Lyle was a pioneer of the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). He was one of the initiators of ISAAC and the journal Augmentative and Alternative Communication in the 1980s. His own engagement in nonspeech communication emerged in the 1970s. Lyle published articles, several together with Macalyn Fristoe, and organized courses about what later became known as AAC before ISAAC and the AAC journal were established. He remained strong within this field until the end of his career, and his work is frequently cited. He has guided, and supported several generations of researchers and practitioners working in the field of AAC.