This page is an exploration of Right #8 of the NJC Communication Bill of Rights.
Requesting and refusing is a starting place.
The right to ‘ask for’ or make requests is important. Being able to ask for what you want – and feel understood – improves your quality of life. Getting what you ask for is powerful and motivates you to keep asking for what you want.
And yet.
Too many AAC users get stuck at only making basic requests. As this infographic shows, there is so much more to communication than requesting!
Requesting
It is helpful to be able to request. Requesting can be a natural and powerful starting place to get buy-in from emerging communicators new to using AAC. Modeling requests feels straight-forward and natural to communication partners.
Check out our handout Language Functions and AAC: Teaching Requesting for tips!
But requesting does not lead to much conversation or connection with others. Requesting does not help you be an active participant or for ongoing engagement. So we need to model how to use their AAC to say other things too. We need to model many other communicative functions. Don’t get stuck at requesting!
Refusing
The right to refuse is a critical component of both self-advocacy and autonomy.
self-advocacy: the action of representing oneself or one’s views or interests
autonomy: the ability to be one’s own person and make decisions for oneself
There are so many scenarios in a person’s day where refusing something might come up. Being able to say “not right now” or “I’m not ready” or “this isn’t working for me” offers control over one’s life and environment. Being able to say “no” and “stop” and “I don’t like that” are also crucial for consent and safety reasons.
When children are young, there can often be a focus on following directions, compliance, and following rules. While these are important skills, these cannot be the only skills emphasized. If refusal and rejection are not also
- taught,
- supported, and
- encouraged,
communication partners are unintentionally doing a disservice. Not fostering self-advocacy skills early and often can result in AAC users without the critical skill of advocating for themselves. Which can be dangerous if they find themselves in a harmful or abusive situation.
For a great related article, head over to the Speak For Yourself blog and read “I Don’t Want To”: 5 Ways to Encourage Refusal for Students With Complex Communication Needs (CCN).
Check out our handout Language Functions and AAC: Teaching Refusing for tips!
How do we promote this right?
For Communication Partners
- Make sure that everyone is aware of the Communication Bill of Rights.
- Inform and train communication partners on how they can best communicate and interact with AAC users.
- Always acknowledge an AAC user’s request. Whenever possible, honor their request. When it is not possible, explain why and discuss alternatives.
- Whenever possible, honor an AAC user’s rejection or refusal. When it is not possible, explain why and discuss alternatives.
For AAC Users
- Help people with disabilities understand their communication rights.
- Provide culturally and linguistically responsive supports for AAC users to develop this skill area.
- Provide AAC users with relevant vocabulary (including both describing words and naming words) so that they can request:
- specific people
- specific events
- specific objects
- specific actions
- Provide AAC users with relevant vocabulary for refusing and rejecting.
- Encourage AAC users to make requests throughout the day.
- When an AAC user attempts to make a request by leading you, through body language or gestures, or in other ways that you interpret as a request:
- describe what they are doing that you interpret as a request and show them on their AAC system how they can communicate that request (be on the lookout for feedback that you are wrong!)
- then immediately respond to that request
- Encourage AAC users to self-advocate.
What would you add? Share your thoughts, ideas, strategies, resources, and/or tips below!
Share your comments or questions.