Autumn brings a flurry of festivities—Halloween, Diwali, Bonfire Night—it’s a perfect time for teachers and support staff to engage AAC users in rich, meaningful communication. But rather than adding a flood of seasonal-specific vocabulary to a learner’s AAC system, consider the power of focusing on core and familiar words already present in their communication app, book or symbol chart.
Take the opportunity to model vocabulary they are familiar with or can use across many contexts. Core (more, want, like), descriptive (hot, bright, scary, yummy) and action (go, look, make) words are perfect for talking about fireworks, costumes, lights, and sweets but can also be used all year long. By using these existing words, learners can express themselves more fluently and confidently, without the cognitive load of navigating unfamiliar or rarely-used vocabulary.
For example:
<ul>
<li class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body">During Halloween, instead of adding “witch” or “pumpkin,” use words like look, funny, orange.</li>
<li class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body">For Diwali, focus on light, bright, happy, family.</li>
<li class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body">On Bonfire Night, words like loud, go, watch, hot can spark conversation.</li>
</ul>
This approach not only reinforces core vocabulary development but also encourages AAC users to generalise language across contexts, making their communication more robust and flexible. Seasonal events become opportunities to practice everyday language in exciting new settings and situations, rather than adding to work load for teachers and support staff as they spend time inputting words to AAC systems or making charts that are unlikely to be used again for another 12 months.
<a href="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2.png"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-111452 aligncenter" src="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-819x1024.png" alt="" width="190" height="238" srcset="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-819x1024.png 819w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-240x300.png 240w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-768x960.png 768w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-640x800.png 640w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-600x750.png 600w, https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2.png 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px" /></a>
Explore our downloadable <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/autumn_festivals">AAC in Action: Autumn Festivals resource pack</a>—packed with activity ideas and practical suggestions for modelling meaningful vocabulary. These resources are designed to inspire engaging, real-life communication opportunities that motivate learners to use their AAC systems with confidence.
Written by Tina Voizey, Information and Resources Manager at Ace Centre. She has over 30 years’ experience working with learners with complex disabilities, many of whom use AAC in all its forms. She has had a diverse career which has taken her from teaching in a classroom, to working for suppliers of symbol software and AAC solutions.

Autumn brings a flurry of festivities—Halloween, Diwali, Bonfire Night—it’s a perfect time for teachers and support staff to engage AAC users in rich, meaningful communication. But rather than adding a flood of seasonal-specific vocabulary to a learner’s AAC system, consider the power of focusing on core and familiar words already present in their communication app,…

