Category: Education

Students who communicate without speech have plenty to share with the world around them. They express needs, make choices and build connections through movements, images, symbols and tools. The best assistive technology for nonverbal students meets them where they are and grows alongside their developing skills.

Access to appropriate communication supports can transform a student’s ability to participate in lessons and to advocate for themselves.

Understanding How Nonverbal Students Communicate

Speech is just one way to communicate. Students who don’t use spoken words can still convey their ideas, preferences and boundaries through gestures, devices and visual supports. In fact, communication differences are more common than many realize. According to the National Survey of Children’s Health, 6.3% of U.S. children ages 3 to 17 currently have a speech or other language disorder.

Understanding how to teach communication to a nonverbal child starts with using tools and methods that match each student’s unique style.

AAC Communicators That Grow With Students

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices range from simple, low-tech options to sophisticated electronic systems. They can be single-message communicators to progressive systems that scale according to individual needs.

A simple press or light touch activates the message, making AAC devices an accessible entry point among communication modalities, depending on the student’s motor skills and the specific device type. They fit best in structured one-on-one or small-group settings where you can model the device consistently and reinforce its use. Decision factors like cost, durability, customization and curriculum integration matter when choosing the right option.

Enabling Devices offers tools for teaching nonverbal students’ communication skills. For example, its progressive communicators record and retain messages with interchangeable icons, allowing users to refine their communication choices as their skills develop.

These devices start with a single message and expand to up to 32 messages as a student’s abilities grow. Students can start using these adaptive devices without meeting specific skills thresholds, test scores or developmental milestones.

Gestures and Sign Language for Physical Expression

Gestures and sign language both use the hands, face and body to convey meaning without spoken words, but they serve distinct purposes.

Natural gestures like pointing or pushing away often emerge first and communicate immediate needs. You can build on these by introducing functional signs for recurring needs, such as “more,” “help,” “stop,” or “all done.”

On the other hand, formal sign languages like American Sign Language are complete linguistic systems that use handshape, movement, location and palm orientation. Non-manual signals, including eyebrow position and head tilt, simultaneously convey grammatical structure, spatial relationships and meaning.

Students with strong motor skills can use gestures and signs in any setting since these methods require no equipment, charging or setup.

New technology can make sign language more accessible. A sign language translation glove, such as BrightSign, translates gestures into spoken language in real time. You can train it to recognize any sign language system, from ASL to custom personal signs.

The glove converts gestures into spoken output across more than 40 languages. Voice recognition technology also lets students read or see spoken responses in their chosen format, creating genuine two-way exchanges.

Picture-Based Communication for Visual Learners

Students who process information visually benefit from picture-based communication systems such as visual schedules, choice boards and core vocabulary boards. These tools support varying cognitive levels and can be carried easily between settings.

Beyond these foundational supports, structured methodologies like the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) teach functional communication skills. Students learn through six progressive phases, from simple picture exchanges to complex sentence building. They exchange picture cards for desired items, then build sentences and respond to questions using a communication book. This approach works well for whole-classroom visual routines.

PECS traditionally uses physical materials like picture cards and communication books. The system now also includes PECSTalk, a picture-based communication app that supports 15 languages and an expanded vocabulary. The digital display mirrors the traditional PECS book layout, creating a natural progression for students and teachers already familiar with physical materials.

Setting Every Communication Tool Up for Success

Whether using communication aids for special education classrooms or other settings, nonverbal communication approaches work best when educators and families practice them consistently.

Consider these best practices for implementation:

• Model the tool during everyday routines: Use the student’s communication system yourself throughout the day. For example, point to a symbol while speaking or demonstrate a sign.

• Allow ample response time: Pause after a question or prompt and give the student extra time to process and respond. Avoid filling the silence or answering for them.

• Collaborate with students, families and educators: Listen to input from educators, families, and therapists to tailor the approach. Don’t assume one communication system or method fits every student the same way.

Small Signals, Big Breakthroughs

Every communication attempt matters. A single button press, a pointed finger or a hand-held picture card represents real progress and deserves recognition. Starting from each student’s current abilities and building from there creates pathways to meaningful connection. The tools and strategies you choose today can open doors to deeper learning and a stronger sense of agency for the students you support.

