Representation Matters: Books And Media That Amplify AAC Voices

When you see yourself reflected in a story, something special happens—you feel seen, valued, and understood. Stories also shape how we understand others. For people who use high-, lite-, and no-tech AAC, seeing characters, authors, advocates, and creators with communication disabilities represented in books, movies, television, and media can be powerful. Plus, authentic representation can help increase awareness, challenge misconceptions, and promote inclusion.

A growing number of authors, filmmakers, and content creators are bringing disability and AAC perspectives to audiences of all ages. This collection highlights resources that educate and entertain while amplifying diverse voices and lived experiences. Explore these titles that encourage conversation about AAC and celebrate communication in all its forms.

Books by Authors Who Use AAC

Autobiography/Memoir

• Becoming an Exceptional AAC Leader: Inspiration from 15 AAC Champions is a collection of heartfelt stories from the AAC community—people with and without disabilities, parents, speech-language pathologists, parents, assistive technology experts, and academic professionals. This book includes chapters by Krista Howard, PRC-Saltillo Ambassador, and the late Jane Odom, a former PRC-Saltillo employee whose contributions continue to impact us all.
• In “The Bird with the Broken Wing,” author Sue Ann Easley typed this autobiography with her nose over the course of 16 years. With honesty and humor, she shares her story about living with cerebral palsy. Published in 1994.
• “Bold, Brave, and Breathless: Reveling in Childhood's Splendiferous Glories While Facing Disability and Loss” by Margaret Moore, PRC-Saltillo Ambassador, highlights her journey from birth to elementary school graduation. Her memoir describes the challenges of seeking inclusion and acceptance while also celebrating the joyful adventures of growing up in a devoted family. Published in 2023.
• Jean-Dominique Bauby, the former editor-in-chief of the French magazine Elle, wrote this international best-selling memoir after a stroke limited his physical abilities to only the blink of his left eye. Bauby composed “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death” by selecting letters through blinking and proving his vibrant mind. Published in 1998.
• “Inside My Outside: An Independent Mind in a Dependent Body” and “Say This, Not That: A Nonverbal Woman’s Guide to Better Conversations” by Sara Pyszka invite readers to join her in three full days of her life, providing glimpses of relationships, schooling, and outrageous interactions of working with personal care assistants. In her follow-up book published in 2026, Sara revisits past conversations and challenges others to counter ableist perspectives and communicate with understanding.
• Chris Klein, PRC-Saltillo Ambassador, speaker, and author of “My Big Toe: A Story of Perseverance”, communicates with an AAC device using his big toe. His memoir gives testimony to achieving what many thought impossible and living life full of faith and possibility. Published in 2024.
• “My School Journey: The Many Things That I Have Learned” is a children’s book by Mike Hipple, PRC-Saltillo Ambassador and founder of the Wisconsin AAC Network. The book is about starting school for children with a disability. Mike hopes it will help children understand what school is.
• “Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism” by Temple Grandin writes from the dual viewpoints of an accomplished scientist and an autistic person. Her unique way of thinking paired with her deep empathy for animals has created her success and given insight into clinical treatment and care. First published in 1995.
• “The Year of the Buttered Cat,” by mother-daughter writing team Lexi Haas and Susan Haas, features a mostly true story of a precocious teenage girl facing a risky brain surgery that could change her communication and physical abilities forever. Join Lucy on a quest to find herself and discover how to connect with others.

Fiction

• “Dancing Daisies,” “Switch the Song,” “Mix the Music,” “Learn the Lyrics,” and “Perform the Piece” by Sara Pyszka are a coming-of-age book series following Brynn, a teen who has cerebral palsy and uses a power wheelchair and AAC device.
• “Derek's Super Ultra Action Team” Series by Isaac Kester, PRC-Saltillo Ambassador, shines a spotlight on disability representation, friendship, and the power of believing in yourself. These action-packed children’s books follow Derek and his friends—disabled teens who become superheroes and work together to stop villains, protect their community, and prove that disability does not limit a person's ability to make a difference.

