AAC Learning Center

Educational resources for AAC

Visual Supports for Participation and Communication

The AAC Learning Center Moodle provides free evidence-based content on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for pre-service teachers and speech-language pathologists.  Students will be able to complete activities on-line, and then download a Certificate of Completion as documentation of their activities. Students also will be able to print and complete a guided notes activity that summarizes the key content of the module.

Below please find an outline of the content for Visual Supports for Participation and Communication. Please click on the link above to view the materials at the AAC Learning Center Moodle. You will be asked to register/sign-in at the Moodle site.

May, 2025 update: Over 950 moodle users at 42 colleges, universities, and school districts have completed this module since it was launched in August, 2023. Over 95% would recommend the use of this module to other learners.

This module describes 5 key steps in providing visual supports for participation and communication.

Child looks at visual schedule
  1. Consider the steps, preferences, and/or choices for the learner
  2. Help the learner with meaningful representations and layouts that support self-monitoring
  3. Engage the learner with a Model / Guided Practice / Independent Practice instructional sequence
  4. Collaborate to support widespread use
  5. Keep data and make changes as needed

The impact of these principles is supported by case examples from teachers, speech-language pathologists, and parents, including

James, a child with strong preferences who benefits from visual support for transitions between activities.

Teacher shows visual schedule to child

Alejandro, an adolescent who benefits visual supports to increase independence in using the computer

teenager painting

We estimate it takes students approximately 45 minutes to complete this module and earn the Certificate of Completion. To view the module, please go to https://aac-learning-center-moodle.psu.edu , register, and log in. You will then be able to select (“Access”) the module on Visual Supports for Participation and Communication.

Please reference these materials as
Liang, Z. & McNaughton, D. (2023, August 15). Visual supports [Instructional Resource]. AAC Learning Center. https://aac-learning-center.psu.edu/visual-supports-for-communication-and-participation/

The contents of this website are a joint offering of Penn State University and the RERC on AAC. They were developed, in part, under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90REGE0014) to the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (RERC on AAC). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
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