What is it?
Communication partner strategies are ways that other people can make interactions more accessible and support successful communication with individuals who use AAC. Strategies include modeling language on AAC, allowing adequate wait time, recognizing and responding to all forms of communication, asking meaningful questions, creating opportunities to communicate for different purposes, and avoiding unnecessary prompting or testing. Effective partners focus on genuine interaction rather than requiring the AAC user to communicate in a particular way.
How to use it?
Interact naturally while making space for the AAC user to participate. Model words or messages on AAC during authentic conversations without requiring the person to copy you. Pause and allow enough time for the individual to formulate and communicate a message, and respond to gestures, facial expressions, vocalizations, speech, AAC, and other communication as meaningful. Provide opportunities to comment, ask questions, disagree, joke, refuse, share ideas, and direct others, not just answer adult questions or make requests. There are many online communication partner training programs, such as Model as a Master Pal and Stepping into AAC.
Why use it?
Communication is a shared interaction, and the skills and behaviors of communication partners can either create or remove barriers. Supportive partners can increase opportunities for AAC users to participate, develop language, initiate interactions, and communicate for a wider range of purposes. Strong partner practices also shift responsibility away from expecting the AAC user to overcome every communication barrier and toward creating environments in which different ways of communicating are understood, valued, and supported.