Books that feature AAC

Biography/Memoir

• “Helen Keller” by Margaret Davidson has introduced many to the possibilities of AAC. This biography tells the story of Helen Keller and her incredible teacher Anne Sullivan.
• This raw and beautiful book, “I Raise My Eyes to Say Yes” by Ruth Sienkiewicz-Mercer and Steven B. Kaplan, offers first-person insight into the lives of nonspeaking people and the struggles of people with severe speech and physical impairments.

Fiction

• “Dancing with Daddy” by Anitra Rowe Schulte is a tribute to the author’s daughter who has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. Featured in the 2025 PRC-Saltillo Literacy Journal, this inclusive children’s picture book tells the story of Elsie as she anticipates going to her first father-daughter dance.
• New York Times bestselling “Out of My Mind” Trilogy Series by Sharon Draper invites readers to join Melody in her sixth-grade class. Melody, the smartest girl in her class, also happens to have cerebral palsy. Grow along with her classmates and teachers as Melody discovers her voice and potential with AAC in these children’s chapter books.
• “The Things We Cannot Say” by Kelly Rimmer is a World War II historical fiction novel combined with a modern-day family story about the unique challenges of a mother caring for her nonverbal autistic son who communicates with an AAC app.
• For additional books about someone who uses AAC, explore this list by Kate Ahern, M.S.Ed., an accessible education teacher focusing on students who communicate using AAC.

Film and Television that feature AAC

• Released in July 2025 to coincide with Disability Pride Month, “Camp ALEC” on Disney+ features a camp for school-aged children using AAC spotlighted as part of their People and Places documentary series. When you view the film, you may recognize some of our ambassadors including Mateo Moreno and James Falahee. Learn more about their experiences from the camp and filming here.
• “Carl the Collector,” an animated show on PBS, introduced a new character in October 2025 who communicates with an AAC device. Watch this short clip as Carl learns how to interact with his new friend Paulo.
• “The Language Stealers” (2010) is a story of attribution, exposing the real barriers to communication for students with speech and motor impairments as being more to do with the situation they find themselves in than anything to do with their disposition.
• “My Left Foot” (1989) tells the story of Christy Brown is born with cerebral palsy to a large, poor Irish family. With the support of a determined mother who recognizes his intelligence, Christy becomes an artist who uses his dexterous left foot to write and paint.
• Starring and narrated by Chris Klein and Jennifer Lowe, “Only God Could Hear Me” (2011) offers a portrait of the lives and souls of non-speaking individuals, looking beyond just how they communicate, into why they are driven to do so. Follow several AAC users as they navigate the daily challenges of their disabilities. Brought to you by Bruce Baker and Semantic Compaction Systems, the creation story of the Minspeak® method is told in parallel.
• "Out of My Mind" (2024) on Disney+ brings AAC to mainstream media. Follow Melody Brooks as she navigates sixth grade challenges of friendship and inclusion. With the help of assistive technology and her devoted allies, Melody shows that what she has to say is more important than how she says it.
• “Speechless,” a heartfelt ABC sitcom from 2016-2019, features the everyday challenges and injustices experienced by the DiMeo family. The show centers on the oldest son, JJ, a sharp and witty teenager who has cerebral palsy.
• “The Theory of Everything” (2014) is the story of celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife Jane Wilde. Follow their personal and professional journey as Hawking is diagnosed with ALS at 21 years of age.
• “This Is Not About Me” tells the story of Jordyn Zimmerman an autistic woman who fought hard to be recognized and trusted. The film gives a glimpse into Jordyn’s daily life and shares the difficult moments in her childhood. Jordyn is currently pursuing her Master of Education at Boston College and remains committed to being a catalyst for change in the education system.

If you would like to suggest media about someone who uses AAC, please contact us through our feedback form.

Note: The books, films, authors, filmmakers, and other resources featured in this blog are provided for informational and educational purposes only. Inclusion of a resource does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, sponsorship, or approval by PRC-Saltillo. The views expressed by the authors, filmmakers, and content creators are their own.