AAC in Action: Autumn Festivals

Stir, Taste, Compare: Expand Language and Learning with  <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/tasty_traditions">AAC in Action: Tasty Traditions</a> 
Seasonal food traditions bring people together. They are familiar, motivating and full of shared experiences, which makes them powerful contexts for learning and communication.  Food activities don’t just support everyday interaction. They also provide rich opportunities to expand language beyond basic requests, helping AAC users develop descriptive, comparative and preference language, while naturally linking to curriculum areas such as Maths.
Our new resource, <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/tasty_traditions">AAC in Action: Tasty Traditions</a> explores how culturally linked food activities can be used to support deeper, more purposeful communication at home and in the classroom.
Moving beyond “more” and “that one” 
We can support our learners to use everyday core words alongside vocabulary that communicates what they think and feel. Cooking, baking and tasting create natural reasons to use:
<ul>
<li>descriptive words: soft, dry, sticky, thick, thin</li>
<li>preference language: best, favourite, least liked</li>
<li>comparative words: bigger, sweeter, softer, different</li>
</ul>
These words allow learners to share opinions, make choices and compare experiences, key communication skills across school, home and community life. And let’s face it, we all have strong opinions when it comes to food! Flavour, taste and texture give learners real and motivating reasons to comment rather than simply ask for something.
Cooking as a bridge to curriculum learning 
Taste tests, baking sessions and shared food activities also align beautifully with curriculum goals, particularly in maths. Within a single activity, learners may use vocabulary or be exposed to:
<ul>
<li>number words: one, two, more, less</li>
<li>quantity concepts: all, none, first, last</li>
<li>measurement and capacity: full, empty, half, bigger</li>
</ul>
For example, when learners compare pancakes or short bread biscuits, they can use their AAC systems to:
<ul>
<li>vote for a favourite</li>
<li>tally preferences</li>
<li>create simple pictograms or bar charts</li>
<li>discuss results using comparative language</li>
</ul>
These are meaningful maths activities, grounded in real experience, rather than abstract tasks. Tasty Traditions includes ideas such as turning peer feedback into data‑collection activities, helping learners connect communication, numeracy and topic work in a practical way.
Describing, comparing and choosing together 
Traditional celebrations across the British Isles — such as Burns Night, Pancake Day, St David’s Day and St Patrick’s Day — offer different foods and routines, but the language opportunities are strikingly similar.
Learners might:
<ul>
<li>compare textures of shortbread and soda bread</li>
<li>choose toppings for pancakes</li>
<li>decide which recipe is best or worst</li>
<li>comment on smell, taste and appearance</li>
</ul>
Because these activities are shared, learners are not communicating in isolation. They are interacting with peers and adults, taking turns, offering opinions and responding to others, all essential social communication skills.
Modelling rich language without pressure 
Expanding language doesn’t mean expecting learners to produce new words straight away. Adults play a key role by modelling descriptive, preference and comparative words during activities:  “This one is softer.” “I like this one best.” “That one is bigger than this.”
If an exact word isn’t available, approximate language still matters. For example, using “not like” to express “least favourite” still communicates meaning and keeps the interaction going. Thinking aloud while navigating an AAC system shows learners how to explore language, rather than waiting for the “right” word.
One activity, many learning outcomes 
A single cooking or tasting session can support:
<ul>
<li>expressive language development</li>
<li>social interaction and turn‑taking</li>
<li>maths concepts and data handling</li>
<li>confidence in sharing opinions</li>
</ul>
And because the language is linked to real experiences, learners are more likely to use it again in other contexts. That’s what makes activities like these so powerful, they don’t sit neatly in one subject area, and neither does communication.
Getting started with Tasty Traditions 
You don’t need complicated equipment or elaborate planning. Start small:
<ul>
<li>choose a simple, culturally linked recipe</li>
<li>decide which descriptive or comparative words to model</li>
<li>create opportunities for learners to choose, compare and comment</li>
</ul>
The worksheets in <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/tasty_traditions">AAC in Action: Tasty Traditions</a>  are designed to spark ideas and support flexible planning for different learners, settings and AAC systems.
Language that lasts beyond the kitchen 
Words like “best”, “different”, “bigger” and “least liked” don’t belong only in cooking lessons. They belong across the curriculum and in everyday life. By using seasonal food traditions as a context, we can help AAC users practise the kind of language that supports learning, relationships and self‑expression long after the last recipe is finished.
AAC in Action: Tasty Traditions is a free resource from the charity Ace Centre. Download it now from <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/tasty_traditions">https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/tasty_traditions </a>
 
Written by Meaghan Ebbage‑Taylor and Tina Voizey from Ace Centre 
Meaghan is a Senior AAC Consultant with over a decade of experience in mainstream and special education, supporting pupils with SLCN using paper‑based and electronic AAC, and is co‑author of <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/blog/aac-and-aided-language-in-the-classroom-breaking-down-barriers-for-learners-with-speech-language-and-communication-needs">AAC and Aided Language in the Classroom</a>. Tina is Information and Resources Manager and brings over 30 years’ experience supporting learners with complex disabilities using AAC across education and beyond

Stir, Taste, Compare: Expand Language and Learning with AAC in Action: Tasty Traditions Seasonal food traditions bring people together. They are familiar, motivating and full of shared experiences, which makes them powerful contexts for learning and communication. Food activities don’t just support everyday interaction. They also provide rich opportunities to expand language beyond basic requests, helping AAC users develop…

AAC in Action: Stir, Taste, Compare!

