Aaron AAC Documentation

Aaron AAC is an Augmentative and Alternative Communication app for people who need support with verbal communication. Tap buttons to build sentences, then speak them aloud with text-to-speech.

Getting Started

Installation

Aaron AAC is available for Android and iOS devices.

• Android — Get it on Google Play (requires Android 5.0+)
• iOS — Download on the App Store (requires iOS 15.0+)

The app comes pre-loaded with 8 communication boards, 150+ starter buttons, text-to-speech in multiple languages, and 5 quick phrases. No account creation required.

Onboarding

When you first open Aaron AAC, a short onboarding flow helps you get set up:

1. Welcome screen — a brief introduction to the app
2. Set up a PIN — create a 4-digit PIN that protects edit mode so only caregivers can modify boards
3. Text-to-speech check — verify TTS is working on your device

Your first sentence

After onboarding, you'll land on "My Board" with core vocabulary buttons.

1. Tap buttons to add words to the sentence bar at the top
2. Words appear as chips in the sentence bar
3. Tap the speak button to hear the sentence read aloud
4. Words stay after speaking so you can modify or re-speak

To remove words, tap a word chip in the sentence bar, or use the clear button to remove all words. Swipe up from the bottom to access quick phrases — pre-saved sentences for one-tap communication.

Using the App

Boards and navigation

Aaron AAC organizes communication into boards — grids of buttons that represent words, phrases, or actions. Buttons can speak a word (adding it to the sentence bar) or navigate to another board.

The default setup includes 8 boards:

Aaron AAC uses stack-based navigation. The back button returns to the previous board, and the home button jumps back to the main board. The sentence bar stays visible across all boards so you can build sentences using words from different boards.

Sentence bar

The sentence bar sits at the top of the screen and shows the words you've tapped.

• Tap a word chip to remove it from the sentence
• Tap the speak button to hear the sentence via text-to-speech
• Tap the clear button to remove all words
• Words persist after speaking so you can modify and re-speak

When enabled, a suggestion strip appears below the sentence bar with predicted next words based on your usage patterns. Suggestions can be toggled in Settings.

Fitzgerald Key colors

Buttons are color-coded using the Fitzgerald Key system, a standard in AAC:

Consistent color coding helps users learn word categories and find buttons faster.

Edit mode

Edit mode is PIN-protected to prevent accidental changes during communication. Tap the settings icon, enter your PIN, and the edit toolbar appears.

The edit toolbar provides:

• Add button — create a new communication button
• Delete button — remove a selected button (with single-level undo)
• Copy / Paste — copy buttons between boards within an edit session
• Undo — restore the last deleted button

Adding a button

1. Tap an empty cell or the add button in the toolbar
2. Fill in the details: label, color (Fitzgerald Key), image (emoji, ARASAAC pictogram, or photo), and optional board link
3. Tap Save

Moving buttons

In edit mode, long-press and drag a button to move it to a different position. The button snaps to the grid cell where you release it.

Managing boards

From the Board Manager you can create, rename, delete, and lock boards. You can also export boards as JSON files for backup or sharing, and import boards from JSON files.

Button images

ARASAAC pictograms

ARASAAC provides thousands of professional communication pictograms used worldwide in AAC. In the button editor, tap Search pictograms, type a keyword, and select a pictogram. Images are cached locally for offline use.

Emojis

Every button can display an emoji as its image. Emojis are built into every device — no download needed.

Photos

Use photos from your device's camera or gallery. Especially useful for pictures of family members, specific foods, or real-world objects.

Web Editor

The web editor lets therapists, caregivers, and teachers edit communication boards on a computer with a full-sized screen and keyboard — then send the changes back to the device.

• Larger screen — see the whole board layout at once
• Keyboard input — type button labels faster
• Mouse precision — drag and arrange buttons more easily

How it works

The web editor connects to a device through a temporary session code. No accounts, no cloud sync, no persistent storage.

1. On the device — go to Settings, tap "Edit on computer", which generates a 6-digit code
2. On the computer — open the web editor and enter the code
3. On the device — approve the connection
4. On the computer — edit boards using the visual editor
5. On the computer — send changes back to the device
6. On the device — review and accept the changes

The device is always in control. Nothing is imported without explicit approval.

