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Getting AAC in Texas

AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) means tools that help a person communicate when speech is hard: picture boards, apps and devices that speak. It is for children and for adults. This guide shows you who to ask, what is free, what gets paid for, and what you can start doing today.

Last updated September 20, 2026

What to do, in order

  1. Ask for an evaluation

    A speech-language pathologist does the evaluation, and there are two ways in. For a student, write to the school’s ARD committee (the Texas name for the IEP team) and ask them to consider assistive technology for communication. For anyone, child or adult, ask a doctor for a referral to a speech-language pathologist for an AAC evaluation.

  2. Borrow a device before you choose

    The Texas Technology Access Program runs demonstration centers and lends devices for short trials, so you can see what works at home before anything is ordered. The program serves people of every age.

  3. Get it paid for

    If the ARD committee decides a student needs a device to learn, the school must provide it at no cost to the family. For a device the person owns, Texas Medicaid, Medicare and many private plans cover speech-generating devices when the evaluation shows medical need. Texas also has a state voucher that many people miss: the STAP program helps residents aged five and older, adults included, buy a speech-generating device. A speech-language pathologist certifies the application and it can take up to six months, so apply early.

  4. Start modeling today

    You do not have to wait for any of this. Modeling means pointing to words on a board or app while you talk, so the person learning sees how it works. You can begin with a free app now and carry on with whatever device comes later.

    Open MoCo and try it now

If you are an adult, or supporting one

Ask a doctor for a referral to a speech-language pathologist for an AAC evaluation. Hospital outpatient rehabilitation departments are a common place to find one. The device loan program on this page serves adults too, and Medicare covers speech-generating devices. If you need a device for work, ask your state vocational rehabilitation agency.

Find your vocational rehabilitation agency

If your child is under 3

Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) serves Texas babies and toddlers with developmental delays. You can refer your own child, and you do not need a diagnosis.

Texas Early Childhood Intervention

Find a speech-language pathologist

Search for a licensed speech-language pathologist near you, and filter for AAC experience.

ASHA ProFind

Loans and funding at a glance

  • STAP voucher

    State voucher toward a speech-generating device for Texas residents aged five and older. A speech-language pathologist certifies the need. Allow up to six months.

    STAP at Texas Health and Human Services

  • Borrow a device first

    The Texas Technology Access Program runs demonstration centers and lends devices for short trials.

    Texas Technology Access Program

  • Through your school

    Ask the ARD committee to consider assistive technology. Your regional Education Service Center can support the district with evaluation and training.

    Texas Assistive Technology Network

Borrow and try devices

  • Texas Assistive Technology Network (TATN)

    Houston

    Network of the 20 regional Education Service Centers, led by Region 4, that helps Texas schools evaluate for and use assistive technology.

    at.tea.texas.gov

  • Texas Technology Access Program (TTAP)

    Austin

    Texas’s Assistive Technology Act program, based at the University of Texas at Austin. Device demonstrations, short-term loans and equipment reuse.

    ttap.disabilitystudies.utexas.edu

Help with school and your rights

  • Disability Rights Texas

    Austin

    The state’s protection and advocacy agency. Legal help when a school or insurer denies needed assistive technology.

    disabilityrightstx.org

  • Partners Resource Network

    Beaumont

    Operates the federally funded parent training and information centers for Texas. Helps families with ARD meetings and special education rights.

    prntexas.org

  • Texas Education Agency, Special Education

    Austin

    If you and the school cannot agree about assistive technology, this is where you ask about mediation or file a state complaint.

    tea.texas.gov

  • Texas Parent to Parent

    Austin

    Parent-run network that supports Texas families of children with disabilities and chronic illness.

    txp2p.org

Specialized schools

Your regional education agency

Your local school district works with one of these agencies. Many employ an assistive technology consultant, and you can ask the student’s school team who that is.

Show all 20 agencies

By city

Common questions

Will using AAC stop someone from learning to talk?
No. Studies have found that AAC does not hold back speech. Many children speak more after they start using it.
Is AAC only for children?
No. Adults use AAC after a stroke or brain injury, and with conditions such as ALS, Parkinson’s disease and cerebral palsy. Many autistic adults use it too. For an adult, an evaluation usually starts with a doctor’s referral to a speech-language pathologist.
Is there an age or a skill someone needs first?
No. There is no minimum age, no upper age, and no skill a person has to show first. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association advises against asking anyone to prove they are ready before they get a way to communicate.
What is the difference between an app and a dedicated device?
Both speak words aloud when a button is touched. A dedicated speech-generating device is medical equipment that insurance may pay for after an evaluation. An app runs on a tablet or computer you already own. Many people start with an app while they wait for an evaluation. MoCo is a free app, so you can begin today.
What can we do while we wait for an appointment?
Open MoCo and try it. If you are supporting someone who is learning language, start modeling: touch words as you say them during everyday routines, without asking them to copy you. People learn AAC the way they learn speech, by seeing it used around them for a long time before they use it themselves.