Using Core Words to Start AAC
When a family begins AAC for the first time, the instinct is almost always the same: print every food, every animal, every cartoon character the child loves, and laminate them by the weekend. It is a kind, hopeful instinct. It is also, gently, the wrong place to start. The richest, fastest path into communication runs through a small set of words called core words, and most Indian parents have never heard the term before therapy begins.
This guide explains what core words are, why they sit at the centre of any AAC system, and how families in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi or anywhere else can start building a core-word approach at home this week.
What core words actually are
Core words are the 100 or so words that make up roughly 80 percent of what any of us say in daily life. They are not flashy. They include words like want, more, stop, go, finished, help, you, me, this, that, like, don't, good, bad, in, out. You used at least ten of them in the last two sentences without noticing.
The reason they matter for AAC is mathematical. If a child can use even thirty core words confidently, they can build hundreds of different messages. Want more. Don't like that. Help me stop. You go. The same words rearrange to fit endless situations. Nouns, by contrast, are powerful but narrow. "Banana" only ever means banana.
The standard reference here is the overall AAC framework, where core words usually sit on the main page in fixed positions so the child can find them quickly, every time.
Why core words come before nouns
Most well-meaning starter AAC boards have one fatal flaw: they are dominated by pictures of objects. The child can request milk, biscuits, the iPad and the ball. They cannot say "I don't want that", "give me the other one" or "stop".
That gap shapes a child's experience of communication. If their vocabulary only lets them ask for things, communication becomes a series of demands. If their vocabulary lets them refuse, comment, joke and complain, communication becomes a relationship. Core words open that relationship.
This is also why therapists at Carely usually push back gently when a parent says "can we add the names of all 20 Hot Wheels cars". The cars are not the bottleneck. The verbs are.
First sets of core words to teach
A good starter set covers different communication functions, not just requests. A common first eight is: more, stop, go, want, help, finished, like, no. After a few weeks you might add: don't, you, me, this, that, give, look, here.
Choose words that fit your child's actual day. If meals are the most predictable routine, words like more, finished and like will sit at the centre. If the bath is the hardest part of the day, words like stop, hot, help and no may matter more. The point is that the child will hear and see the word many times every single day in real life, not only in a session.
Pick eight words and live with them for two weeks. Resist the temptation to add a ninth before the first eight feel familiar. Density beats variety in the early weeks.
How to model core words at home
Modelling is the engine of the whole approach. You point to or tap a core word while you speak it aloud, in the natural flow of life. You do not stop the world, sit the child down or wait for a response. You speak normally, you tap one or two key words, you move on.
Here is what that looks like across a real Indian morning. Pouring milk into the cup, you say "more milk" and tap "more". Closing the school bag, you say "finished" and tap "finished". The child asks for the iPad, you say "you want iPad" and tap "want". By bedtime, the child has seen the same eight words modelled forty times across forty different contexts.
Children typically need somewhere between 200 and 2000 exposures to a word before they begin using it themselves. That sounds like a lot until you realise that this is roughly how many times a typically developing toddler hears any common word before they say it.
Mistakes parents make with core words
The first mistake is treating modelling like a test. Pointing to "more" and then asking the child "now you do it" turns a quiet language soak into a demand. The child stops engaging. Skip the test. Model and move on.
The second mistake is rewarding every point with the literal thing. If the child taps "go" while staring at the door, taking them outside makes sense. If the child taps "more" while you are reading a book, more reading makes sense. But if they tap "banana" because they are exploring the page, you do not have to produce a banana. Acknowledge the word and move on.
The third mistake is abandoning core words too early because the child is not yet using them independently. The book or device feels boring, the parent feels they are doing nothing useful, and the system gets shelved. Stay the course. Our guide on using a communication book at home covers how to keep modelling alive through quiet phases.
Adding fringe vocabulary thoughtfully
Fringe vocabulary is everything outside the core: specific foods, specific names, specific places, favourite characters. Fringe words matter. A child who cannot say "thatha" for grandfather is missing something important. The trick is sequence, not exclusion.
Add fringe words once the relevant core words are familiar. If the child knows "want" and "more", adding "chocolate" gives them "want chocolate" and "more chocolate". Without the core words, "chocolate" only ever means one request.
Keep adding fringe vocabulary across the months. School-related words around June. Festival words around Diwali and Eid. Family wedding vocabulary when one is coming. A speech-language pathologist from Carely's at-home therapy team can help you sequence additions so the system grows with your child rather than ballooning out of control.
Frequently asked questions
How many core words should we start with?
Eight is a sensible starting point. Live with them for two weeks before adding more.
Does my child need to be able to read for core words to work?
No. The symbols are usually paired with words so the child can recognise them visually, much like a logo, long before they can read.
What if my child only ever uses one word?
That is still real communication. Many children use one or two core words confidently for weeks before adding new ones. Keep modelling without pressure.
Should I model in English or our home language?
Use the language you actually speak at home. Bilingual modelling works well when the AAC system supports it.
How long until I see results from core-word modelling?
Most families see the first independent points somewhere between two and twelve weeks of consistent modelling, but this varies widely. Trust the slow build.
Can core words be used with PECS or a speech device?
Yes. Core words sit at the centre of nearly every modern AAC system, including high-tech devices and structured picture exchange.