How to add words and symbols to an AAC board without moving familiar buttons.

Why stable AAC button locations matter as vocabulary grows

A progressive board uses one complete board with several visibility levels. An earlier Vocabulary Level can reduce visual complexity by showing fewer speech buttons, while later levels reveal additional vocabulary in the cells already reserved for it. The AAC grid size stays the same, and a familiar word does not jump to a new cell just because more words become visible.

This differs from making a sequence of separate simplified boards. Separate copies can drift as adults edit them, and familiar vocabulary may move whenever a new layout is created. Vocabulary Levels preserve one stable AAC layout so the child, family, and communication partners can learn consistent button locations.

Another Voice note: “Progressive Boards” describes the approach; Another Voice names its controls Vocabulary Levels and does not choose a universal word order for the child.

Choose core, personal, and routine vocabulary for the first view

Choose an initial set that supports several communication purposes: getting attention, asking, refusing, stopping, commenting, requesting help, reporting pain or discomfort, talking about people, and using personally important words. A useful set can combine high-frequency core vocabulary with topic-specific or fringe words and personal vocabulary; a smaller visible set should not be limited to adult-predicted requests or rewards.

The first level is not a statement about age, intelligence, language potential, or what the child has “earned.” It is a board-support decision that should reflect access, visual load, available modeling, real routines, and the child’s own communication. When professional guidance is available, include the speech-language therapist or AAC team in that discussion.

Example: an early level might include yes, no, stop, help, more, different, finished, people, feelings, and high-use routine words while later vocabulary already has a stable reserved location.

Add more AAC words and symbols through a reviewed update

Adding Vocabulary Levels creates a draft. Level 1 is prepared as the earlier visible set, and the current complete board remains available as the later full level. Adults can assign when speech buttons first appear, preview each level, and compare exactly what becomes available or unavailable on each board page.

Review navigation buttons, linked pages, press-and-hold choices, and every board language—not only the first screen. Hiding a page button can also affect the route to vocabulary behind it. Another Voice shows these related changes in the review so adults can correct an incomplete path before it reaches the child.

• Preview the level in the board layout the child will actually use.
• Confirm essential words and a reliable way back to the main board remain available.
• Review added and removed speech buttons, page links, and press-and-hold options.
• Check every active language before applying the draft.

The adult chooses when a level changes

Vocabulary Levels do not advance because a timer expires, a button reaches a target count, or the child passes a test. Another Voice does not automatically unlock vocabulary. A parent or trusted adult chooses a level, reviews the complete draft, and applies it. Until that happens, the child’s board does not change.

A move to a later or earlier level should be based on the child’s access and communication context, observations across routines, partner input, and any individualized professional guidance. Insights may suggest a useful question, but usage counts cannot make this decision by themselves.

Another Voice note: Applying a Vocabulary Level changes which buttons are available; it does not move their grid positions.

Check the updated AAC board in everyday routines

After applying a draft, allow the child device to connect and receive the updated board. Check the active level on every child device that matters, then open the board and confirm that images, speech, navigation, and essential vocabulary work as intended. An update that is still pending on a device should not be treated as complete.

Observe the board in ordinary routines and model the newly available vocabulary without requiring imitation. Do not remove or delay a word solely because it has a low usage count; a rarely needed word such as pain, scared, or stop may still be essential. If the level is not working as intended, prepare another reviewed draft rather than rearranging familiar locations impulsively.