Tap AACSnack choice board
Six snacks to choose from, big enough to point to from across the table. Swap in the snacks you really have, or add a photo of the real box.
apple
banana
crackers
cheese
yogurt
water
Free AAC board maker
Make a picture communication board or a choice board in your browser, free. Choose a grid or a choice board, search more than 2,500 pictures or add your own photos, then print it, save it as a PDF or download it as a picture. No sign-up, and nothing you add is uploaded.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Phone, tablet or computer
- Photos stay on your device
Making a schedule? Use the free visual schedule maker: morning, bedtime, school day and toilet routines are ready to open and change.
The board maker needs JavaScript.
Turn JavaScript on for this site to make a board, or print one of the free printable AAC boards, ready to use.
Page options
Try an example:
Right-click a square (or press and hold it) for more: copy, paste, hide, move. Drag a square onto another to swap them.
Square 1 of 12
Empty
Tap the square to hear it. The arrows open the one beside it; every change is kept as you make it.
Words
Ideas:
Leave the second one empty to have the voice say exactly what is written on the square.
Tap one to use it. Find a picture, below, has every picture.
Quick picks:
Type a word, or choose a group.
When pressed
The square says its words. Choose “Opens a page” to make it a folder: it shows a folder tab, on the screen and on paper.
A hidden square keeps its place but does not show when the board is used, and prints as an empty space: the Vocabulary builder’s “not yet”.
After it speaks
Go back suits a word on a page reached through a folder; going to the first page suits a word that ends a visit, like all done.
Voice
Sound it out says the word in parts, then whole: el - e - phant, elephant. The board talks in your browser when you try it out. A recording plays instead of the voice; it stays on this device and goes into “Save for Tap AAC”.
Photo
Your photo stays on this device. The board maker reads it in your browser and never uploads it.
Word size (1×)
Talking spot
Saved squares
Keep a square you use a lot, with its picture, words, colors and recording, to put on any board.
Move and copy
Takes the picture, words and recording off this square and leaves an empty space. Undo brings it back.
How the board maker works, step by step
- Choose a layout. A grid for a communication board, from one square up to 80, or a choice board with two to six big pictures.
- Click a square, then find a picture. Type a word like “swing”, or open a group like Food or Feelings. The word appears with the picture. Change it to the words you use at home or at school.
- Add your own photos. A photo of the real cup, the real park or the real teacher is often easier to understand than a drawing. Choose “Use your own photo” for the square.
- Color the squares, if it helps. Colors can show the type of word, or simply make a board easier to find on the fridge.
- Print it, or save a PDF. Pick US Letter or A4, portrait or landscape. In the print window, choose “Save as PDF” to keep a PDF instead.
- Add pages, if you need more. “New page” adds a blank page, one of 41 ready-made boards, a board made from a topic or your own words, a letter board, or a scene with talking spots. A square can open another page, like a folder, and “Try it out” lets you tap through them.
- Keep it for next time. “Save” keeps the board in this browser. “Download board file” makes a small file you can keep, or email to a teacher or speech therapist, who opens it with “Open board file”.
Example boards to start from
Open an example in the maker with one click, then change the pictures, the words and the layout to fit the person who will use it.
Core words starter board
Twelve small words that work at the table, in the bath and at the park, colored by type of word. Keep each word in its square as you add more, so the hand learns where to go.
I
want
more
all done
go
stop
help
look
like
not
yes
no
Feelings check-in board
Eight feelings for a quick check-in at the start of the day or after a hard moment. Every square is the same color, so no feeling looks like the wrong one.
happy
sad
mad
scared
tired
calm
worried
excited
Playground communication board
Twelve words for the park: things to play on, actions and a few words for playing with other children. Colored by type of word.
swing
slide
sandbox
ball
climb
run
my turn
your turn- help
- stop
- more
- all done
Two-choice board
Two big pictures for someone who is just starting to choose. Hold up the real things too, and give the one they point to or reach for.
blocks
bubbles
Communication board or choice board?
Communication board
A grid of pictures to point to, from a single square up to 80 (8 rows of 10). A board for one activity, like snack or the park, can start with six to twelve squares: a few words that work anywhere, like more, help, stop and all done, plus the things of that activity. Keep each word in the same square as the board grows, so the hand learns where it is. The guide how to make a communication board covers choosing the words and planning the layout.
