AAC during instructive feedback should remain available before, during, and after each secondary presentation. Match information to the person's receptive language, sensory and motor access, device vocabulary, positioning, and processing time. The person may comment, ask, decline, or stay silent. A missing device, inaudible statement, blocked visual display, or insufficient wait time makes the exposure invalid or a system failure under the plan, rather than evidence about learning.
Plan AAC during instructive feedback
List primary and backup communication, device placement, vocabulary, access method, visual and auditory format, partner position, processing time, and transition. Confirm the secondary statement can be perceived without demanding a response.
Support spontaneous messages
The learner may use AAC to ask what a word means, reject the topic, repeat a detail, or shift attention. Honor communication according to the setting and plan. Avoid turning a spontaneous message into a test series.
Measure exposure validity
Record whether the secondary stimulus was visible or audible, AAC was ready, the partner delivered the correct statement, and the planned interval occurred. Only valid presentations enter the exposure denominator used to interpret later probes.
Use professional safeguards
ASHA says AAC users should always have access to their tools or devices. The Ethics Code addresses nondiscrimination, client involvement, medical needs, and risk. The BACB outline covers contextual fit and representative measurement.
A practical example
Inez has 12 planned secondary exposures. AAC and the visual display are ready for 10/12; the projector fails twice. Later probe accuracy is 7/10 valid targets. The report shows 10/12 system readiness and 7/10 probe performance separately.
Questions families can use
Was the information perceivable? Was AAC ready? Could the person comment or decline? Which presentations were invalid? Does the probe use an accessible response form and enough processing time?
Sources
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, BCBA Test Content Outline, 6th edition
- Nottingham, Vladescu, and Kodak, Incorporating Additional Targets Into Learning Trials for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Nottingham and colleagues, The Influence of Instructive Feedback Presentation Schedule
- Morton and colleagues, Emergent Control for Play Responses Following Instructive Feedback
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Finni resources
