01/27/2026
In these videos at Be ME, this child is using his AAC device to label “star” while playing with a shape sorter—an activity he truly loves. His speech therapist follows his lead, sharing in the excitement with simple narration like “Wow!” and “Look at that star!”
There’s no quizzing (e.g., “What shape is this?”). No pressure. Just intentional pauses, space for exploration, and room for joy. By honoring his interests (in this case—shapes) and modeling language on his device—including navigating to his shapes page—we create meaningful opportunities for communication that feel natural and motivating.
In this moment, all forms of communication are honored. Whether it’s activating his device to say “star,” verbally expressing “look at that star,” or guiding the therapist’s hand to the toy to ask for help—each attempt is meaningful. When he took her hand to the shape sorter, she honored that message by opening the lid and modeling, “Let’s open it.” Every gesture, word, and button press is treated as real communication.
This is what language learning can look like: play-based, child-led, and full of shared joy.
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