Security

• No accounts needed — the session code is all you need
• Device approves everything — the editor can't access boards without device approval
• Temporary sessions — data exists only while active, then it's deleted
• Short code window — the 6-digit code expires after 5 minutes if not claimed
• No persistent storage — nothing is stored on any server after the session ends

Connecting step by step

1. On the device: open Settings → "Edit on computer" → a 6-digit code appears
2. On the computer: go to aaronaac.ellemsoft.com and enter the code
3. On the device: tap Allow when prompted
4. Edit boards, then click "Send to device"
5. On the device: review the change summary and tap Import

What you can edit

With the web editor you can add, edit, and remove buttons; rearrange buttons on the grid; create and manage boards; search ARASAAC pictograms; set Fitzgerald Key colors; and view usage statistics.

Settings

Access settings by tapping the settings icon in the board header and entering your PIN.

Text-to-speech

Aaron AAC uses your device's built-in TTS engine.

• Language — select the voice language. The app supports multilingual sentences with smart language grouping, automatically switching voices for words in different languages.
• Speed — adjust how fast speech is spoken
• Pitch — adjust the voice pitch

Modeling mode

Modeling mode mutes text-to-speech so caregivers can demonstrate board use silently. This is useful when modeling communication strategies — tap buttons to show the user how to build sentences without speech output interrupting. Toggle from the board header.

Haptic feedback

When enabled, the device gives a light vibration each time you tap a button, providing tactile confirmation that a press was registered.

Suggestion strip

The suggestion strip shows predicted next words below the sentence bar, based on usage patterns. Predictions use bigram-based analysis and improve over time as the app learns common word combinations.

Switch scanning

For users who cannot directly tap the screen, Aaron AAC supports switch scanning — a row-column scanning method that works with external switches.

1. Enable switch scanning in settings
2. A highlight scans across rows automatically
3. Press the switch to select a row
4. The highlight then scans across columns in that row
5. Press the switch again to select the button

Adjust scan speed (slow, medium, or fast) to match the user's needs.

Immersive mode

Hides the system status bar and navigation bar, giving the communication board the full screen. Reduces distractions and prevents accidental taps on system controls. Automatically re-applied when the app resumes.

Usage statistics

Aaron AAC tracks button press counts and sentence history locally on your device. This data helps caregivers understand word usage, therapists track progress, and the suggestion strip learn patterns. All data stays on your device — nothing is sent to any server.

Quick phrases

Pre-saved sentences for one-tap communication. Manage them from settings — add, edit, delete, or reorder phrases by priority.

For Therapists

Practical tips for therapists using Aaron AAC with clients.

Planning vocabulary

Core vocabulary first

Core vocabulary — high-frequency words used across all contexts — should be the foundation. Aaron AAC's default "My Board" includes:

• Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
• Verbs: want, like, go, help, see, eat, drink, play
• Adjectives: more, big, little, good, bad
• Social words: hello, bye, please, thank you, sorry, yes, no

These words account for the majority of everyday communication, regardless of the topic.

Fringe vocabulary second

Add topic-specific vocabulary on linked boards — specific foods the person encounters daily, emotions relevant to them, names and photos of actual family members.

Start small, grow over time

• Begin with 8-15 buttons on the main board
• Add vocabulary as the user becomes comfortable
• Track which buttons are used (and which aren't) via usage statistics

Using the Fitzgerald Key colors

Consistent color coding helps users locate words faster, understand word types intuitively, and generalize to other AAC systems using the same colors. When adding new buttons, always assign the appropriate Fitzgerald Key color.

Modeling

Modeling is one of the most effective strategies for teaching AAC use:

1. Enable modeling mode from the board header (mutes TTS)
2. Demonstrate sentence building by tapping buttons while the user watches
3. Narrate what you're doing: "I'm going to say 'I want juice' — watch, I tap 'I', then 'want', then 'juice'"
4. Disable modeling mode when the user wants to communicate

Model frequently and across different activities. Research shows users need to see AAC modeled hundreds of times before they begin using it independently.

Tracking progress

Use the usage statistics to:

• Identify high-use buttons — these are working well, keep them accessible
• Find unused buttons — consider replacing with more relevant vocabulary
• Track sentence complexity — are sentences getting longer over time?
• Spot patterns — certain topics or times of day more active?

Board sharing workflow

1. During a session: connect the device to the web editor to review and update boards together
2. Between sessions: ask the family to start a session so you can update boards remotely
3. Offline: export boards as JSON and share via email

The device user always approves changes before they're applied.

Practical tips

• Place high-frequency buttons in easy-to-reach positions — center and edges of the grid
• Keep board navigation shallow — no more than one or two taps to reach any vocabulary
• Test with the user — watch how they interact and adjust accordingly
• Enable haptic feedback for tactile confirmation
• Use quick phrases for sentences needed frequently — "I need help", "I need a break", "Can I have more?"