A few months ago, I worked with a colleague who was unsure about using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with her patients. She worried it might replace speech. I offered her case studies, walked her through a session, and showed her how AAC actually supports verbal development.

Weeks later, she became a confident AAC advocate—helping more kids communicate than ever before. That’s the power of mentorship and open-mindedness. When we lift each other up, we all rise—and so do our patients.