<a href="https://www.talkingmats.com/">Talking Mats</a> is a powerful tool used by many professionals supporting people with communication difficulties to express their feelings and views.
In 2021, the <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/readiness-for-aac">Readiness for AAC Talking Mats</a> resource was released which Ace Centre co-produced with Talking Mats to help potential AAC users become more active participants in the decision-making process around using and selecting AAC tools. You can learn more about that project by clicking <a href="https://praacticalaac.org/praactical/praactical-conversations-aac-decision-making-with-talking-mats/">here</a>.
Our collaboration with Talking Mats didn’t end there. We are very excited to announce that we worked together again, this time alongside the Scottish Centre of Technology for the Communication Impaired (SCTCI), to deliver a new resource called <a href="https://www.talkingmats.com/product/supporting-communication-with-aac/">Supporting Communication with AAC</a>.
Designed to be used with AAC users, alongside their existing AAC, this resource can be used both in conversations about their current AAC or conversations to assist in introducing new AAC.
The resource, available as cards or digitally, covers three topics: 
Your communication: understanding someone’s communication needs in terms of where, who and how they are communicating.
Joining in conversations: to find out how the AAC user feels about their participation in conversations.
How your AAC works: exploring how the functional features, appearance, sound, and access, of someone’s AAC system works for them.
Ace Centre also worked alongside Talking Mats to produce an <a href="https://www.talkingmats.com/product/advanced-online-training-aac/">AAC Advanced training module</a>. A self-directed online training module was designed with reflective practice at its core. It includes video examples, interactive quizzes, case examples and information around:
Using the new Supporting Communication with AAC resource including case examples of when and how to use it.
Supporting access for people who use AAC and Talking Mats by giving suggestions on making physical adaptations when the ‘traditional’ Talking Mats set-up (taught in the Foundation course) is not appropriate
Addressing the conversation dynamics when an extra person is present during the conversation to make the Talking Mat accessible for the AAC user.
Lastly there is a forum for participants to reflect on how they have applied the knowledge gained in the training module to their own practice. Feedback from early adopters of the training has been very positive!
‘Looking back at some Talking Mats I have done with people present I now realise this may have influenced the thinker.’
‘The course was very helpful in understanding ways to use a communication device alongside the Talking Mat.’
You will need to have completed <a href="https://www.talkingmats.com/training/foundation/">Talking Mats Foundation training</a> to access the Supporting Communication with AAC resource and AAC Advanced Training Module.  
Head to <a href="http://www.talkingmats.com/">www.talkingmats.com</a> to purchase the module and resource individually at £55 +VAT each, or combine both together with a saving of £25 <a href="https://www.talkingmats.com/product/aac-module-plus-resource/">https://www.talkingmats.com/product/aac-module-plus-resource/</a> 
 
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Talking Mats is a powerful tool used by many professionals supporting people with communication difficulties to express their feelings and views. In 2021, the Readiness for AAC Talking Mats resource was released which Ace Centre co-produced with Talking Mats to help potential AAC users become more active participants in the decision-making process around using and…

AAC and Talking Mats

On the 25th of May, Ace Centre, in collaboration with New Bridge Academy, hosted Communication Works 2023 North. A day of celebrating Assistive Technology (AT) saw nearly 200 delegates and suppliers gather together to share experiences, knowledge and new developments in the field of AAC and AT which support people (in the spirit of the day&#8217;s theme) to Get Seen.
After a stellar inaugural event held in 2022, the day proved to be even more popular as demand exceeded capacity. Martin Fisher, Ace Centre Business Director stated:
&#8220;Without a doubt, Communication Works 2023 was a complete success! It was fantastic to see the Ace Centre, New Bridge and wider community pull together to share and increase knowledge of how Assistive Technology enables all to get seen.  With an increase of 50% on last years&#8217; attendance it is clear there is an appetite and need for this type of event. We are already looking forward to Communication Works 2024!&#8221;
The day started with an uplifting opening speech from Beth Moulam, Paralympian, public speaker, social policy graduate and advocate for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) inclusion.  Addressing the theme of &#8220;Get Seen&#8221; with inspirational words for AT users and those who support them, Beth said:
&#8221; Getting seen means putting ourselves on show and being brave. Personally, I treat every day as an adventure. This often means getting out of my comfort zone and doing things that feel challenging. But getting seen is not just about us as AAC users putting ourselves out there. It also needs those in our everyday environments to scaffold and support this. Getting seen means all of us being willing to disrupt the status quo. It is also about those around us being willing to take steps to make sure everyone gets seen. It does take time, but when you act, we see you as our biggest supporters. &#8221; 
She also added &#8220;Communication Works is a brilliant event. The theme is spot on. Getting seen means we learn and thrive. Instead of just existing, just like in nature, we thrive in sunlight.&#8221; 
<figure id="attachment_68464" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Beth-Open.jpg"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-68464" src="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Beth-Open.jpg" alt="Beth Moulam sitting behind a table presenting her opening speech. There is a power point on display behind her with a picture of a child holding the moon. It says &quot;Get Seen by Beth Moulam We can all fulfill our communication and life potential&quot; " width="347" height="434" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Beth Moulam delivering her speech</figcaption></figure>
We think the feedback from all those who attended sums up our thoughts on Communication Works 2023 North &#8230; it was a fantastic event filled with fabulous and informative talks. We want to thank everyone for playing a part in a much loved and great day!
<figure id="attachment_68465" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CW2023-whitebkg.jpg"><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-68465" src="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CW2023-whitebkg.jpg" alt="A word cloud filled with words given as feedback from the day. The words much, great, fabulous, fantastic, event, thanks and day are very boldly seen amongst many other words" width="615" height="615" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">A word cloud created by attendee feedback</figcaption></figure>
Our highlight reel catches some of the excitement and buzz that was felt throughout the day. You can see it here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE6WyjV5_Hw">Communication Works 2023 North Highlights</a>
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On the 25th of May, Ace Centre, in collaboration with New Bridge Academy, hosted Communication Works 2023 North. A day of celebrating Assistive Technology (AT) saw nearly 200 delegates and suppliers gather together to share experiences, knowledge and new developments in the field of AAC and AT which support people (in the spirit of the…

