10/09/2026
Bentley’s AAC Story, as told by his mom, Kelli ❤️
"Benny’s Voice Was Always There
Four years ago, our family gave Benny an AAC device.
We hoped it would help him communicate.
We had no idea it would change our entire understanding of him.
Benny is non-speaking & has high support needs. Before AAC, there were so many things he wanted to tell us that he simply had no reliable way to say.
When he was overwhelmed, frustrated, sick, uncomfortable, needed help, or didn’t like something, we often had to guess. Sometimes his only way to communicate was through extremely intense self-injurious behavior.
Then Benny learned that his AAC could give him words.
He learned to tell us:
“I’m mad.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I need a break.”
“I need help.”
He learned to ask for the sensory tools that help him regulate.
And slowly, something incredible happened.
His self-injurious behaviors became a tiny fraction of what they once were.
Benny didn’t suddenly become less frustrated.
He finally had a way to tell us he was frustrated.
AAC gave him another option besides using his body to communicate what his words couldn’t.
But the most beautiful part of Benny’s AAC journey isn’t just watching him learn to communicate when something is wrong.
It’s getting to hear what is RIGHT.
Benny can finally tell us “I like it” when he’s happy & having the absolute best time.
Think about that.
For so long, we had to look at Benny & wonder what he was thinking, feeling, wanting, or enjoying.
Now he can tell us.
Every morning, Benny looks forward to telling us “good morning.”
At bedtime, when we model “goodnight,” he has learned that he can respond with his own opinion:
“Go away.” 😂
He can tell me “I love you, Mommy.”
He can tell people “My name is Bentley.”
He can communicate when he is sick.
He can tell us “It’s my birthday.”
And then there was Halloween.
Benny successfully went trick-or-treating, using his AAC to politely ask for candy & say “thank you.”
A child who once struggled to communicate his most basic needs was now standing at a stranger’s door, using his own voice to participate in a childhood tradition.
I will never forget that.
Because that is what AAC has given Benny.
Not just requests.
A childhood.
A way to participate.
A way to advocate for himself.
A way to tell us when something hurts.
A way to tell us when he needs help.
A way to tell us what he loves.
A way to tell us when he’s having fun.
A way to say “I love you.”
A way to say “My name is Bentley.”
A way to say “Go away.” 😂
And most importantly, a way to be heard.
I wish more people understood that AAC does not mean a person has nothing to say.
It means they have something to say & need a different way to say it.
Benny always had a voice.
We just needed to give him a way for the rest of us to hear it.
Our biggest advice to families beginning their AAC journey is to give your child access to their voice without waiting for them to prove they’re “ready.” Model it. Use it throughout the day. Let them communicate more than requests. Let them say no. Let them protest. Let them joke. Let them tell you they’re happy. Let them tell you they love you.
Let them have a voice that belongs to them.
Because the most life-changing thing AAC has taught our family is that when a child cannot speak with their mouth, that does not mean they have nothing to say.
Benny has so much to say.
And after four years of watching him find his words, I can say something I once wasn’t sure we’d ever be able to say:
We don’t have to guess anymore.
Benny can tell us.
Benny CAN & WILL be heard."