Choice board
Two, three, four or six big pictures for making a choice: snacks, toys, songs or places to go. Start with two for someone who is new to choosing, offer only real choices, and give the one that’s chosen.
Coloring squares by type of word
Some boards give each type of word its own color, so the same kind of word is always the same color and is easier to find. The board maker offers one common set, the same as the Tap AAC app’s, and suggests a color for each word you add:
| Color | Type of word | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | People | I, you, mom, teacher |
| Green | Actions | go, eat, play, help |
| Blue | Describing words | big, hot, more, all done |
| Orange | Things and places | ball, cup, park, home |
| Pink | Social words | hi, please, thank you, my turn |
| Purple | Questions | what, where, who, why |
| Red | No and stop | no, stop, don’t, not |
If the person’s speech therapist or school already uses colors, use theirs, so every board matches. If you’re not sure, it’s fine to leave the squares white or use one color for the whole board.
Tips for printing and laminating
- In the print window, choose the same paper as the board (US Letter or A4) and print at 100% (“actual size” or “default”), not “fit to page”.
- If the colors don’t print, turn on “Background graphics” (in Chrome and Edge it’s under More settings; other browsers call it “Print backgrounds”).
- To save a PDF, choose “Save as PDF” (or “Microsoft Print to PDF”) as the printer.
- On a phone, “Download PNG” is often the easiest way to keep a board or send it to someone.
- Card stock lasts longer than plain paper. Laminate the page, or slide it into a sheet protector, so it can be wiped clean.
- For cards that move, like the pictures on a choice board, laminate first, then cut the squares out. A hook-and-loop dot on the back of each card holds it in place.
- Print two copies: one to keep where it’s used, and one for school, the car or the bag.
Your photos stay on your device
The board maker runs in your browser. Photos you add are read and made smaller on your device, and they’re never uploaded. There’s no account, no ads and no tracking. “Save” keeps boards in this browser only, and a board file (for the board maker or for Tap AAC) stays on your computer until you choose to share it. More in the privacy policy.
Questions
Is the board maker really free?
Yes. There’s no sign-up and no email to give. Each board has a small line at the bottom, “Made with Tap AAC · tapaac.com”, so people know where it came from.
Are my photos uploaded anywhere?
No. Your browser reads the photo and makes a smaller copy for the board, all on your device. The photo is only in the board on your screen, in boards you save in this browser, and in board files you download.
How do I share a board with a teacher or speech therapist?
Choose “Download board file”. It makes a small file you can email or put on a USB stick. The other person opens this page and chooses “Open board file” to see and change the board. You can also print it, save a PDF or download a PNG.
Can I use the boards at school or in therapy?
Yes. Print as many copies as you need for home, school or therapy, and share them freely. Please don’t sell them.
Does it work on a phone or an iPad?
Yes, in the web browser. A bigger screen makes it easier to see the whole board, and on a phone, “Download PNG” is often the easiest way to print or send it.
Where are my saved boards?
In this browser, on this device, under “My boards”. They aren’t in an account, so they won’t appear on another device, and clearing your browsing data removes them. To keep a board safe, download a board file.
Can I put a board in the Tap AAC app?
Yes. Choose “Save for Tap AAC (.obz)”. It saves the board, with its pictures, colors and your photos, as a board file. Put the file on the tablet, then in Tap AAC open the Page library, choose “Import a board file” at the end of the list and pick it. The board is added as a new page, and nothing else in the book changes. Other AAC apps that open Open Board Format (.obz) files can open it too. You can save the file now and add it whenever you have the app.
Can the board talk?
On the screen, yes: choose “Try it out” and tap the squares. Your browser says each one out loud, or plays the voice you recorded for it, and a square that opens another page goes there. Paper boards don’t talk, but Tap AAC, our app for Android tablets and phones, is a board that talks: tap a picture and it says the word out loud. “Save for Tap AAC (.obz)” turns your board, with all its pages and recordings, into pages for the app.
Want a board that’s ready to print? See the free printable AAC boards: core words, yes and no, choice boards, routine charts, toilet steps, feelings, a hospital board and more.
The board maker and these tips are general information, not therapy or medical advice, and they don’t replace a speech therapist. A speech therapist who knows the person can help choose the right words, pictures and layout. The pictures are Tap AAC’s own picture set. Questions or ideas for the board maker? Email support@lmnoplabs.fun.