Communication Works 2023 Highlights

This is a page you shouldn&#8217;t ever see

Communication Works 2026

Communication Works 2025

Communication Works 2024

Book an informal chat about your AAC or AT needs with members of the Ace Centre team.

Information appointment

Getting Started with Modelling

Cooking

AAC in the Classroom

A Guide to Writing an Effective AAC Policy in Education Settings

AAC in Action: Tasty Traditions

<div>A practical resource showing how food‑based activities linked to cultural celebrations from around the British Isles (Burns Night, Pancake Day, St. David&#8217;s Day and St. Patrick&#8217;s Day) can support richer AAC use, including descriptive, comparative, preference and maths‑related language. It offers simple ideas to help learners share opinions, make comparisons and take part in meaningful, curriculum‑linked communication at home and in the classroom.</div>
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Core

Getting Started with Core Words

Simon Says... Sing a Carol!

Elf on the Shelf

Read this <a href="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/news/deck-the-halls-with-core-words/">blog post to learn more about using core words</a> during the festive seasons.

AAC in Action: Festive Season

A practical resource that provides activity and modelling ideas to support AAC users during the festive celebrations of Christmas and Hanukkah. By focusing on core words already present in AAC systems, the resource promotes spontaneous communication, language generalisation, and reduces the need for adding rarely used, event-specific vocabulary
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Colours

