『#197: Beyond "I Want": Helping AAC Users Say What Matters』のカバーアート

#197: Beyond "I Want": Helping AAC Users Say What Matters

#197: Beyond "I Want": Helping AAC Users Say What Matters

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Understanding the different communicative functions of AAC means looking beyond "I want" and helping autistic preschoolers communicate what really matters to them. Their family celebrates when Lily says NO. That's what Stefanie, Lily's mom, told me, and this week you'll hear her tell it herself. Including the morning Lily looked at her mom and said, "Words inside." This is week four of our AAC Awareness Month series, and it picks up right where last week's episode on modeling without expectation left off. Once we're modeling AAC, the next question is: modeling what? So much AAC still centers on requesting. I want bubbles. I want cracker. Requesting matters. But it's just one of many communicative functions, and in AAC it often gets most of our attention. In this episode, I'm asking a bigger question. Not "Can this child give me the response I'm looking for?" but "Does this child have a way to express their own thoughts?" You'll hear autistic AAC user Jordyn Zimmerman describe what robust communication lets her do, and we'll talk about choice versus agency, what it really means to honor NO, and why protest is communication too. Because communication isn't really communication if the only messages we're willing to accept are the ones we want the child to say. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why requesting is just one tiny part of communication The words to check for on a child's device, including STOP, I DON'T WANT, DON'T HELP ME, NOT THAT ONE, and THAT'S FUNNY What Jordyn Zimmerman says robust AAC lets her do The difference between choice and agency What honoring NO looks like when something still has to happen How protest shows up beyond a neatly produced "no" A simple one-day AAC modeling audit you can do without changing anything yet Why some vocabulary makes life easier for adults, while other vocabulary makes life richer for the child Key Takeaways Requesting is one small part of communication. Think about your own day. "That's funny." "I'm tired." "Wait." "I changed my mind." Very little of our everyday communication is about asking for something. What's on the device influences what a child can say. If a child can say MORE but not STOP, or I WANT but not I DON'T WANT, we've given them a way to get things, but not the same opportunities to express their agency. Choice isn't the same as agency. Picking the red cup or the blue cup is choice. Agency means you can say "neither," "the green one," or "stop asking me about cups," and the people around you respond. Honoring NO doesn't mean the child always gets what they want. It means we acknowledge their communication. We can say, "I hear you," and then negotiate, offer another option, change the timing, or figure out why something isn't working. Protest is communication. Pushing away, turning away, crying, moving away, or tapping ALL DONE are all ways a child might communicate. Before labeling something as noncompliance, ask yourself what the child might be telling you. Our AAC modeling sends a message. The words we model help show children what they can talk about. Let's make that world big! Robust vocabulary is personal. Dinosaurs, elevators, burping, AGAIN, and maybe even NOT THAT SONG AGAIN. Children deserve access to vocabulary that reflects their interests, personalities, preferences, and experiences. Try This in Your Classroom or at Home You don't need to change everything about how you're modeling AAC. Start with a few small steps. Check the device. Can the child refuse, comment, change their mind, and say how they feel? Honor protests. The next time a child protests, start with "I hear you. You don't want to do this." Notice your modeling. For one day, pay attention to which words you're modeling without trying to change anything yet. Make vocabulary personal. Add words for one thing the child loves and one thing they really don't like. Try this week's challenge. Pick one child and write down five messages they might want to communicate that aren't requests. Then model those messages during one familiar routine. No copying required. We're inviting, not quizzing. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Continue the AAC Awareness Month Series Episodes 194, 195, and 196: Previous episodes in our AAC Awareness Month series, including modeling AAC without expectation Related Podcast Episodes Episode 78: Lilly's Voice: AAC For Everyone! — Hear more from Stefanie and Lily about their AAC journey. Episode 181: What Autistic AAC User Jordyn Zimmerman Wants Every Educator to Know — Learn from Jordyn's experiences and perspective on communication. Free Resource 8 Ways to Honor Protests — A practical guide to recognizing and responding to children's communication with compassion and respect. Coming Up Next Week Next week, we're wrapping up our AAC Awareness Month series by talking about how to fit AAC into the day you already have, and why trying to do everything perfectly might actually be getting in the way.
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