Let's Talk AAC: The Right To Request (Communication Right #2)

February 7, 2022 NWACS

Welcome back to Let's Talk AAC - a series of questions and topics for discussion. NWACS will occasionally post a question or topic along with some related information. We hope that you will join in the conversation by adding your experiences, resources, related research, etc. in comments so that we can all learn and benefit from each other's knowledge and experience.

reading time: 2 minutes

Right #2 of the Communication Bill of Rights reads: the right to request desired objects, actions, events, and people.

The right to make requests is important. So much so that it is the second right on the Communication Bill of Rights. 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. There is so much more to communication than requesting!

word cloud of communicative functions: request, initiate, interact, attention, greet, accept, reject, refuse, protest, scold, share, show, name, label, acknowledge, answer, defend, testify, report, debate, reminisce, summarize, criticize, respond, ask, manners, feelings, opinions, comment, information, tease, joke, negotiate, bargain, assert, independence, self-advocate, self-regulate, tell, stories, confirm, deny, repair, feedback, teach, introduce, apologize, interrupt, appointments, compliments, excuses, direct, correct, warn, encourage, discourage, wish, preferences, ambitions, goals, needs, learn, pretend, acknowledge, help, choose, assert, describe, end, teach, direct, narrate, announce, perform, discuss, whine, complain, flirt, remind, feedback, argue, gossip, clarify,, dispute, participate, order, connect, AND MORE!

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. 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.

How do we promote this right for our AAC users?

Here are a few ideas:

Help people with disabilities understand and advocate for their communication rights.
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.
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
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
Always acknowledge an AAC user’s request. Whenever possible, honor their request. When it is not possible, explain why and discuss alternatives.

What would you add? Join the conversation by commenting below! Share your thoughts, ideas, strategies, resources, and/or tips for supporting AAC users' ability to request desired objects, actions, events, and people.