A practical resource that provides activity and modelling ideas to support AAC users during the autumnal celebrations of Halloween, Diwali, and Bonfire Night. By focusing on core, descriptive, and action words already present in AAC systems, the resource promotes spontaneous communication, language generalisation, and reduces the need for adding rarely used, event-specific vocabulary
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We often recommend using software such as <a href="https://www.splash-city.com">Splash Maths</a> or <a href="https://www.arithmetype.com">ArithmeType</a> etc for specialist accessible maths programs. Yet some students simply need access to a scientific calculator that is accessible via their input method.  There are solutions such as <a href="https://www.desmos.com">Desmos</a> which provide a full range of accessible online maths software, however, they take up screen-space and are not always fully keyboard accessible.
Ace Centre has created a Scientific Calculator, inspired by collaboration with students we work with and <a href="http://candleaac.com">CandLE,</a> this solution is smaller, can be operated entirely with keyboard shortcuts and can run offline. Click the download button above to get the free offline version or <a href="https://github.com/AceCentre/ace-aac-calc/releases/download/v2.0.0/ScientificCalculator-Setup.exe">click here</a>.
An online version of this calculator is also available for Grid 3 which you can find by <a href="https://grids.thinksmartbox.com/en/will-wade/4ff14885-e136-4dfe-a687-a5a0277e5873">clicking here to access it from Online Grids.</a>
To use, install the software, then install the grid set which you will find on your desktop. There will be a shortcut to the web page which is then installed on your PC if you want to use that with anything else.
More info:
Basic Math
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">2 + 2 = 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">1/2 × 20 = 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">√16 = 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">π × 2 = 6.283185307</li>
</ul>
Scientific Functions
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">sin(45) = 0.7071067812</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">log(100) = 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">√(π) = 1.7724538509</li>
</ul>
Random Numbers
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">rand() = 0.7324846372         # Random number between 0-1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">floor(rand() * 6) + 1 = 4    # Roll a die (1-6)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">floor(rand() * 100) + 1 = 42 # Random number 1-100</li>
</ul>
Algebraic Expressions
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">x^2 + 2x + 1                 # Quadratic expression</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">2x + 2y                      # Linear expression with variables</li>
</ul>
Memory Operations
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Store current result: Ctrl/⌘ + P (M+)</li>
<li>Subtract from memory: Ctrl/⌘ + M (M-)</li>
<li>Recall memory: Ctrl/⌘ + R (MR)</li>
</ul>
Line References with @
Maybe slightly easier that using M+,M- etc you can reference previous results using the @ symbol followed by the line number. Each line in the history is numbered for easy reference.
<ol>
<li>10 + 5 = 15</li>
<li>20 + 12.5 = 32.5</li>
<li>@2−@1 → (32.5)−(15) = 17.5</li>
</ol>
Examples
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>@1 references the result from line 1</li>
<li>1000 &#8211; @3 subtracts line 3&#8217;s result from 1000</li>
<li>@2 * @1 multiplies results from lines 2 and 1</li>
<li>floor(@1 * 6) uses line 1&#8217;s result in a function</li>
</ul>
The calculator will show both your expression with @ references and the expanded calculation with actual values.
Keyboard Shortcuts
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Enter or = &#8211; Evaluate expression</li>
<li>Escape &#8211; Clear workpad</li>
<li>↑ &#8211; Previous expression</li>
<li>↓ &#8211; Next expression</li>
<li>Alt/⌘ + D &#8211; Toggle Degrees/Radians</li>
<li>Ctrl + (0-9) &#8211; Set decimal places</li>
</ul>
Tips
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Brackets are automatically completed as you type</li>
<li>History is scrollable and expressions can be recalled</li>
<li>Click the DP button or use Ctrl + number to set decimal places</li>
<li>Toggle between degrees/radians for trigonometry</li>
<li>Unicode symbols can be typed directly or using text equivalents</li>
</ul>
Video Demonstration:
<div class="responsive-embed"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Demonstration of Scientific Calc for AAC" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OEcNT14uyIY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

AAC Based Scientific Calculator

<h2>Readiness for AAC</h2>
We believe that people should be involved in decisions about their communication and AAC.  We recognise that early conversations about AAC can be challenging so this resource aims to support these conversations and to provide people with the time and space to think about whether they are ‘ready’ for AAC.
<div class="rounded-img aligncenter wp-image-23860 size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Screenshot-2020-07-24-at-14.31.25-300x189.png" alt="" width="300" height="189" /></div>
This <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Readiness-for-AAC-Script.pdf">Readiness for AAC Script</a> is provided for free to allow Teachers, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists etc. to facilitate a discussion about ‘Readiness for AAC’ with their clients.  The right time for this discussion will vary from person to person but examples include: when AAC is first being considered, when provision of AAC via local funding is being considered, when referral to a regional hub for Specialised AAC service is being considered. 
The resource was funded by Ace Centre and created collaboratively with Talking Mats  (<a href="http://www.talkingmats.com/">www.talkingmats.com</a>).  A script, the symbols and a demo video are provided – you just need to bring the doormat! (or improvise with a piece of card or old carpet!)

