i find the idea of not giving AAC users access to swear words, sexual words (or perceived as sexual), etc very very very offensive. the idea of just... taking away some words from someone vocabulary sounds offensive itself.
like. you can't literally take away words from speaking people. you can't erase them from their vocabulary, you can't erase them from their mind, you can't physically shut their mouth when they use words that you dislike. no matter what the reason is and how based your dislike is. you can't take away an opportunity to say a slur from speaking people who can't reclaim it. you can't take away an opportunity to say a curse word from a child you think shouldn't say it. etc.
when people say things they shouldn't, other people communicate with them about it. i know these communications often take a wrong way (like children are just scolded off and prohibited to use some words without explanations). but these communications at least happen. (and i wish they to be meaningful and fight for it). same with AAC users. if AAC user says something that they shouldn't (like slur they can't reclaim), people should communicate with them about why it isn't appropriate and not just take away the very possibility to say this word.
sometimes i think some people just want to control what others say and only physical impossibility to do this with speaking people make them to find other ways. and when these people who want to control what everyone says get the real opportunity to do it (like remove some words from AAC users), they use it happily.
replying to this tag: #i didn't even fucking know aac users couldn't swear????
well, it depends a lot on AAC type and AAC user's specific abilities.
AAC = alternative and augmentative communication, and it includes a lot of types of communication.
there is low-tech AAC (physical cards with words and pictures, pen and paper, other physical equipment that is used for communication). there is no-tech AAC (sounds, gestures (not sign languages! common gestures like nods and head shakes or personalized gestures like home signs), body movements, etc). there is high-tech AAC (apps with symbol and/or text buttons for words, text-to-speech apps that rely on typing, etc).
and there are lots of AAC users with various abilities and needs. some are part-time AAC users and have some mouth speech. some are full-time AAC users and rely completely on AAC methods for communication. some have ability to type/write/spell words, some don't and rely completely on words they have in their AAC method. some can't use words at all or have very limited vocabulary. some have bigger vocabulary. some have fluctuating abilities in these areas (for example, sometimes can type and sometimes can't, or sometimes can use more words and sometimes less).
the problem i addressed in initial post was about symbol-based AAC apps (and i assume applicable to low-tech AAC with word cards).
symbol-based AAC is AAC method where words (or sometimes phrases) are represented by cards (in low-tech) or buttons (in high-tech). so, for example, to say "i fucking despise it," user needs to pick/press words "i", "fuck", "ing", "despise", "it". (grammar building may differ from this example).
now, for example, let's imagine the situation that in AAC app this specific user uses, there is no button for word "fuck". so, they have these options:
type the word "fuck" manually. a lot of AAC apps have qwerty-keyboard, and the device (tablet/phone/laptop) user uses for communication most likely has it anyway. but not all AAC users are able to type words, or do it regularly (aka type "fuck" every time they wish to say it).
edit / ask someone to edit their AAC board to include the word "fuck". again, editing requires skills and energy not everyone has. and not everyone's caregivers are willing to add cuss words on their board. and it may be kinda embarrassing for AAC user to ask about adding swear words or sex-associated words or something like that. especially because for lots of AAC users their caregivers are their parents.
don't say "fuck" and say "i despise it" instead of "i fucking despise it". which is frustrating experience because you can't communicate what you truly want to.
a lot of AAC apps don't have swear words, sex-associated words, and other words deemed "inappropriate" by society. don't have them even in addable vocabulary packs. (like in some apps you have some basic vocabulary and can add some vocabulary packs, like "reproductive health" or for other more specific topics). and when AAC users try to address this problem, a lot of people start moral panic and use bullshit arguments like "but what if these kids start to swear in the classroom????" (someone will fall dead i assume. /sarcasm)
also lots of people behave really weird when they see AAC user swearing so it's another part of problem.
some AAC users go to speech therapy, ABA therapy, or other therapies related to their disabilities. and sometimes therapy providers have access to their AAC device. and some providers find it completely okay to edit someone's AAC boards and remove/reorganize/hide/whatever change words. which is. uhhhh. awful to say it nicely.
also some AAC users go to schools and other places where some people are meant to control the situation. and teachers/other people also may find themselves entitled to change someone's AAC board.
(do i need to clarify that it's abuse and none of a business of anyone besides AAC user themself or their caregivers in some cases?)
so, well. some AAC users definitely can and do swear. and some AAC users have the ability and desire to swear but are removed from it by inaccessibility and ableism. and some AAC users don't want to/can't because of their disability and it's ok.
(this post doesn't include a lot of nuances because i don't know about them or forgot about them or don't have energy to do it now and it's already long and i don't want to drive away further from initial topic. but i hope it gives at least somewhat clarification of what all this discussion is about).
The only words an AAC user should be denied access to are ones they wouldn't know yet, like a 5yo not knowing sexual terms. If age-peers are using a word (whether they're "supposed" to or not) then generally the AAC user should also be able to use it too. And just like age-peers they will need to be taught the appropriate times and places to use those words
