PrAACtical Thoughts on Supporting Reluctant Communicators
As any experienced AAC professional will tell you, people who are learning to use AAC systems don’t produce as much verbal output as their speaking peers. And, every once in awhile, we run into an AAC learner who communicates VERY infrequently even though they are capable of doing more. They’re often described as shy (perhaps) or stubborn (cringe! shudder! clench teeth!), but, in our view, their reluctance to communicate is probably related to a few other things. We generally don’t like to do things that are difficult for us, particularly if the pay-off is not in proportion to the effort, or if there are insufficient supports. If the learner has had a history of being unsuccessful or associates communication with a high level of effort, it makes sense that they are not rushing to interact with us. It doesn’t always pay to rush things. Sometimes we get better outcomes by building... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC intervention, intervention strategies, reluctant communicator, self-confidence, trust