How to Keep Language Growing During Holiday Travel (For Toddlers → Adults + AAC Users)

Holiday Travel Changes Everything — Including Communication

Holiday travel often looks like:

• airport lines

• long car rides

• delayed flights

• busy houses

• new sleeping spaces

• loud environments

• unpredictable schedules

Every one of these increases cognitive + sensory load for all ages — toddlers, school-aged children, teens, and adults.

When the brain is out of routine, communication becomes more effortful and emotional regulation becomes more fragile.

This is why holiday travel is one of the BEST times to intentionally support language growth — not with worksheets or pressure, but through real-life moments, connection, and practice that feels natural.

This blog breaks down SLP-approved, neurodiversity-affirming strategies for toddlers → adults, including autistic individuals and AAC users.

1. Toddlers & Preschoolers (Ages 1–5)

Use Real Travel Moments as Language Opportunities

These moments build vocabulary, turn-taking, and comprehension:

• “Look! Big airplane!”

• “We’re going up the stairs.”

• “Car is stopping… car goes!”

• “Where’s our suitcase? Found it!”

Travel Activities That Build Speech & Language

✔ I-Spy in the airport

✔ Snack-time naming (“cracker, apple, juice”)

✔ Simple gesture imitation

✔ Songs with motions

✔ Books about holidays

✔ Labeling clothes, toys, objects

What to Avoid

❌ Over-correcting speech

❌ Expecting perfect articulation

❌ Overloading kids with questions (“What’s this? What’s that?”)

Instead, model language naturally. The brain learns best through exposure + fun.

2. School-Age Kids (Ages 5–12)

Conversation Starters for Travel

SLPs love these because they build narrative skills + sequencing:

• “What are you most excited for today?”

• “Tell me three things you notice here.”

• “What’s your prediction about what we’ll do first?”

• “Let’s remember our trip in order.”

Travel Activities That Build Communication

✔ Oral storytelling games

✔ “What Am I?” guessing games

✔ Reading signs + menus

✔ Describing holiday decorations

✔ Interactive audiobooks

✔ Taking photos then describing them

What to Avoid

❌ Overloading with “academic tasks”

❌ Correcting grammar constantly

❌ Overusing screens as a distraction

Balance is key.

3. Teenagers (Ages 13–18)

Teens need autonomy, connection, and choice.

Travel Language Activities Teens Actually Enjoy

✔ Let them choose the playlist & discuss lyrics

✔ Talk about travel plans + let them contribute

✔ Play Would You Rather

✔ Ask opinion-based questions (“What’s the best part of traveling?”)

✔ Encourage journaling or digital note-taking

✔ Have them narrate funny moments for social media

Executive Function Boosters

Travel naturally strengthens:

• planning

• time management

• emotional regulation

• situational flexibility

Support, don’t lecture.

What to Avoid:

❌ Forcing long conversations

❌ Correcting every social mistake

❌ Criticizing screen time choices

Travel is a socially demanding season — keep communication low-pressure.

4. Adults (Including Neurodivergent Adults)

Communication needs don’t disappear in adulthood.

Adult-Friendly Ways to Support Communication on the Road

✔ Use a notes app to plan, reflect, and communicate

✔ Practice self-advocacy (“I need a break,” “I need quiet,” etc.)

✔ Use calming apps for emotional regulation

✔ Listen to podcasts and discuss them

✔ Read aloud portions of a book or devotional

✔ Practice communication coping strategies

Support for Neurodivergent Adults

• Use visual schedules

• Build in quiet time

• Reduce sensory load where possible

• Preview transitions

• Use stimming, headphones, sunglasses, or fidgets openly

Self-regulation IS communication.

5. AAC Users (Toddlers → Adults)

Holiday travel is one of the most important times to support AAC because unpredictability increases.

Essential AAC Travel Tips

✔ Keep the device charged

✔ Bring backup chargers + power banks

✔ Pre-program holiday vocabulary (“cookie,” “family,” “gift,” “all done,” etc.)

✔ Add travel scripts:

• “Where are we going?”

• “What’s next?”

• “This is too loud.”

• “I need space.”

• “I’m overwhelmed.”

✔ Model AAC constantly — not just in sessions

✔ Let your child/person use AAC during stress (don’t wait until after)

What NOT to Do:

❌ Don’t lock the device

❌ Don’t remove AAC during a meltdown

❌ Don’t expect perfect grammar

❌ Don’t treat AAC as a reward for “good behavior”

AAC = access.

AAC = autonomy.

AAC = communication.

6. Travel Activities That Support Language (All Ages)

The “SLP Travel Kit” — No materials required

• I-Spy

• 5-Senses game

• Would You Rather

• Guess the Sound

• Story-building games

• Question of the Hour

• Describe the Decoration

• Predict What Happens Next

• Travel Bingo

• Talk about plans in sequence (“first, next, last”)

These build:

• vocabulary

• memory

• reasoning

• conversation

• emotional expression

7. Holiday Travel Is Filled With Language Opportunities

These are some of the BEST moments to build communication:

✔ Packing

✔ Waiting in line

✔ Driving

✔ Looking at lights

✔ Meeting new people

✔ Trying new foods

✔ Seeing holiday decorations

✔ Talking about traditions

✔ Comparing this year vs last year

✔ Storytelling about family memories

Language grows when experiences grow.