Tessa Dodson is the Senior Writer at Classrooms.com and a former career coach dedicated to supporting teachers and students with practical and accessible educational resources.

When she’s not writing, you can find her diving into research or catching up with her latest read.

There’s a folder somewhere in every school district with a kid’s entire academic life stuffed into it. Grades from three years back. Attendance records. Important notes and documents. Nobody wants to be the one who misplaces that folder.

Roughly 49.5 million students were enrolled in U.S. public schools as of fall 2023, according to NCES. That’s not a number worth dwelling on for long, but it puts the scale of the problem in perspective. Every one of those students has a file that grows every single year, and someone, somewhere, has to keep it straight.

The best way to handle this is to implement an online student information system. Wondering how it helps schools? Read on to get complete clarity.

Records Don’t Fall Apart When a Student Moves

Families relocate for many reasons. A kid transfers mid-October, and the new school needs access to their academic records and important documents quickly, not three weeks from now when the paperwork finally catches up.

An online student information system gives authorized staff centralized access to student records and related documents, making it easier to find the information needed when students change schools or their circumstances change. This can help staff avoid searching through separate paper files or spreadsheets when they need important student information quickly.

Reporting Doesn’t Eat Your Best People’s Time

Ask any school what drains their week, and state reporting comes up fast. Schools often need to prepare enrollment, attendance, and other information for required reporting. Rediker’s AdminPlus can generate state-specific reports, reducing the need for staff to compile the same information manually.

Preparing reports manually can take time and create additional administrative work. With state-specific reporting tools in place, staff can access and organize the information they need more efficiently.

Keeping Student Information Organized

Schools manage more than grades and attendance. Student information systems can bring academic records, attendance, behavior information, health details, contacts, and related documents into one centralized system. This gives authorized staff a clearer view of student information without having to search through separate files or spreadsheets.

For school administrators, having these records organized in one place can make routine information management easier and reduce the need to maintain the same information across multiple systems.

Having student information in one place can also make it easier to retrieve records when staff need them for everyday administrative work. Instead of relying on separate files for different types of information, schools can keep relevant records connected to the student’s profile. This gives authorized staff a more consistent source of information and can help reduce the duplication that comes with maintaining records across multiple systems. This can give school staff a more complete picture of each student’s information without switching between different systems.

Preventing Schedule-Related Stress

Creating a master schedule involves balancing course requests, teacher availability, rooms, time constraints, and section sizes. Rediker’s Master Schedule Builder helps schools manage these factors while identifying scheduling conflicts, giving administrators a more organized way to build and adjust schedules.

Tracking the Money Movements

Tuition, fees, balances, and payments can create another layer of administrative work for schools. Rediker’s AdminPlus includes student billing and payment tools that help schools manage financial information in one system. This can reduce the need to reconcile billing details across separate spreadsheets and records.

Keeping Staff Information Accessible

Student information systems aren’t only about student records. Rediker’s AdminPlus also includes staff information within its database, giving schools a central place to maintain important staff records alongside other administrative data.

Keeping staff information organized in one system can make it easier for administrators to access the details they need without maintaining separate records across multiple spreadsheets or files.

Conclusion

None of this is about chasing efficiency for its own sake. It’s about reducing the number of administrative tasks that can slow a school down. Student records stay organized, reporting takes less manual work, schedules are easier to manage, financial information is easier to track, and staff have access to the information they need. Taken together, these capabilities are less about technology for its own sake and more about giving school staff more time to focus on the work that requires their attention.

Learning new words does not always have to involve worksheets, spelling tests, or memorizing long lists of vocabulary. For children, turning language practice into a game can make learning feel more enjoyable while encouraging them to participate and explore new words.

Word games can help children practice spelling, expand their vocabulary, improve concentration, and develop problem-solving skills. They can also be played at home, in the classroom, or during a family game night.

Here are five fun word games that can make learning more engaging for kids.

1. Word Search Puzzles

Word searches are a simple way to encourage children to recognize words while developing their visual attention. Players are given a grid of letters containing hidden words that can appear horizontally, vertically, diagonally, or sometimes backward.

