5+5 Commandments for Speech Output Communication

Once in awhile, we come across something that is just too good to keep to ourselves and has to be shared in its entirety. This post is a paraphrase of the Ten Commandments for Voice Output by the Provincial Integration Support Program (PISP) from the Ministry of Education in British Columbia.
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You can get the original document here.
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Ten Commandments for Voice Output
1. The AAC device is the student’s voice.  Messages should be in the first person and reflect the age and gender of the user.

2. The learner needs full access to the device as well as many planned opportunities each day to use it.

3. With training, peers can and should be involved in the programming process.    

4. People need to communicate all day long. The device should be available to the communicator at all times. 

5. Messages should be meaningful to the communicator. They should be motivating, useful, age appropriate, and fun.

6. Messages should have an authentic function in the communicator’s life. Telling someone something they already know doesn’t help anyone and can be demoralizing for the communicator. 

7. The device should be used in fun, interesting and practical ways.

8. Adjust the volume so that the communicator doesn’t have to repeat him or herself unnecessarily. Communication can be labor-intensive and fatiguing. 

9. Inspect predictable routines to see where new opportunities for device use can be created. 

10. Don’t worry if the communicator doesn’t truly understand the full message they are saying with their device. Focus on having them use it for active participation. That’s how learning happens. 

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If you love the sentiment and expression of these commandments as much as we do, you’ll want to visit the site and read the document in its original form. Many thanks to our neighbors to the far north, the Provincial Integration Support Program and British Columbia School District #61 (Victoria), for this inspiring work.
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UPDATE: Download our adaptation (free).