AAC, plainly

Core Words in AAC

The small set of flexible, high-frequency words that do most of everyday talking — and the backbone of AAC vocabulary design. Plus an honest note about which of our apps this does and doesn’t apply to.

The idea

Core words are the small set of flexible, high-frequency words that do most of everyday talking — words like go, more, stop, want, help, not, that, you. They combine into almost anything (“want that”, “go more”, “not you — help”), which is why AAC practice treats them as the backbone of a communication system, with fringe words — the specific nouns of a person’s actual life — layered on top. ASHA’s AAC practice portal covers core vocabulary within AAC system design (ASHA).

“Core word of the week”, honestly described

The classroom pattern many special education teachers and SLPs use: pick one core word, then model it all week — adults pointing to or selecting the word on a student’s AAC system while saying it in real contexts (aided language stimulation), not as a drill but as ordinary talk. The week’s power isn’t the word; it’s the dozens of honest modelling moments around snack, play, and transition. It costs nothing and needs no special materials beyond the student’s own system.

Where Folio fits — and where it doesn’t

Honesty first: Folio AAC is not a symbol core-word board. It ships no symbol vocabulary at all — it’s a text-based talker for students who read and type. If you’re teaching core words with symbol supports to an emergent communicator, Folio isn’t that tool, and we’d rather tell you than sell you.

Where Folio does fit: literate students who type to speak still deserve vocabulary that’s theirs. Folio’s saved phrases and topic boards can hold the words and sentences a student actually uses — built with a teacher or SLP, owned by the student, spoken instantly. For that setup, see AAC and assistive apps in the classroom.

More context: what is AAC? · for schools & professionals

Related: what is AAC? · teachers & classrooms