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Free Printable Communication Boards

Simple paper boards to download, print, and keep close for when a screen will not do.

Free paper communication boards for home, school, and days out. No account or app needed. Choose a board below, open the PDF to see every page, or download a copy to keep.

Everyday boards

Daily routines

The top three rows are core words, such as I, want, more, stop and help, in the same places as in the SpeakPad app. The four rows underneath are the words for that place or occasion.

School, play and appointments

Holidays and celebrations

Posters for playgrounds and classrooms

The same boards at poster size, for a sign maker or print shop. Put one up where children play or learn, so everyone has words to point to.

Guides for the adults

One page each, for the fridge door or to hand to family. They show how to use a board with a child.

Talk with the board

One page for the fridge door: tap a word as you say it, respond to every tap, and follow three simple rules. It works with a paper board or the app.

PDF · 1 page

Open PDF Download PDF

When speech is hard

One page for a family starting out: how to set up SpeakPad, five words to show first, and what helps in the early weeks.

PDF · 1 page

Open PDF Download PDF

Choose US Letter or A4 to match your paper, and use the portrait or landscape orientation shown for each board. Print every page in a set, check that the words and pictures are easy to see and point to, then keep the pages together. Laminate if useful.

An arrow and number lead to another page in the same PDF. Click the cell on screen, or turn to that page in the printed set. Keep the full set together and return to page 1 for the main board.

Use it together

A mother and her young child at a kitchen table, the child pointing to a picture on a printed SpeakPad board.

Point to a picture as you say the word during everyday activities. Give the person time to respond in their own way; they do not have to copy you. Keep a core board nearby when using topic pages so words such as help, stop, and no stay available.

Make your own board in the app

These are starting points. To match someone’s own words, photos, and layout, print their board from SpeakPad. Open Caregiver Mode, tap More, then Print Board. You can choose the orientation and paper size, include linked boards, print each word as a card to cut out, and use larger text or black and white.

These PDFs use SpeakPad symbols. © SpeakPad. The boards are free to download and print.

Common questions

Are these boards free?
Yes. No account or app is needed. Choose Open PDF to view the full set in your browser, or Download PDF to save a copy. Open the PDF to print it.
Do these boards work without the SpeakPad app?
Yes. Each board is a standalone paper communication tool. Print it, laminate it, and use it anywhere, no device needed.
What paper size should I use?
Each board comes in US Letter and A4. Choose the size your printer holds.
Can any child use these boards?
These are starting points, not a single layout that suits everyone. Choose words, pictures, cell sizes, and an access method that work for the person. A speech-language professional can help adapt a board to their needs.

The boards your child builds, in their pocket

SpeakPad is a free, private, offline AAC app for iPhone and iPad. Build a board once, then print it, share it, or speak with it.

Download SpeakPad

Comparing apps? See the best free AAC apps for iPad.