Let’s Talk AAC: The Right to Make Choices (Communication Right #5)

March 29, 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 #5 of the Communication Bill of Rights reads: The right to make choices from meaningful alternatives.

Offering choices to a person with complex communication needs is often seen as easy and quick. But offering choices is a little more complex that first meets the eye.

When offering choices to a person with complex communication needs, a communication partner will need to decide:

The amount of options
- Decide: 2 or more?
- Best Practice: Complete a dynamic assessment to see how many choices the person can choose from successfully.

What specific options to offer
- Decide: All preferred things? One preferred and one non-preferred item? Physical objects? Actions? Categories? Yes or No?
- Best Practice: Determine the purpose of the choice. Use the context around you and what you know about the person to offer the most meaningful set of options.
How the choices will be presented (presentation method)

Decide: Physical objects, pictures, icons?
Best Practice: Complete a dynamic assessment to see what presentation method works best for the person. What is the most complex option you can offer while still achieving communicative success?

How the individual will be selecting the choice (selection method)
- Decide: Reaching, grabbing, pointing, eye gaze?
- Best Practice: Complete a dynamic assessment to see what presentation method works best for the person. If you are trying to teach a new selection method, shape from what is successful to the next level of difficulty. (Zone of Proximal Development!)

Remember: the communication partner has all the control of the communicative interaction. The communication partner decides:

the amount of options,
the options themselves,
the presentation method,
and often what “selection” looks like.

The person with complex communication needs can only communicate the option they prefer from what has been offered. If that person can't refuse or protest effectively, they cannot tell you “I don’t like any of these choices!” The interaction of choice-making is not open-ended or user-generated.

People with complex communication needs will likely interact with a variety of communication partners across their lives. Not all communication partners will be trained in how to best support communication. Many people will fall back to choice making as something that works. So AAC users need to be able to make choices effectively.

The bottom line: Offering choices can be a quick and easy way to interact. But it should be used with caution. Making choices should be one of many components in the overall approach to supporting a person's ability to communicate.

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.
Model and scaffold language to make choices, including the ability to reject all offered options.
Whenever possible, allow AAC users the chance to communicate their desire before offering choices.

For AAC Users

Help people with disabilities understand and advocate for their communication rights.
Provide culturally and linguistically responsive supports for AAC users to develop this skill area.
Provide AAC users with opportunities to communicate beyond choice-making.
Encourage AAC users to self-advocate.

Your Perspective

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 make choices.