Inclusive Holiday Moments: Helping Kids Shine with AAC
By: Taylor Maggard, M.A. ccc-SLP
The holiday season is a wonderful time for connection, traditions, and joy. Whether your family celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Winter Solstice, or simply enjoys cozy winter days together, it’s a perfect opportunity for children to use their AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) systems to participate and express themselves.
Holiday Favorites Page
One way to support communication is by creating a “holiday favorites” page on your child’s AAC device. Include words related to decorations, foods, music, and family—like lights, candles, gifts, celebrate, or favorite treats. This allows children to share preferences, ask questions, and comment on what they enjoy most about the season.
Take a look at this holiday AAC Core Board, filled with words and phrases that can help your child express themselves during this festive season!
Merry & Bright Words
Cooking, baking, and decorating together are natural ways to encourage AAC use. While mixing ingredients, lighting candles, or making crafts, model words such as:
- help
- more
- done
- pretty
- happy
- together
Encourage your child to request items, describe what they see or smell, and share feelings about the activity. High tech devices can be placed inside of a plastic zip bag to protect them during messy activities, and still be activated by touch!
Unwrapping Holiday Words
Gift giving and quiet moments are also opportunities to practice communication. Let your child use AAC to help choose gifts, say thank you, or comment on cozy traditions like drinking cocoa or listening to music.
When visiting or hosting gatherings, help others communicate with your child by introducing the device early with either a preprogrammed message used by the child, or with caregivers explaining how their child communicates with AAC. Gentle reminders to others that AAC communicators may need extra wait time to communicate their full message may also be helpful!
By incorporating AAC into holiday traditions, children build confidence, strengthen connections, and fully share in the season’s joy. At
Hogg Therapy Pediatrics, we wish all families a warm, inclusive, and communicative holiday season filled with laughter and love!
![We’ve loved seeing your stories roll in over the past couple weeks and wanted to share one of our own, thanks to therapists Lauren & Maya and their friend Tiffany. ❤️
Last week, OT Ms. Lauren and ST Ms. Maya accompanied Tiffany on a HUGE adventure, attending the Special Needs Camp of Kentucky for activities, friendship, and growth ? Headquartered in Bath County, SNCKI is free to attend, with nearly 100 campers enrolled this year! Ms. Lauren shared her thoughts with the HTP team when she got home: “The other campers welcomed [Tiffany] with open arms, and she made so many new friends…A space where 76 teens/adults with disabilities of all kinds were free to just be them and make those connections with each other while having tons of fun. We have had moments that were trickier to navigate, but we did it together.”
One of the nights was family and community night, featuring a group dance and a talent showcase. ?Lauren said, “The amount of love and support in the gym was out of this world. For her mom to see that, to know that we’ve got her girl no matter what, means more than any treatment code or note I could ever write. She is already asking when she gets to come back…and even told her mom to ‘buy a new house at camp’? If you are not already, follow Special Needs Connections of Kentucky, Inc on facebook. They are doing such AMAZING things for our community here and deserve so much support.” ? We couldn’t agree more!
Therapy isn’t about treatment codes, billable hours, documentation, or recertification. It’s about the meaningful moments and the love we pour into these children every single day. This is why Hogg Therapy exists—to give every child the opportunity to experience a meaningful, joyful life. ✨ Thank you, Lauren and Maya for your support both in and outside of the clinic and for sharing this story! ?](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/747807719_18212073508337241_9129116297997701917_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=108&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=XHWOHNKbqngQ7kNvwGKtpDH&_nc_oc=AdpD1N7EEKFGLcetAcoPsF1JJh4vwTzSD9n6d8kcOahql-iU0iJt3NqA-pKm_MaWSd0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=m0JlOggyxEgVZOWJ2UXKyA&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQFiyOkR72JmK-FscvpL2Ui4ccqWiF_t0T2uwHgCrq5EjdJCthgeRtl-sOXjkWP1fDchurHN77NuUA&oh=00_AQD25riHntTZp8XAUNk6A22p5IECZZWQ9rVB7Rc_hvN7qQ&oe=6A6DA04A)
![We’re sharing an occupational therapy success story from OT Mrs. Abby today! ? Meet Grayson! When he first started occupational therapy, everyday life felt hard. He was experiencing significant picky eating, struggled with daily routines and transitions, and had a difficult time managing big emotions.
Since then, Grayson has put in so much hard work. Through OT, he has built confidence, strengthened his self-regulation skills, and learned to take on new and challenging tasks with courage. Every small step has added up to something truly amazing! One of the biggest reasons for Grayson’s success has been the incredible partnership with his parents. They fully embraced therapy beyond the clinic by consistently practicing strategies at home through his Home Exercise Program (HEP). Their dedication, encouragement, and willingness to try new approaches have made all the difference.
Today, Grayson is trying new foods every week, navigating daily routines with greater independence, and enjoying more successful, joyful moments with his family. His growth is a wonderful reminder of what can happen when a determined child, committed caregivers, and a supportive therapy team work together.
?Congratulations, Grayson! We are so proud of everything you’ve accomplished, and we’re celebrating your amazing parents, too. Your hard work, perseverance, and teamwork are inspiring! ?
[This story & all photos shared with parent permission ??] #occupationaltherapy #hoggtherapypediatrics #hoggtherapy #feedingtherapy](https://scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/742695277_18211398901337241_3568386461214310976_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=100&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=oR7_fz2gWMoQ7kNvwEWZN9L&_nc_oc=Adoh2AYxH9DlsikCebeIVq3gpXYqRWL-LikMAchgL7IJ8EIWd55gIqAKLoEI1gi6CBI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad6-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=m0JlOggyxEgVZOWJ2UXKyA&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQEbB4QrZluSKNZ4_UPTsn-X38ySG7r83tMiYdFGTGh2EwAJ7qaZNb8hHPohSo8l7tfCiyfoW1MQMQ&oh=00_AQAyiMiDjzVUhfvuQYOaTcry3W2JWP166bSxuQdkZEf3lg&oe=6A6DB70E)
