Language Up Games

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Language Up Games

Hello there! I'm Hayden. I'm a speech-language pathologist and AAC specialist, and I create games f

08/06/2026

If you give an SLP a cookie… 🍪😅

Sometimes having a simple recipe, or flow, to use for something cognitively demanding, like AAC, is a great way to reduce the brain fizzle (“what the heck was I even saying?!”) and focus on what counts: expression, empowerment and education! 💪

All you need for this is: an activity, the AAC, and what you want to say (i.e. which word(s) to model) 🙌

Get to modeling using this simple formula and keep repeating it (using the same activity is okay too!) for expanded access to communication through technology!! 🥳

(Repost: I’m BUSY! 😤 🤣)

aac

08/04/2026

This summer, let’s make communication as cool as ice cream 😎🍦

Modeling AAC helps children learn that their device/boards work, and that their words can make things happen. 📱✨

No “wait until they press it” moments needed. Just model often, naturally, and with confidence!

Summer AAC Modeling Tips (aka: easy wins) ☀️
- Narrate your day in AAC: “Uh-oh,” “more,” “help,” “open,” “again!” during snacks, walks, and even vacation adventures. 🫶
- Follow their lead: If they reach for the beach bag, model what it’s for: “go,” “outside,” “sand.” 🏖️
- One message at a time: Start with key words/phrases (more, help, stop, want, all done) and repeat them often. 🔁
- Model during transitions: Car seat → sunscreen → splash time. AAC is perfect for “First/Then” moments. 🚗🧴🏊
- Make it fun: Pretend characters “need” the AAC message, then model it for them: “Oops!” “Uh-oh!” “We did it!” 🎭💬

Because when you model AAC, you’re not just teaching a system, you’re teaching POWERFUL SELF-ADVOCACY. 💪🗣️

(And honestly? Summer is the perfect season for lots of modeling fun in the sun.) ☀️ 💖

08/03/2026

Curious about my composition process? 🤔 🎶 🎧

😌 Well first I think about how the track is going to sound in that particular moment and in this case, I thought modal music would do better than tonal.

🎹 Next, I pick an instrument that matches the vibe and then I use the Music typing feature to map out which notes I’m going to use

🎤 From there, I start improvising and when I have something I like I record it.

👂 I like to treat the tracks as I go, so I use an equalizer to take away some of the high and low pitch frequencies from the synthesizer (easier to listen to for longer periods and less fatiguing on the ear)

🫶 Next, I’ll add some more tracks to fill out the sound like a pad, bass and percussion.

😙 Tune in next time to hear how this track continues!

08/02/2026

Does your tech feel a bit sluggish? 🤔

Here are my tips to boost your tech’s efficiency and speed while reducing your cognitive load too! 🧠

It does take a while to organize your computer (just like anything) but it’s well worth it for the time you get back in digital productivity! 💪

Try these tips and let me know if it helps you boost your workflow and productivity ✅

How did we get so orderly and prim??? 😊 I don’t even know! 🤗🤭

07/05/2026

Happy 250th Anniversary USA from Ann Arbor, Michigan 🎆 🇺🇸 💖

(Had to stop by for a customary carillon visit and pay my respects 🫡)
The United States is the birthplace of and I am so proud to be an American and proud of all of us for making it to 250! 😊🇺🇸❤️💙🤍

What does America represent?

democracy

These are the ideals I learned as a boy, and ones I hold dear to my heart.

I think we all know the US has a long way to come, when it comes to upholding and defending those ideals.

That’s why I don’t say I’m “fighting” or use such antagonistic terms anymore. Because I believe in “healing” more than anything 🫂 🌏

America has a long road ahead of us, and I fear we may not make it to 300, unless we can find deeper unity, through local, community connections, as well as national and international exchanges of ideas.

That’s why I work as a speech pathologist and app developer to create new tools for people to use to do precisely that! 😄 It’s through communication, listening with open mindedness, and responding with candor and care, that we can learn to heal.

