Beyond “More” and “All Done”: Building a Mealtime Communication Board That Actually Gets Used
If your child uses AAC, chances are the first words on their board were “more” and “all done.” And for good reason—those two words unlock a lot of power at the dinner table. But if mealtime communication has stalled at those two buttons, you’re not alone. Most families hit this exact plateau and aren’t sure what comes next.
The truth is, mealtime is one of the richest communication opportunities in your child’s day. It happens multiple times, it’s highly motivating (food!), and it’s full of natural moments to practice requesting, rejecting, commenting, and even joking. The trick is building a board that captures all of that—not just the basics.
Why Mealtime Is a Communication Goldmine
Speech-language pathologists often call mealtimes a “natural communication context.” Think about everything that happens at a single meal:
A board with only “more” and “all done” covers maybe 10% of what your child actually wants to say. Let’s fix that.
Building Your Mealtime Board
Start With Core Words, Not Food Labels
Action and descriptor words work across every meal. A cell that says “want” is infinitely more flexible than a cell that says “banana.” Master the core first.
Add Your Child’s Actual Favorites
Layer in 8–12 specific foods your child actually eats. In the free AAC app, snap a photo of the actual items in your kitchen. That visual match makes comprehension instant.
Include Social and Emotional Words
Don’t forget the words that make mealtime fun: cheers, silly, funny, my turn, your turn, thank you. Children are far more motivated to use a board that lets them be playful, not just transactional.
Organize by Function, Not by Food Group
Put the most-used words on the main board and use subcategories for the rest. CommBoards’ drag-and-drop reordering lets you reorganize in seconds.
The Photo Advantage: Why Real Images Matter
One of the most common mistakes in mealtime boards is using generic clip art. A cartoon apple looks nothing like the sliced Fuji apples your child eats every day. That gap creates a cognitive barrier.
Pair those photos with your own voice recordings. For children who are Gestalt Language Processors, this melodic familiarity can be the difference between a board that gets used and one that gets ignored. See our article on Gestalt Language Processing & AAC for more.
When the Board Isn’t Getting Used
Too many cells
Pare it back. Start with 4–6 high-motivation items and expand from there. Less is always more at the start.
Board isn’t within reach
The device needs to be at arm’s length, not across the table. Prop it up right next to their plate so the tap is effortless.
Nobody is modeling
The single most effective change you can make: use the board yourself. Your child learns by watching you use it first.
Only used for requests
Use it to comment, to be silly, to narrate. Make it a conversation tool, not a vending machine.
Growing the Board Over Time
A mealtime board isn’t something you build once and forget. As your child’s tastes and language grow, the board grows with them.
Every 2 weeks
Check which cells get tapped most and which get ignored. Remove or swap out the unused ones to keep the board fresh.
When new foods appear
Snap a photo and add it immediately. It takes 30 seconds in CommBoards.
As language expands
Add two-word combinations: “want more,” “all done milk,” “open please.” Use subcategories to keep the main board clean.
For a full setup walkthrough, see How to Set Up an AAC App Step-by-Step. SLPs supporting mealtime AAC goals can find IEP templates in our SLP Portal.
Make mealtimes meaningful.
Build a mealtime board in under 10 minutes with your own photos and voice. Download CommBoards and start the conversation today.
Download CommBoards →About the Makers: CommBoards is built by a husband-and-wife team combining Senior UX Design and Software Engineering to create more accessible pathways for non-verbal children.