Communication
AAC for Autistic Children: Where to Begin
Augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC, includes gestures, picture boards, writing, and speech-generating devices.
Read the guideLearn · Support · A brighter tomorrow
A LITTLE CLARITY. MORE ROOM TO GROW.Support that fits
Support that fits
your child.
And your real life.
Thoughtful autism and ABA resources for the moments that matter: finding a voice, making routines easier, and enjoying time together.
Communication · Choice · Comfort · Connection
START WITH WHAT MATTERS TO YOUYou don’t have to figure
You don’t have to figure
everything out at once.
Choose one everyday question. Find a clear explanation, a practical example, and a next step you can discuss with your child’s team.
01
Communication
Make space for words, gestures, pictures, and AAC.
↗02Everyday routines
Explore small steps for dressing, mornings, and bedtime.
↗03Learning & play
Build useful skills while protecting enjoyment and choice.
↗04Comfort & wellbeing
Understand environments, stress signals, and individual needs.
↗
THE CHILD COMES FIRSTProgress should make
Progress should make
life feel more possible.
Useful support helps a child communicate, participate, and make choices. It also notices when something is uncomfortable and needs to change.
- Goals that matter in ordinary life
- Accessible communication, throughout the day
- Respect for preferences and different ways of learning
GUIDES FOR REAL FAMILY LIFEA little understanding
A little understanding
can change the next step.
Browse the resource library by topic, or search for the routine on your mind.
50 guides
Behaviour Support
ABC Notes: Describe What Happened Without Guessing Motives
ABC notes record an antecedent, a behaviour, and a consequence: what happened before, what the person did, and what followed.
Read the guideBehaviour Support
Aggression: Start with Safety, Health, and Understanding
Hitting or biting can create immediate risk, but the action alone does not explain why it happened.
Read the guideDaily Routines
Bedtime Routines: Start with Predictability and Comfort
A bedtime routine creates familiar cues around settling for sleep.
Read the guideBehaviour Support
Behaviour Support Plans: What a Useful Plan Should Explain
A useful behaviour support plan tells adults what to do before difficulties arise, how to support communication, and how to respond safely.
Read the guideCommunication
Build a One-Page Communication Profile
A communication profile tells new adults how to understand and support a child.
Read the guide
School & Community
Choosing an Autism Support Provider: Questions That Matter
A provider should explain their role, qualifications, methods, and limits in language the family can understand.
Read the guide
ABA & Learning
Choosing Meaningful ABA Goals for Your Child
A meaningful learning goal solves a real problem or expands an opportunity.
Read the guideCommunication
Communication Boards: Useful Words for Real Life
A communication board puts words or symbols within reach when spoken language is difficult.
Read the guide
Sensory & Wellbeing
Create a Calm Space Your Child Can Choose
A calm space offers a predictable place to pause, rest, or reduce sensory demands.
Read the guideCommunication
Create a Communication-Rich Play Space
A communication-rich space gives children reasons and opportunities to interact without making access depend on perfect speech.
Read the guideCommunication
Echolalia: Listen for Meaning Before Correcting
Echolalia is the repetition of words or phrases heard previously.
Read the guideVisual Supports
First–Then Boards: A Small Tool for Clear Routines
A first–then board shows two parts of a routine.
Read the guidePlay & Connection
Follow Your Child’s Lead in Play
Child-led play begins with noticing what captures the child’s interest.
Read the guideBehaviour Support
Functional Behaviour Assessment: Questions Parents Can Ask
A functional behaviour assessment examines the context and possible purposes of a behaviour to guide support.
Read the guideABA & Learning
Generalisation: Helping Skills Travel Beyond Sessions
Generalisation means using a learned skill with different people, materials, or settings.
Read the guideDaily Routines
Getting Dressed: Independence Starts with Comfortable Clothing
Dressing combines choices, balance, body awareness, and fine motor movement.
Read the guideDaily Routines
Handwashing: Teach the Routine and Fix Access Barriers
Handwashing is easier to learn when the environment is accessible and the steps are clear.
Read the guideSchool & Community
Home–School Communication That Leads to Useful Action
Home–school communication works best when messages explain context and next steps rather than rating a child’s day as good or bad.
Read the guideDaily Routines
Make a Morning Routine That Leaves Room for Real Life
Mornings combine many small demands with a fixed departure time.
Read the guideSensory & Wellbeing
Meltdowns: Reduce Demands and Support Safety
A meltdown is a period of intense overwhelm, and a child may have little access to their usual coping or communication skills.
Read the guideCommunication
Model AAC Without Making It a Test
AAC modelling means using a child’s communication system while you talk and interact.