Readiness for AAC We believe that people should be involved in decisions about their communication and AAC. We recognise that early conversations about AAC can be challenging so this resource aims to support these conversations and to provide people with the time and space to think about whether they are ‘ready’ for AAC. This Readiness…

Talking Mats for AAC

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 &#8216;type out a message&#8217;.
We&#8217;re often asked which resource is &#8220;best&#8221; but there is nothing that&#8217;s &#8220;best&#8221; for everyone! 
Instead, to help you find the right solution for you, it&#8217;s worthwhile to think about what features these AAC resources have and think about what features you need.
To help with this we&#8217;ve compiled a set of videos (below) with information about the features to look for in text-based AAC resources.  You might want to use the checklist form to jot down the features you think you&#8217;ll need &amp; then you can use the comparison chart form to help you keep track when you&#8217;re looking at a few AAC resources.
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<div class="rounded-img wp-image-27354 alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Keyboard_green-circle_with-words-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="107" height="143" /></div>
Note: Please note that we are only looking at the features of electronic AAC resources for when you can type with your hands/fingers and spell. If you find typing difficult or need a solution which uses pictures (symbols) then please consult your specialist AAC service for advice.
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<div class="responsive-embed widescreen"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Electronic Text Based AAC" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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Forms
<ul>
<li><a href="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/resources/electronic-text-based-features-checklist">Electronic text-based features checklist</a></li>
<li><a href="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/resources/electronic-text-based-comparison-chart">Electronic text-based comparison chart</a></li>
</ul>
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Links to each video chapter:
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av5ETBBJZ0E&amp;list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL&amp;index=1">Understanding the features of electronic text based AAC: Introduction</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX_E1YlQrBk&amp;list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL&amp;index=2">Appearance</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K_TrO6kRds&amp;list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL&amp;index=3">Keyboard Layout</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uo895KtPds&amp;list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL&amp;index=4">Word Prediction</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZRtfOqDRTs&amp;list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL&amp;index=5">Sentence Prediction</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zth03mFGRFA&amp;list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL&amp;index=6">Letter Codes/Abbreviation Expansions</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCmp4FBip7w&amp;list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL&amp;index=7">Phrase banking</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18I-CF6Zim8&amp;list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL&amp;index=8">Voice Options</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qp2lLlEcX4&amp;list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL&amp;index=9">Conversation Control</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggs99tUEJfk&amp;list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL&amp;index=10">Integrated Controls</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQUN_gjB76k&amp;list=PLWWQ5nlUD_tu7lzeJiyPqHnUUJpNK5drL&amp;index=11">Summary &amp; Next Steps</a></li>
</ol>

