults with Progressive Conditions

This guide provides information about paper-based tools and strategies that can support communication if speech is becoming or has become difficult due to an acquired progressive condition. It is written for people living with such a condition and also for family, carers and relevant professionals.

Pragmatic-based Auditory scan book

Animals 36 numerical encoding

Sing Old McDonald 8 Intro to encoding

Animals 36 colour encoded with borders

Animals 36 colour encoded with dots

Blocks 24 combination access

Train play 20 coded access

Core 5 in arc shape

Check out <a href="https://youtu.be/fCgGy8dFIFE">this video</a> to learn about the eBook features
For a more general all round introduction to low tech symbol based AAC, you could see another resource in this AAC Information Series, Getting Started with AAC: Using low tech symbol based systems with children.

Access to paper-based symbol resources when pointing is difficult

The aim of this resource is explore access to low tech symbol based AAC when accessing standard resources is difficult physically or visually. It is aimed at people who are familiar with low tech AAC, but want to find out more about how to adjust and adapt the resources to meet individual needs.

QWERTY chart with useful words for a child

Simple charts you can point to (Word versions that can be edited)

QWERTY chart you can point to

Number encoded - UPPER case - for eye pointing

Check out <a href="https://youtu.be/fCgGy8dFIFE">this video</a> to learn about the eBook features
Please note that this resource is not suggesting that low tech is ‘best’, or that low tech is a prerequisite to a more high tech communication aid. It is simply about valuing the role of paper based communication systems, and sharing lots of ideas and strategies to help develop and support them. You may well find that many of the ideas and strategies are useful when it comes to other forms of communication too.

Designing and using alphabet charts

The aim of this resource is help you design and use alphabet charts with people who can’t rely on speech, enabling them to communicate to the best of their ability. Through communication we can express ourselves, learn, have fun, and be active members of society

There are a huge array of apps available on app stores and a wide range of solutions from commercial suppliers to help you communicate when you are literate and want to ‘type out a message’.
We’re often asked which resource is “best” but there is nothing that’s “best” for everyone! 
Instead, to help you find the right solution for you, it’s worthwhile to think about what features these AAC resources have and think about what features you need. Follow the link above for all the video and resources.

Understanding the Features of Electronic Text Based AAC

<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-23843 aligncenter" src="https://acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TM-logo-002-300x64.jpg" alt="" width="221" height="47" srcset="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TM-logo-002-300x64.jpg 300w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TM-logo-002-1024x219.jpg 1024w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TM-logo-002-768x165.jpg 768w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TM-logo-002-640x137.jpg 640w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TM-logo-002-600x129.jpg 600w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TM-logo-002.jpg 1055w" sizes="(max-width: 221px) 100vw, 221px" />
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A free resource to support Teachers, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, etc. to have a discussion about ‘Readiness for AAC’ with their clients. The resource was funded by Ace Centre and created collaboratively with <a href="http://www.talkingmats.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Talking Mats</a>.  <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/project/talking-mats-for-aac/">Learn more about the project here </a>

Readiness for AAC

GridWiz is a simple app to make a custom <a href="https://thinksmartbox.com/product/grid-3/">Grid 3 Gridset</a> with images from Google images. After installing it, Double click on the app, Enter your search term and select 7 images. When done hit export and import the file into the <a href="https://thinksmartbox.com/product/grid-3/">Grid 3</a>.  The Gridset can then be modified as you wish &#8211; adding sounds etc if you need to.
<div class="responsive-embed widescreen"><iframe title="GridWiz Demonstration" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5Rl4R7MWNW8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

GridWiz

GridWiz is a small utility app to help people make Grid 3 gridsets with images from Google images.

Being a Communication Partner

Being a Communication Partner&#8217; is our quick guide to having conversations with people who use the alphabet to communicate.
Positive and effective communication involves two or more people interacting in a skilful way, so when someone is using an alphabet based communication tool, it’s not just down to them to make the conversation work. As a ‘Communication Partner’ (the person they are communicating with) you can help make the conversation more successful, inclusive and effective for everyone.

Please note. This document is now regarded as a little outdated but maybe still useful to some individuals. We are working on a new resource which hopes to update this.

Switch Assessment and Planning Framework

Switch Assessment and Planning Framework for Individuals with Physical Disabilities

