Blissymbols and Communication Boards

 Would you like to make a guess? What does below symbols mean?🤔

These symbols aren’t just squiggles—they’re Blissymbols, a magical way to say "Hello, welcome to my blog" without using words. 

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or just someone who loves seeing communication bloom, we’re so happy you stopped by. Let’s dive in together!

Charles K. Bliss

Blissymbolics is a communication system originally developed by Charles K. Bliss (1897-1985) for the purpose of international communication.

Blissymbol form a system of meaning-based symbols which can be used by people with severe difficulties in speaking to communicate without speech.

The 900 individual symbols of the system are called "Bliss-characters"; these may be "ideographic" – representing abstract concepts, "pictographic" – a direct representation of objects, or "composite" – in which two or more existing Bliss-characters are superimposed to represent a new meaning.

Here are some basic symbols and what they look like:

Advantage VS Disadvantage

Blissymbolics offers advantages like its potential for expressing abstract and combining symbols for complex meanings, but also has disadvantages like requiring training and potentially being less intuitive than other visual systems. 

...Beyond blissymbols...

Communication Boards Empower Kids to Find Their Voice

Communication boards aren’t just tools—they’re bridges to connection, helping children express themselves when words fall short. Whether through simple picture cards or high-tech AAC devices, these boards:

How to Make an Inexpensive Communication Board from a Baking Sheet:

This video will teach you how to create a simple communication board from a cookie sheet, magnetic tape, and pictures.  You will also learn how to use a communication board to help those who cannot speak, such as those with autism, apraxia, or aphasia.