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…

Understanding the Features of Electronic Text Based AAC

As part of <a href="https://presenters.aacconference.com/conferences/A20?no_blank=1">AAC in the Cloud Conference for 2020</a>  and the <a href="https://communicationmatters.org.uk/what-we-do/the-cm-sessions/">CM Sessions</a> we presented on our work using morse code with clients. Find below the video of this presentation &#8211; but also some more detail about the resources we mention in the video and our ongoing development projects related to morse code (namely learn-morse and BLEMorse).
<div class="responsive-embed widescreen"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Samantha McNeilly &amp; Will Wade: An individuals AAC journey of beginning to learn morse code" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yeHe5AomW7c?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<h2>Background to Morse code</h2>
There is an absolutely fantastic podcast from the Memory Palace &#8211; called &#8220;Distance&#8221; which tells the story of Morse and why it was developed &#8211; have a <a href="https://thememorypalace.us/distance/">listen</a>
For a lot of radio operators and HAM enthusiasts morse sounds like this:
<div class="responsive-embed"><iframe loading="lazy" title="See and hear Morse Code" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_J8YcQETyTw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
&nbsp;
<h2>Morse in AT &#8211; Evidence base</h2>
<a href="https://kpr.pythonanywhere.com">AT-Node</a> is an invaluable resource for looking at text entry rates and comparing them between input methods. As part of this, there is a nice overview of morse code &#8211; <a href="https://kpronline.com/blog/morse-code-for-access-what-do-we-know/">looking at the stats from AT-Node here</a>.
The book that we mention is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0205287514/qid=984341658/sr=1-3/">Thomas W Kings Modern Morse code in rehabilitation</a>. It may be out of print but it&#8217;s still excellent; if you can get a copy do. If you can&#8217;t check out <a href="https://socialmed13.wixsite.com/adaptivedesigninc/morse-code">AdaptiveDesigns pages</a> where they have got the entire book available to download in sections.
<h2>Learning Morse</h2>
As another great introductory video on Morse take a look at this video from VSauce who nicely discusses the pros and cons of different ways of learning morse:
<div class="responsive-embed widescreen"><iframe loading="lazy" title="• − − • • • − • − • • • − − •" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HY_OIwideLg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
There are a lot of different tools to learn morse online:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:International_Morse_Code.svg">The standard chart which some people just wrote learn</a> (Wikipedia)</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_code#/media/File:Morse_code_tree3.svg">A graphical &#8220;dichotomic search table&#8221;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://morse.withgoogle.com/learn/">Original Google &#8211; Learn-Morse app</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_code_mnemonics#/media/File:Morsechart.bjk.svg">Baden-Powell&#8217;s (updated) visual Mnemoic</a></li>
<li><a href="https://cq2k.com/index.html">Jerry Wheeler&#8217;s Code Quick system</a></li>
</ul>
So we have used the Morse learn for a number of clients but as we discussed this isn&#8217;t great for people who have a visual impairment &#8211; and some (e.g. the VSauce video above) feel that auditory just works better for them. So we have created an adapted morse-learn app which is available at <a href="https://morse-learn.acecentre.net">https://morse-learn.acecentre.net</a>  &#8211; we have some plans for this &#8211; and we are welcome to people helping out to improve it. See more at <a href="http://github.com/acecentre/morse-learn">http://github.com/acecentre/morse-learn</a>
<h3>Ace Auditory Mnemoics</h3>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<colgroup>
<col width="118" />
<col width="167" />
<col width="144" />
<col width="331" /></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="oa1" width="118" height="26">Letter</td>
<td class="oa1" width="167">Phonetic</td>
<td class="oa1" width="144">Morse</td>
<td class="oa1" width="331">Mnemoic</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa2" width="118" height="26">A</td>
<td class="oa3" width="167">Alpha</td>
<td class="oa3" width="144">•–</td>
<td class="oa3" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/a.mp3">a-PART</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">B</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">Bravo</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">–•••</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/b.mp3">BE a good boy</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">C</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">Charlie</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">–•–•</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/c.mp3">CHAR-lies ANG-els</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">D</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">Delta</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">–••</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/d.mp3">DOG did it</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">E</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">Echo</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">•</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/e.mp3">eek!</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">F</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">Foxtrot</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">••–•</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/f.mp3">did i FAIL it</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">G</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">Golf</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">– –•</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/g.mp3">GREAT GATS-by</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">H</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">Hotel</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">••••</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/h.mp3">hip-pi-ty-hop</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">I</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">India</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">••</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/i.mp3">eye-eye!</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">J</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">Juliet</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">•– – –</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/j.mp3">lets JUMP JUMP JUMP</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">K</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">Kilo</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">–•–</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/k.mp3">KAN-ga-ROO</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">L</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">Lima</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">•–••</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/l.mp3">a LA-dy bug</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">M</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">Mike</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">– –</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/m.mp3">LIKE MIKE</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">N</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">November</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">–•</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/n.mp3">NA-vy</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">O</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">Oscar</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">– – –</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/o.mp3">OH MY GOD</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">P</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">Papa</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">•– –•</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/p.mp3">a POO-PY smell</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">Q</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">Quebec</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">– –•–</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/q.mp3">GOD SAVE the QUEEN</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">R</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">Romeo</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">•–•</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/r.mp3">a RABB-it</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="41">S</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">Sierra</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">•••</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/s.mp3">SS-SS-SS (like a snake)</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">T</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">Tango</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">–</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/t.mp3">TALL</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">U</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">Uniform</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">••–</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/u.mp3">un-der-WHERE?</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="56">V</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">Victor</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">•••–</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/v.mp3">beet-ho-vens FIFTH (&#8220;der der der DUUUUH&#8221;)</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">W</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">Whisky</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">•– –</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/w.mp3">a WHITE WHAAALE</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">X</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">xray</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">–••–</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/x.mp3">EXX marks the SPOT</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="41">Y</td>
<td class="oa6" width="167">Yankee</td>
<td class="oa6" width="144">–•– –</td>
<td class="oa6" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/y.mp3">YOUR&#8217;E-a-COOL-DUDE</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="oa4" width="118" height="26">Z</td>
<td class="oa5" width="167">Zulu</td>
<td class="oa5" width="144">– –••</td>
<td class="oa5" width="331"><a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AceCentre/morse-learn/master/assets/sounds/soundalikes-ww/z.mp3">ZINC ZOO keep-er</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<h2>Solutions to use Morse in AT &amp; AAC</h2>
Do have a look at <a href="https://www.makoa.org/jlubin/morsecode.htm">Jim Lubins website</a> for a lot of links to products and solutions available.
In short, we have some hardware like the excellent <a href="http://tandemmaster.org">TandemMaster</a> which sees any PC/Mac/iOS device as a keyboard &amp; mouse &#8211; OR there are some software solutions that you can use on iOS or Windows.
&nbsp;

