For families
Sitters comfortable with kids who use AAC or sign
A kid who is non-speaking or who uses AAC, sign, or partner-assisted scanning has plenty to say. They just say it differently. A sitter who gets this is one who knows the device, picks up the signs you teach them in the handoff, and treats the way your kid communicates as the standard, not an inconvenience.
Our sitters include paraeducators who run inclusion classrooms, Direct Support Professionals who work with non-speaking adults, and special-education teachers who teach AAC. They do not pretend the language is missing.
What to expect
- Sitters who ask what device or system your kid uses, before they accept the booking. They will say if they have used that device before.
- Patience with the pace of the conversation. AAC and sign take longer than speech. None of our sitters rush the answer.
- Working knowledge of the most common signs (more, all done, eat, drink, bathroom). For more specific vocabulary they pick it up from your handoff.
- Comfort with the absence of words. Sitters who are not nervous when your kid is quiet.
What we don't do
- The sitter is sitting. They do not run speech sessions, do not chart sessions, do not modify the communication system.
- We do not bill insurance, Medicaid, or your DD Waiver. Cash pay only.
- We do not administer prescription medications. The sitter can hand a routine dose to your kid per your written house routine, but they do not measure, calculate, or document.
- We do not represent our sitters as speech-language pathologists or AAC specialists. They are sitters who have spent time with kids who use these systems.
Booking tips
- List the AAC device or system by name in the kid profile. The sitter will say what they know about it before accepting.
- Note the top ten words or phrases your kid uses most. Sitters skim that and reach for the most-used vocabulary first.
- If your kid uses partner-assisted scanning, write the partner role in the notes. The sitter will follow it.
- Favorite the sitter who clicks. Repeat bookings make communication smoother because the sitter learns your kid's preferences.
Common questions
- Will the sitter know how to use my kid's AAC device?
- Some of our sitters have used common AAC devices in their day jobs. List the device model in your kid profile and the sitter will say what they know about it before they accept the booking.
- What if my kid has a meltdown and cannot tell the sitter what is wrong?
- Sitters who work with non-speaking kids know to check the basics first — hungry, tired, sensory, bathroom. They have the patience to wait for an answer through whatever system your kid uses. If the meltdown is escalating they text you.
- Can the sitter sign?
- Some of our sitters have working ASL. Filter your match preferences for sign-friendly sitters and we will surface them first.
- Will the sitter modify the AAC vocabulary or program new words?
- No. That is for your kid's speech-language team to decide. The sitter uses what is already programmed.
- Do you have sitters for non-speaking adults?
- Yes. Many of our Direct Support Professionals work with non-speaking adult clients during the week. See our adult bookings page.