Parents and teachers can choose puzzles based on a child’s age or interests. For younger children, a puzzle might include animals, colors, or familiar objects. Older children can try puzzles with more challenging vocabulary related to science, geography, history, or other subjects.

Playing a word search regularly can also encourage children to become more familiar with the spelling and appearance of new words. Instead of simply reading a vocabulary list, they actively look for each word and pay attention to its individual letters.

2. Mini Crosswords

Crossword puzzles combine vocabulary with clues and problem-solving. Instead of simply identifying a word, children have to think about what a clue means and determine which answer fits into the available spaces.

Mini crosswords can be particularly useful for children because shorter puzzles may feel less overwhelming than a large crossword. A child might encounter a clue about an animal, an object, a place, or a familiar activity and use their existing knowledge to find the answer.

A mini crossword can also encourage children to think about words in different ways. They may need to remember a word they have learned previously, consider synonyms, or use letters from intersecting answers to work out a difficult clue.

3. Word Scrambles

Word scrambles are another easy game that can be adapted to almost any age group. In this activity, the letters of a word are mixed up, and the player has to rearrange them to discover the correct answer.

For example, the letters in “TCA” can be rearranged to make “CAT.” As children become more comfortable, parents can introduce longer words or words from a particular lesson.

Word scrambles can help children pay attention to spelling while encouraging them to recognize familiar letter patterns. They can also be turned into a quick classroom activity by dividing students into teams and seeing who can solve a set of scrambled words first.

4. Word Association Games

Word association requires little preparation, which makes it a convenient game for almost anywhere. One person says a word, and the next player responds with another word connected to it.

For example, someone might say “ocean,” followed by “fish,” “water,” “boat,” or “beach.” There is no single correct answer, which gives children an opportunity to think creatively and explain the connections between words.

Parents can make the game more educational by choosing a specific theme. A science-themed round could use words related to animals or space, while a history-themed game could focus on important people, places, or events.

This type of activity can help children practice vocabulary while also encouraging them to make connections between different ideas.

5. Guess the Word

Guess-the-word games challenge children to figure out a mystery word using clues. The clues can be simple descriptions, synonyms, examples, or questions.

For instance, a parent might say, “I am thinking of an animal. I have four legs, I bark, and many people keep me as a pet.” The child then tries to identify the word “dog.”

As children improve, the clues can become more challenging. Parents can introduce less obvious descriptions or ask children to create their own clues for someone else to solve.

This game is useful because children are not only recalling words but also thinking about their meanings and characteristics. Creating clues can be particularly valuable because it encourages children to organize their thoughts and communicate an idea clearly.

The Reading Rockets guide to vocabulary development also provides information for parents and educators on ways to help children build vocabulary and understand new words.

Making Word Games Part of Everyday Learning

The best part about word games is that they do not have to feel like traditional studying. A few minutes of playing can give children an opportunity to practice language skills without creating the pressure that sometimes comes with formal schoolwork.

Parents can also connect games to what children are currently learning. If a child is studying the solar system, for example, word searches, scrambles, or guessing games can use vocabulary such as “planet,” “orbit,” “asteroid,” and “gravity.”

It can also be helpful to let children choose the games they enjoy most. Some may prefer searching for hidden words, while others may enjoy solving clues or creating their own challenges.

For more ideas about supporting children’s learning through play, parents can explore UNICEF’s guidance on play and learning.

Whether played independently, with classmates, or with family members, word games can turn vocabulary practice into an enjoyable activity. With the right combination of challenge and fun, children can strengthen their language skills while discovering that learning can be something they genuinely look forward to.

A few accessibility settings can make everyday digital tasks easier to hear, read, watch and follow. You can switch on many of them in minutes across a phone, tablet, computer or favorite app. They give your child useful support without changing how they use their device at home or for schoolwork every day.

These settings work across different types of digital content, from school assignments to online lessons and videos. Small adjustments to text, audio, movement and visual display settings can help your child use their devices with greater ease and independence.

Text-to-Speech

Research on text-to-speech for students with learning disabilities found benefits including improved reading speed, fluency, content retention, self-efficacy and independent learning. For your child, text-to-speech provides another way to access written information when a long passage feels difficult or unfamiliar words slow them down.

iPhone and iPad users can open Settings, select Accessibility and choose Spoken Content to turn on Speak Selection or Speak Screen. On Android devices, open Settings, select Accessibility and look for “Select to Speak” or an equivalent option. Adjust the speaking rate and language settings to fit your needs.

