Bel Woolmore

Children with additional learning needs use many different forms of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) within education and care settings. However, training for parents to use AAC can be difficult to access due to financial and time constraints. These barriers can impact the communication within the family and can often leave children feeling isolated and frustrated, unable to express their needs and desires.

Communicube aims to help parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) to develop their confidence using various forms of AAC, while giving the child a fun sensory experience and helping to develop the parent-child relationship through play. This can enable families to utilise more accessible methods of communication and can open up a whole new world for SEN children.

Communicube is a sensory cube toy that incorporates texture, light and sound to create an immersive sensory experience at home. The toy links to an app where a parent can select songs or stories to play from the cube, and be shown corresponding Makaton sign language diagrams to use alongside the audio. Communicube also comes with a choice board to enable children to communicate what they want to listen to without the need for verbal language. Children gain agency over their communication and family members gain the confidence to use more AAC at home.

Communicube creates an accessible, fun way of engaging families and building confidence in the use of AAC, while

inspiring opportunities for joyful sensory experiences.