Read the guideSensory & Wellbeing
Movement Breaks: Plan for Access, Not Earned Escape
Movement breaks can support comfort and participation when activities require prolonged sitting or focused work.
Read the guideABA & Learning
Natural Environment Teaching Through Everyday Play
Natural environment teaching builds learning opportunities into activities that already matter to a child.
Read the guideCommunication
Offer Choices Without Overwhelming Your Child
Choice-making gives children influence over their day.
Read the guidePlay & Connection
Parallel Play: A Valid Way to Spend Time Together
Parallel play means playing near someone without necessarily sharing the same game.
Read the guideVisual Supports
Picture or Symbol? Choose a Visual Your Child Understands
Adults often assume a neat symbol is easier than a photograph, but visual understanding varies.
Read the guideABA & Learning
Positive Reinforcement: Everyday Examples for Families
Positive reinforcement describes a consequence that makes a behaviour more likely in the future.
Read the guideSchool & Community
Prepare for a School Meeting with Clear Priorities
A school meeting is easier to use when the family arrives with a few clear priorities and concrete examples.
Read the guideSchool & Community
Prepare for Community Outings with Flexible Plans
A successful outing does not need to last as long as an adult originally planned.
Read the guideVisual Supports
Prepare for Transitions Without Constant Countdown Pressure
A transition involves ending one activity and starting another.
Read the guideCommunication
Processing Time: When Fewer Words Help
Some children need extra time to understand language, organise a response, or move towards an action.
Read the guideABA & Learning
Prompting and Fading: Help That Builds Independence
A prompt is extra help that makes a task understandable or achievable.
Read the guideSensory & Wellbeing
Recognise Early Stress Signals Before Demands Build
Stress signals may be subtle: reduced communication, faster movement, withdrawal, changes in voice, or repeated attempts to leave.
Read the guideCommunication
Respecting Non-Speaking Children as Communicators
A child who does not use speech still communicates through movement, expression, gestures, sounds, and other systems.
Read the guideSensory & Wellbeing
Sensory Differences: Notice the Environment Before the Behaviour
Sensory experiences can make familiar places comfortable, distracting, or overwhelming.
Read the guidePlay & Connection
Shared Attention Without Requiring Eye Contact
Shared attention involves people attending to something together.
Read the guidePlay & Connection
Support Siblings Without Making Them Junior Therapists
Siblings need their own attention, choices, and emotional support.
Read the guideABA & Learning
Task Analysis: Break Everyday Skills into Manageable Steps
Task analysis means separating a larger activity into smaller actions.
Read the guideBehaviour Support
Teach a Break Request That Adults Will Honour
A break request gives a child a clear way to pause or leave an activity.
Read the guideCommunication
Teaching a Help Request in Everyday Routines
An accessible help request can reduce the need to guess what a child wants.
Read the guideDaily Routines
Toilet Learning: Readiness, Comfort, and Small Steps
Toilet learning involves body awareness, communication, movement, and comfort with the bathroom.
Read the guideABA & Learning
Token Boards: Build Motivation Without Pressure
A token board makes progress towards an agreed activity visible.
Read the guideABA & Learning
Tracking Progress Without Turning Home into a Clinic
Useful progress notes answer a small question: is this support helping in everyday life? Families do not need to record every movement or interaction.
Read the guidePlay & Connection
Turn-Taking Games That Keep Play Enjoyable
Turn-taking gives people a way to share an activity, but waiting can be difficult when the pattern is unclear or the game is not interesting.
Read the guideVisual Supports
Visual Schedules: Make the Day Easier to Understand
A visual schedule shows what is happening and what comes next.
Read the guideVisual Supports
Visual Timers: Useful Information, Not a Threat
A visual timer makes the passage of time visible.
Read the guideABA & Learning
What Is ABA Therapy? A Practical Guide for Parents
ABA stands for applied behaviour analysis.
Read the guideABA & Learning
Why Child Assent Matters in Learning
Assent is a child’s ongoing indication that they are willing to participate.
Read the guideSchool & Community
Write a One-Page School Support Profile
A school support profile introduces the student’s strengths, interests, communication, and helpful accommodations.
Read the guideNo guides match your search. Try another word or topic.
Useful. Respectful. Grounded in everyday life.
Explain clearly
Plain language and concrete examples, with space for individual differences.
Respect the child
Communication, consent, comfort, and meaningful participation belong together.
Stay thoughtful
General guidance is a starting point for discussion with qualified professionals.
ONE QUESTION IS A GOOD STARTStart small.
Explore the library Start small.
Build from there.
Find a guide that speaks to your family’s day.