The Impact of Wait Time for AAC Communicators
What Can I do?
Attend to student: Be aware of any of the student’s response signals (gaze shifts, body movements)
Hold space: Avoid moving on to other topics or students.
Slow pace: Plan time for student responses during session of lesson.
Limit your own speech: Avoid interrupting while student produces their message.
What are the outcomes?
Students are a part of classroom discourse.
Students are a part of the instructional activity.
Attributing Meaning
- Observe closely. Notice how the student uses physiological cures, body movements, gaze, facial expressions, and affective behaviors.
- Label the behavior. “I see you smiling.”
- Model symbolic alternatives. “You could say ‘like’. You like this game!”
- Be responsive. Respond by continuing with the activity.
- Aim for engagement, not compliance.
Supporting Literacy Through All Forms of Communication
- Honor varied forms of communication. Invite, accept, and respond to gestures, signs, gaze, vocalizations, body movement, and AAC as valid ways to contribute.
- Keep pace accessible. Offer quick response options (e.g., pointing, nodding) to support participation.
- Match demands to goals. Reduce production demands when focusing on comprehension.
- Be clear and flexible. Define preferred forms when needed and explain why, while remaining flexible.
- Prioritize universal access. Use simple, inclusive responses (e.g., thumbs up/down, pointing, head nods that all students can use in group settings.
What is Call On and Comeback?
Teachers sometimes call on students who use AAC and then come back to them after others students answer questions.
This call on and come back strategy is intended to give AAC users extra time to prepare responses without slowing down the lesson.
Unintended Consequences
- Exclusion from group learning. Expected to disengage and miss learning opportunities.
- Suppressed agency and participation. Efforts to remain engaged are disregarded.
- Misalignment. Contributions are misunderstood or ignored.
- Increased cognitive load. Expected to attend to a lesson and compose a response.
Implications for Educators
- Use with caution in the classroom
- Extend wait time for all students
- Offer choice for preferred participation
Balancing Form and Meaning Expectations
Are you targeting a specific form of communication as part of your instruction?
Yes. Tell the student you expect them to use specific forms of communication.
No. Accept the student’s chosen forms of communication, when meaning is understood.
How does it help?
Promotes cognitive clarity. Students understand what is expected of them.
Promotes agency. Student choose their forms of expression based on expectations.
Promotes learning opportunities. Instructional time is focused on clear expectations.
Attunement
Sharing relational connection through empathy and cooperation.
High empathy low Cooperation: Negative attunement. Understands, but doesn’t cooperate. Looks like: refusing, withholding, or disinterest.
High empathy high Cooperation: High attunement. Deep understanding and intentional cooperation. Looks like: mutual engagement, shared understanding.
Low empathy low cooperation: Disengaged. Low understanding and cooperation. Looks like: disconnection, withdrawal, or emotional distance.
Low empathy high cooperation: Procedural. Cooperation with low emotional engagement. Looks like: routine tasks done in parallel, autopilot