Teaching with AAC: Embedding Communication, Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum

Abstract

What happens when AAC becomes part of everyday teaching rather than something used only during communication activities?

Over the past six years, Mudgeeraba Special School on the Gold Coast, Australia has intentionally embedded AAC across classrooms, routines, and curriculum. Rather than viewing AAC as a specialised support for a few students, teachers have embraced it as an essential teaching tool that improves communication, increases participation, supports literacy, and provides meaningful access to learning for students with complex communication needs.

This presentation shares the practical journey behind that transformation. Discover how teachers identify the communication and language demands within Australian Curriculum and intentionally plan opportunities for students to communicate, engage, read, write, and learn using AAC throughout the school day.

Through authentic classroom examples, collaborative planning processes, and practical implementation strategies, you’ll explore how AAC can support explicit instruction, scaffold classroom participation, strengthen literacy learning, and create more inclusive educational environments. You’ll also learn how developing a consistent, school-wide approach builds staff confidence and creates meaningful opportunities for students to actively participate across all learning areas.

Whether you are beginning your AAC journey or looking to strengthen existing practice, you’ll leave with practical strategies, planning ideas, and real-world examples that demonstrate how embedding AAC into everyday teaching can transform communication, participation, literacy, and curriculum access for all learners.