When we don’t provide students with a robust communication system, we don’t actually know what they want to say.
If you walk into a special education classroom where communication is at the center of everything, you can feel it. It’s not about how many devices are present or how many visuals are on the wall (although, sure, those help!).
When we talk about communication, we often say it’s about “sharing information.” But here’s the catch: true communication means telling someone something they didn’t already know.
When a child who uses AAC appears to be noncompliant or engages in behaviors that seem to “shut down” communication or participation, it’s easy to label it as defiance or resistance. But what if these behaviors are actually communication?
One of the most common questions we hear when supporting emergent AAC users is: How do we know they meant it?
As AAC partners, it’s our job to recognize these messages and respond in a way that helps the child learn more effective ways to communicate. One powerful strategy to support this process is called “Respect and Reflect.”