As part of AAC in the Cloud Conference for 2020 and the CM Sessions we presented on our work using morse code with clients. Find below the video of this presentation – but also some more detail about the resources we mention in the video and our ongoing development projects related to morse code (namely…

Morse Code

<blockquote>Dasher is an information-efficient text-entry interface, driven by natural continuous pointing gestures. Dasher is a competitive text-entry system wherever a full-size keyboard cannot be used &#8211; for example
<footer class="citation"><cite><a href="http://www.inference.org.uk/dasher/DasherSummary.html">Inference Group circa 2005</a></cite></footer>
</blockquote>
&nbsp;
Dasher is a project that we at the Ace Centre have followed and supported for some time. It was a research/development project stemming from David Mackay&#8217;s inference group at Cambridge University  in 1997-2007. It led to numerous iterations and versions with a HUGE array of  input methods &#8211; and around 2003 it led to speech dasher; enabling users to use it with text to speech. Ace Centre had supported the project through user trials and evaluation and feeding into the development and design of various aspects (notably with Mick Donegan and David Colven from Ace centre leading this work). (Have a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie9Se7FneXE">watch of this video</a> and read the Dasher archives for more information on the project.
In 2015-2017 Ada Majorak, a employee of Google, took on the development of the Windows OS version of Dasher and vastly improved some of the day to day features to make it easier for speeches and writing. Ada presented on Dasher at CSUN in 2016 where you can watch a great video explaining how it is used below:
<div class="responsive-embed widescreen"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Ada Majorek Introduction - CSUN Dasher" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SvsSrClBwPM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Its still regarded as one of the fastest &#8220;continuous&#8221; text entry methods (P. Axelsson &amp; A. Onoszko (2013)) and as a result its occasionally looked at for individuals who require fast text entry rate. For some individuals who we have assessed and provided AAC over the years the software has been a huge boon. We have indivduals who continue to use Dasher and use it for their work &#8211; with some deciding to use it for all their text entry needs from texting to writing their university thesis.
Around October 2009 Alan Lawrence at the Inference Group developed the Apple iPhone (iOS) port of Dasher. Since then little had been worked on this app &#8211; and little was known about if anyone used it.
For a little while Apple have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/03/ios-11-apple-latest-update-older-apps-stop-working">warning users</a> of their iOS operating system that apps created some time ago (and in particular those that are 32 bit) would not work under iOS 11. Its been ok &#8211; under iOS 10 this was just a warning. But under iOS 11 which came out in the Autumn of 2017 these apps were no longer available.
Leo Colins had got in touch with us at Ace (via Mick Donegan at SpecialEffect) to let us know that he was now worried about Dasher working on iOS 11. Leo has used Dasher ever since he met the Ace Centre and used the software for all of his recording needs through school and University. Due to its unique way of working little else could be found that was available on the market place. Usually with unique solutions such as this we would have to go to the company making the software and request that a change be made or that a new version created. With Dasher this is not so straightforward. We reached out to a few commercial developers who have understand the marketplace well (thank you) but understandably they felt it wasn&#8217;t something they could take on at this time. Due to the open source nature of Dasher we were able to implement changes ourselves &#8211; with minimal changes. These changes were funded by donations and fundraising that we have had in the past.
&nbsp;

Dasher is an information-efficient text-entry interface, driven by natural continuous pointing gestures. Dasher is a competitive text-entry system wherever a full-size keyboard cannot be used – for example Inference Group circa 2005   Dasher is a project that we at the Ace Centre have followed and supported for some time. It was a research/development project…

Dasher for iOS

Clinical supervision and mentoring for AAC practice, with guidance from Ace Centre therapists to support professional learning and development.

Supervision and Mentoring

Remote and face to face support so you can chat about your AAC and AT needs with members of the Ace Centre team.

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