The Right to Express Preferences and Feelings, Make Comments, and Share Opinions (Right #9)

Comments and Opinions

The ability to share our thoughts is powerful. We ALL have opinions. It is human nature to want to share them. Commenting is the basis for our social communication and interactions. SO much of what we say each day is commenting! For complex communicators, this right can instill a sense of personal autonomy. Building independence in communicating thoughts and opinions is necessary for all communicators.

Here are some examples of making comments and sharing opinions:

• I like that!
• I don’t like that!
• This is really fun.
• That truck is neat.
• This book is interesting.
• My head hurts.
• I am ready to go home.

Consider how a communicator in your life might convey these ideas.

How can we support the autonomy of individuals to share their ideas?

autonomy: the ability to act on one’s own thoughts, values, and interests

As communication partners, we can focus on modeling. For very early communicators, this might mean modeling “I like it” when the person is showing joy during a shared activity. If the person pushes an item away, this is a clear sign that it is not something they like so you can model, “I don’t like it”.

Notice the communicator’s attention. Perhaps they are watching something outside the window. You can model commenting on sights, sounds, or other sensory components of an experience using AAC.

Become familiar with the AAC user’s different means of communicating. Does the communicator use gestures, pictures, or a device? Does the communicator have a way of showing enjoyment, like looking toward you, grabbing your hand, or pointing at items during an interaction? In what ways does this person communicate?

Become familiar with the AAC user’s interests. An AAC user may communicate their interests to you in a variety of ways, so follow their lead in conversation or play-based activities so the interaction is rewarding for both parties.

For all communicators, it is important to really listen to what is being communicated through any modality. This means honoring the use of sign language, print or high-tech AAC modalities, gestures, physical touch, and more. Don’t assume you know what the communicator is trying to tell you. Listen to the AAC user and honor the ways that they share their opinions with you!

Carve out time and space for AAC users to express themselves.

People with complex communication needs often do not get as many opportunities to comment or share opinions. Conversations and interactions tend to move too quickly. AAC users often do not have time to share their thoughts because of the time it takes to compose a message on an AAC system. Communication partners need to be intentionally mindful. Untrained communication partners may not realize the need to adjust the pace. As a result, unless a message is about an immediate want or need, AAC users are too often relegated to the role of observer. Lance McLemore, an AAC user, describes what this is like in AAC in a Group Setting (AAC Language Lab blog).

Communication partners can help close this gap by:

• creating time,
• space,
• and the expectation for AAC users to share their thoughts and be active participants.

More ideas on how to support AAC users in commenting and sharing opinions:

General

• Show genuine interest in the AAC user’s thoughts and opinions.
  • intentionally ask them if they have any thoughts to share
• Help the AAC user explore ways to claim their turn in conversations (and remind communication partners to pause and wait).
  • develop skills (and comfort) to advocate for their needs
  • create preprogrammed phrases to signal they have something to contribute to the conversation
• Provide AAC users with relevant vocabulary for making comments and sharing opinions. Be sure to include all kinds of words:
  • positive (awesome, beautiful, lit, that’s my favorite!, fun!, yummy! yay!)
  • negative (oh no!, too bad, so sad, sus, boring, that’s terrible, yuck, gross)
  • surprised (what?!, wow!, Uh-oh, no way!, unbelievable!, not what I expected)
  • A curious (tell me more, that’s interesting, that reminds me of…, I wonder…)

Making Comments

• Make it meaningful to the AAC user. Do something. Have an experience. Interact. Talk about it!
• Setup communication temptations. Wear something silly. Have an interesting poster on the wall upside down. Set up an activity the wrong way. Something unexpected may motivate a comment!
• Model comments in a variety of situations.
• Model making social comments. Listen to what their peers are saying and make sure the AAC user has access to the same words!
• Make comments during shared reading.
  • Read a page spread in a book. Then make a comment (about what you read, about the pictures on that page, to make a connection to the AAC user’s life, or about what seems to have caught the attention of the AAC user). Pause and give the AAC user an opportunity to share their thoughts.
  • Read a wordless book. Talk about what you see in the pictures. Comment about what you think is happening in the story.
• Watch a wordless video. Pause in places to model comments. Pause and wait to give the opportunity for the AAC user to say something.

Sharing Opinions

• Create opportunities to give opinions.
  • Read a silly book/watch a goofy video and ask, “What do you think?”
• Invite others to share their opinions. The more modeling the better!
• Consider using rating scales (with picture symbols for non-readers) or hand signs (e.g., thumbs up, flat hand, thumbs down) to help the AAC user learn the concept of opinions. Pair with modeling language.
• After reading a book, watching a video, going somewhere, doing something…ask, “What did you think?” or “How would you rate that?”

Adjust the pace. Provide AAC users opportunities to comment and share their opinions. Remember – opinions are unique to each person. And they do not have to be positive or what we expect!

What would you add? Join the conversation by commenting below!