Computers also include spoken-content options. On Windows, open Settings, select Accessibility and choose Narrator. Mac users can find the relevant controls by opening System Settings, selecting Accessibility and choosing Read and Speak. Show your child how to activate the feature when they want to use it.

Closed Captioning

Captions give your child a written version of spoken dialogue, making videos, lessons and other audio-based content easier to follow. They become particularly useful when audio is unclear, background noise interferes or speakers talk quickly.

You can manage captions through both device settings and individual apps. On Android, open Settings, select Accessibility and look for Caption preferences. iPhone and iPad users can check their accessibility and caption settings. Video and streaming apps may also provide separate caption controls.

In YouTube, select Subtitles/CC in the video player and choose the available language. Other streaming services usually place captions under Accessibility, Subtitles or Captions.

Reduced Motion

Studies show that about 1 in 31 children has autism spectrum disorder, making digital accessibility especially important. For autistic kids, certain visual effects, such as animated transitions and moving backgrounds, may make screens harder for them to process. Reduced motion limits unnecessary animation, giving your child a calmer visual experience.

On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, select Accessibility and choose Motion. From there, turn on Reduce Motion and check the options for limiting automatically playing animated content. Android devices may offer Remove animations or a similar setting under Settings and Accessibility.

Windows users can open Settings, select Accessibility and choose Visual effects to turn off animation effects. On Mac, open System Settings, select Accessibility, choose Display and enable Reduce motion.

Color Contrast

Stronger contrast between text, backgrounds, icons and controls makes important information easier to distinguish. It matters when your child needs to navigate menus or work with small text on a bright or visually busy screen.

Start with the device’s Accessibility settings. iPhone and iPad users can open Settings, select Accessibility, choose Display and Text Size and turn on Increase Contrast. Android menus vary, but sections with Display Size and Text, or with Color and Motion, may include high-contrast text or similar controls.

On Windows, open Settings, select Accessibility and choose Contrast themes. Mac users can open System Settings, choose Accessibility, select Display and turn on Increase contrast. Some apps provide their own display controls, giving your child additional flexibility when device-level settings do not provide enough contrast. Look under Accessibility, Display, Appearance or Settings for options that change text, backgrounds or interface elements.

Beyond visual readability, screen comfort also matters, especially when your child uses a device in the evening. Blue light can reduce melatonin production, which helps induce sleep. Limiting blue-light exposure may support a more comfortable transition toward bedtime.

Most phones, tablets and computers include a Night Light, Night Shift, Eye Comfort or similar feature. Open Settings and search for it, then set an evening schedule and adjust the screen’s warmth.

Screen Magnification

A study on accessibility tool usage found that students activated Magnifier, Highlighter and Line Guide more frequently than other tools. Students with visual impairments also used Magnifier more often, highlighting its relevance as an essential visual accessibility feature.

Screen magnification enlarges text, images, buttons and other interface elements when they appear too small to see comfortably. It provides a quick way to enlarge specific content, which can help with small text, detailed diagrams, maps or interface controls.

Your child’s phone or tablet can provide quick access to enlarged content. On iPhone and iPad, open Settings, select Accessibility, then choose Zoom and adjust the zoom level and region. Android users can find the feature by opening Settings, selecting Accessibility, choosing Magnification and selecting the available shortcut.

Windows includes a built-in Magnifier under Settings and Accessibility. Adjust the zoom level and teach your child to use the keyboard shortcut for quick access. Just press the Windows key and the plus sign key together to activate it.

Keep Accessibility Settings Within Reach

Accessibility tools work best when your child knows they are available and feels comfortable using them. Check the settings together, test them with everyday schoolwork and entertainment and adjust individual controls to make reading, listening and following digital tasks easier.

Tessa Dodson is the Senior Writer at Classrooms.com and a former career coach dedicated to supporting teachers and students with practical and accessible educational resources.

When she’s not writing, you can find her diving into research or catching up with her latest read.