We have to first believe it’s possible 😎 I won’t be giving up on those anytime soon.

But for tonight, we can celebrate America’s ideals and keep healing for what we believe in 😊 🇺🇸

07/02/2026

Wanna draw AAC? ✏️ 🎨

Learn drawing techniques with me! 😌

As a boy, I spent a lot of time drawing comics for my friends. My mom would bring home paper and pencils for me from her office job, and then I’d fold and staple them in half to have a little comic.

Then it was my goal to fill those pages as fast as possible with cute but quality drawings, lovable characters and quirky, goofy villains haha

Little by little, and from studying from little guides and art tutorial books I got from the library, I got pretty fast at sketching and making little comics.

I realized no tutorials like that exist for things in the disability world and wanted to try my hand at teaching others the techniques I learned to draw.

Let’s start with the one I do the most: an AAC tablet!

1. Draw a rectangle horizontally at a 3:2 ratio
2. Draw another inside of it
3. Draw horizontal lines, then vertical starting after the first line (for the message bar)
4. Add colors like charcoal for the iPad and popping colors for the buttons
5. (Optional) add symbols and words to fill out your AAC with full display for zoomed in or larger pictures

This way you can enjoy creating cute materials featuring AAC devices too ☺️

Have fun crafting more accessible adorableness!

06/30/2026

🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride Month! 🎉

Progress takes time and consistency. This is something known by both the disability and q***r communities.

As Pride Month comes to a close, our work toward progress and advocacy is far from over, but, for today, let’s celebrate what our communities have fought for:

✨ The right to communicate however we need to; no judgment, no gatekeeping, we’re here

🗣️ Accessibility isn’t a luxury, it’s literally how we get to exist and thrive 😌

💪 Demanding that tech companies actually include disabled people in design (turns out we know what we need!)😝

🎭 Spaces where you can be your whole authentic self: q***r, disabled, neurodivergent, or just uniquely you☺️

📱 Breaking down barriers so AAC users have voices that sound like us, not some robot from 1987 (and I’m from 1987 so I can say that lol 🤖)

🌈 Recognizing that disability justice and q***r liberation are absolutely intertwined✨

💬 The audacity to demand our stories, our language, our joy be centered… not just our struggles 🙌 🏳️‍🌈

Pride is about celebrating love but also it’s about celebrating all of us. A beautiful fabric of identities: disabled, fabulous, and unapologetically us. 🏳️‍🌈 ⚧️ 🏳️‍⚧️

***rownedbusiness

06/23/2026

Let’s compose some music for an app! 🎶 🎧 💻 😎

I tried my hand at a little theme song with delightfully African rhythms and melodies! (Including a few of my own ideas too of course!) 🇬🇭 🇩🇯 🇸🇱 🇿🇦 🇪🇹

Try your hand at building up tracks in Logic and soloing to hear each on its own! 💪

For my advanced users, explore stereo panning via stereo delay to group instruments in the stereo field and see what works best for your track! 💪

Enjoy music and creativity y’all!! 🎼 🎸 🪘 🎻 🪈 🎶 🎵

06/22/2026

Text highlighting is like a tiny “follow me” flashlight 🧭✨ It can help ADHD and dyslexia readers stay oriented on the page. And, as we all know, keeping track of where you are while reading is half the battle 😤 😂

Evidence-based reading support is usually about explicit, structured scaffolds that reduce unnecessary effort so comprehension can happen (National Reading Panel, 2000).

For dyslexia specifically, there’s mixed evidence on colored overlays/backgrounds: some research suggests benefits for subsets of readers, but reviews/meta-analyses find overall evidence is not strong or consistent (Galuschka et al., 2014; Henderson, Tsogka, & Snowling, 2013). Translation: highlighting can be helpful as a support, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all cure 🎨📚 (Wilkins, 2002).

My take: if highlighting helps you, use it 😌💡Adding in more supports for focus, attention and comprehension might be the critical difference in someone’s ability to be successful with reading 📖 🌈

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http://languageupgames.com/

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