8. A Neurodiversity-Affirming Travel Approach

A few reminders:

✨ Stimming is communication.

✨ Silence is communication.

✨ Screens are communication supports.

✨ Breaks are communication.

✨ “No” is communication.

✨ Movement is regulation.

Communication does NOT look one way.

Meet people where they are — not where the holiday schedule expects them to be.

9. When Travel Gets Overwhelming

Holiday travel + sensory overload = communication breakdown.

SLP-approved coping strategies:

✔ Quiet corners

✔ Noise-canceling headphones

✔ Sunglasses

✔ Weighted blankets

✔ Chewelry

✔ Break cards or AAC

✔ Visual timers

✔ Sensory apps

✔ Breathing exercises

✔ Predictability (“We leave in 2 minutes”)

A regulated nervous system communicates more clearly.

10. The Heart of Holiday Communication

The goal is not perfect articulation.

The goal is not long conversations.

The goal is not doing speech homework during travel.

The goal is simple:

✨ Connect.

✨ Play.

✨ Experience.

✨ Talk when it feels natural.

✨ Communicate in all the ways your body and brain allow.

Holiday memories ARE language therapy.

At TuLIPS, we support communication for EVERY voice — toddlers, kids, teens, adults, AAC users, and neurodivergent individuals.

⸻

📘 BLOG #5 — Part 2 (Final Section)

How to Keep Language Growing During Holiday Travel

(Toddlers → Kids → Teens → Adults → AAC)

11. Turning “Waiting” Into Communication Practice (All Ages)

Holiday travel is full of waiting:

• airport security

• boarding

• baggage claim

• restaurant tables

• bathroom lines

• traffic

• family gatherings

Waiting creates amazing opportunities for language growth.

SLP-Recommended “Waiting Games”

✔ Describe 3 things you see

✔ What’s your prediction? (flight, food, weather, etc.)

✔ Which one doesn’t belong? (naming categories)

✔ Tell me one thing you’re thinking about right now

✔ Point to the loudest/quietest/brightest thing

✔ Create a silly sentence together

These require no materials — just interaction.

12. Travel as a Sensory AND Language Experience

Holiday travel is sensory-heavy.

When sensory needs are supported, communication becomes easier.

Support Sensory Regulation During Travel

• Use headphones

• Offer movement breaks

• Bring fidgets

• Use sunglasses

• Allow stimming freely

• Provide quiet time

• Offer deep pressure (weighted lap pad, compression vest)

• Use a predictable visual schedule

A calm body = a communicative body.

13. Cultural, Linguistic & Family Considerations

Many families travel to see relatives, practice traditions, or visit heritage-speaking communities.

SLP Guidance for Multilingual Families

✨ Speak ALL languages naturally

✨ Keep home languages alive

✨ Don’t pressure perfect grammar

✨ Model code-switching without shame

✨ Use both languages during travel routines

✨ Let children respond in the language they prefer

Travel is one of the richest moments to support heritage language development.

14. When Travel Is Hard — A Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach

Not all communication is verbal.

Not all travel is easy.

Not all people communicate the same way.

Affirmations to repeat during travel:

• “They’re not giving me a hard time — they’re having a hard time.”

• “Behavior is communication.”

• “Stimming is coping.”

• “Breaks are necessary, not optional.”

• “Communication does not need to be forced.”

• “We can always try again later.”

Holiday travel goes best when we meet individuals where their brains and bodies are.

15. The Bottom Line: Travel Is More Than Transportation

Holiday travel gives us:

✔ new vocabulary

✔ new experiences

✔ new stories

✔ new sensory input

✔ new emotions

✔ new social interactions

✔ new problem-solving

✔ new family memories

These ARE communication opportunities.

✨ You don’t need to “teach speech.”

✨ You don’t need worksheets.

✨ You don’t need perfect conditions.

You just need connection, presence, patience — and the willingness to turn everyday moments into communication moments.

At TuLIPS Speech Therapy, we help every voice thrive — at home, on the road, and everywhere in between. 💙

 WORKS CITED:

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2023). Travel tips for families: Supporting communication on the go. https://www.asha.org/

Bergen, D. (2018). The power of play for language development. Early Childhood Education Journal, 46(4), 343–350.

Diehl, J. J., Berkovits, L., & Koenig, K. P. (2018). Social communication in real-world environments: The role of naturalistic practice. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 61(2), 290–302.

Ganz, J. (2015). AAC interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorders: Research-based recommendations. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 31(3), 203–214.

Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2022). Consequential communication: Everyday interactions that build language. Developmental Psychology Press.

Levy, S. E., Frasso, R., & Kuhlthau, K. (2021). Parent-reported strategies for supporting neurodivergent children during travel. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 42(5), 389–398.

Soto, G., & Zangari, C. (2020). Practical AAC: Communication in natural contexts. ASHA Press.

Tager-Flusberg, H. (2016). Using everyday activities to promote language development. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 1(4), 24–36.