Talk Together will work within a range of communication software including Tobii Communicator, Mind Express and The Grid 2 and Grid 3 software. There are minor differences in layout and appearance between the different versions, and the symbols used will depend upon the software it is used within.
The vocabulary complements our bestselling <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/developing-using-communication-book/">Guide to Developing and Using a Communication Book</a>, and the Sternberg award-winning <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/look2talk/">Look2Talk</a> guide to making a communication book for eye-pointing communicators.
Just like with the communication book resources, Talk Together promotes the use of a consistently located core vocabulary that grows over a number of stages, from just two items at the Introductory Stage through to a wealth of vocabulary at Stages 4/5.
<h2>How to get hold of Talk Together</h2>
Talk Together is free, provided you own one of the communication software options below.  It is available from the suppliers of the software:
<ul>
<li>Talk Together for Grid 3 can be downloaded from <a href="https://grids.thinksmartbox.com/en">Online Grids.</a>  If you’re using The Grid 2, contact <a href="https://thinksmartbox.com/">Smartbox</a></li>
<li>If you’re using Mind Express software, Talk Together can be downloaded from <a href="http://www.mindexpress.be/index.php">Techess.</a> Or you can contact them directly on 01476 512881</li>
<li>For Tobii Communicator software, contact <a href="http://www.tobiidynavox.com">Tobii Dynavox </a></li>
</ul>
<h2>The benefits</h2>
<ul>
<li>Gives easy access to a stable core vocabulary from every topic page.</li>
<li>Provides a structured approach to organising personalised vocabulary.</li>
<li>A page-by-page guide is integrated into the vocabulary to help with the big issues like how to introduce it, how to help young people to learn it, and how to support their developing skills.</li>
<li>The role of the communication partner and their skills is discussed throughout.</li>
<li>Emphasises the importance of play and having fun, particularly in the early stages.</li>
<li>Switch, eye gaze and keyguard-friendly page design.</li>
<li>Early literacy skills are encouraged and supported with phonic alphabets, storytelling and story reading pages.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Who is it for?</h2>
<ul>
<li>Talk Together is ideal for children and young people who need to use symbols to communicate.</li>
<li>Supports the vocabulary development of children and young people who have just begun to use a communication aid, through to more complex symbol use.</li>
<li>Children and young people using a wide range of access methods, from touchscreens to eye gaze to switches.</li>
</ul>
Licensed via <a href="https://choosealicense.com/licenses/gpl-3.0/">GPL v3</a>
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Talk Together

Talk Together is a unique new way for a young person and their communication partners to communicate together. From the very beginning, this innovative vocabulary package encourages involvement in modelling and supporting a developing vocabulary – all within a highly intuitive set of pages that enables young people say what they want. A wealth of on-screen support and ideas are available at the touch of a button on every page, so there’s no need to feel lost or to constantly refer to the manu

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The original Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication Skills in Children was written by Hazel Dewart and Susie Summers. This revised version has been created with the permission of NFER &#8211; Nelson. This Profile should be used with individuals who have used AAC in the past, are currently using AAC, or where you feel that an individual is using informal modes of AAC and you wish to introduce more formal methods.
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This resource is free to download. There are two versions:
<ol>
<li>Print &amp; Fill. This allows you to download and print a paper copy and fill it in by hand</li>
<li>Auto Entry. This allows you to fill it in electronically with Microsoft Word.</li>
</ol>
To cite this work: 
Martin, S., Small, K., and Stevens, R. 2017. The Pragmatics Profile for People who use AAC (First Published 26 Sep 2017). Available at:<a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/pragmatics-profile-people-use-aac/">https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/pragmatics-profile-people-use-aac/</a>.
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The Pragmatics Profile for People who use AAC

Auto Entry

Print & Fill

There are now more young people using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems in both mainstream and special schools than ever before. Successful inclusion of these pupils requires a substantial resource commitment, including the planning and implementation of appropriate supportive communication programmes, training of staff, and the involvement of a wide range of professionals working together. So how can schools maximise the effectiveness this commitment?
This freely-downloadable 50-page document offers information and guidelines to local education authorities, schools and health professionals. Contributions from 25 professionals working in the field of AAC have been brought together to summarise the current situation and point the way forward through the promotion of AAC policies. Click on the link in the menu on the right to download the complete document or a two-page summary. Both may be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader for printing or on-screen reading.

Developing AAC Policies in Schools

Over 80 additional pointers and cursors for those with visual or perceptual difficulties. Icon styles include animated, coloured, large, I-beams and circles.
The pointers have been designed here at the Ace Centre, so if you have a need or a suggestion for a particular pointer style, please let us know. (Note &#8211; some people are understandably concerned what this installer contains. You can see the entire source code &#8211; and <a href="https://github.com/AceCentre/AceCursors">build your own installer here</a>).
Instructions on how to download, install and change your cursor can be found in this video:
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<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/lite-youtube-embed@0.2.0/src/lite-yt-embed.css" />
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/lite-youtube-embed@0.2.0/src/lite-yt-embed.js"></script>
<lite-youtube videoid="YpddAhEiSjc" playlabel="Play: Keynote (Google I/O '18)"></lite-youtube>
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<h2>Other downloadable cursors</h2>
There&#8217;s more large cursors available for free download at <a href="http://athena.uoa.gr/eng/categories/view/5">Athena: Free Assistive Technology Software Inventory </a>  or <a href="http://rbx.de/big-cursors/">Rabe&#8217;s big cursors</a>

A brush strokeResources

Resources