Each idea in plain language, with the research it rests on.
A small set of words does most of the work
The board leads with high-frequency “core” words — I, want, go, more, help, stop, like — because a few hundred words cover most of what anyone says all day. Topic words (food, school, play) are one tap away.
Evidence · Banajee, DiCarlo & Stricklin (2003), AAC 19(2):67-73; Savaldi-Harussi & Uziel (2023), AAC 39(2):123-134 — the top ~200 words accounted for 87% of what preschoolers said. Binger et al. (2024), AJSLP 33(4):1718-1747 — the richest messages mix core + topic words.
The same word always stays in the same place
Once a word has a spot on the grid, it never moves — not between sessions, not when you change the grid size. Reaching the same place every time lets selecting a word become automatic, like touch-typing.
Evidence · Thistle, Holmes, Horn & Reum (2018), AJSLP 27(3):1010-1017 — a consistent layout produced faster target-finding by session 5. Thistle & Wilkinson (2017), AAC 33(3):160-169 — grouping symbols by word class is the load-bearing cue; color is a secondary aid.
Everyone gets the full vocabulary from day one
We never hide words because someone “isn't ready.” Assuming a person has more to say than they can yet show — and keeping rich vocabulary in front of them — is how communication grows.
Evidence · Romski & Sevcik (2005), Infants & Young Children 18(3):174-185; Brady et al. (2016), AJIDD 121(2):121-138 (Communication Bill of Rights). Ganz et al. (2023), AAC 39(1):7-22 — across 117 studies, communication gains did NOT depend on a person's starting skills.
Using AAC supports speech — it doesn't hold it back
A long-standing worry is that AAC stops someone from talking. The research shows the opposite: people who use AAC are more likely to gain spoken words, not fewer.
Evidence · Millar, Light & Schlosser (2006), JSLHR 49(2):248-264 — across 27 cases, 89% showed speech gains and none declined. Romski et al. (2010), JSLHR 53(2):350-364 — a randomized trial in toddlers found augmented intervention produced more spoken words.
Word suggestions help — but never rearrange the board
Predicted next-words appear in a separate bar above the grid. They are optional and never move a single symbol, so the layout you've learned never shifts underneath you. The board stays the person's own — no AI ever speaks for them.
Evidence · Valencia et al. (2023), ACM CHI — AAC users want suggestions that reflect their own voice and control. IncluVoice keeps generative AI out of the communicator's path entirely; any AI assists adults with drafting only, never the child's live message.
The people around the communicator matter most
The single biggest difference-maker isn't the app — it's how the adults model, pause, and respond. Our Partner Coaching teaches a handful of specific, research-backed strategies you can practice.
Evidence · Kent-Walsh, Murza, Malani & Binger (2015), AAC 31(4):271-284 — teaching partners these strategies produced a very large effect (IRD = .83). O'Neill, Light & Pope (2018), JSLHR 61(7):1743-1765.
Built for every way of selecting — at no cost
Direct touch, switch scanning, and eye-gaze or head-pointing are all first-class and free. The way a person selects a word should never be a paid upgrade.
Evidence · Lesher, Moulton & Higginbotham (1998), AAC 14(2):81-101 (scanning); Borgestig et al. (2016), Assistive Technology 28(2):93-102 (gaze is learnable); Sowers & Wilkinson (2024), AJSLP 33(2):774-790 (matching access to the person).
