Partners can model AAC without authoring the person's message by demonstrating language on a separate partner system or another agreed route, then pausing for the person's own response. Keep the person's device available, honor recognizable communication, define wait time, provide a backup, and record modeled and independently authored responses separately. Physical selection on the person's system can blur authorship and should never be treated as the person's message.
Plan the partner demonstration
Name the natural opportunity, partner model, system used, wait time, target meaning, acceptable response forms, partner outcome, and backup. The BACB outline treats modeling and prompting as examination concepts. Modeling vocabulary differs from requiring one exact response form.
Protect message meaning
Respond to no, stop, help, pain, different, break, and more time whenever recognizable. Do not withhold the requested communication outcome solely because the response differs from the teaching target.
Use AAC guidance directly
The ASHA AAC portal supports continual tool or device access and partner support across contexts. The Ethics Code addresses competence, collaboration, understandable communication, consent and assent when applicable, and client involvement.
Report authorship
Separate partner models, partner prompts, the person's selections, unclear physical guidance, device outages, and independent messages. Ask a qualified communication professional to guide vocabulary, access method, and language-system design.
Example and family questions
Nico's partner models need quiet on a partner board, waits eight seconds, and Nico selects a different but recognizable quiet-room message. Ask: Whose system was touched? Was the outcome honored? How were both forms scored?
Sources
- Association for Behavior Analysis International, Basic Principles in Behavior Analysis
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, BCBA Test Content Outline, 6th edition
- Council of Autism Service Providers, ABA Practice Guidelines Version 3.0 public summary
- Marzullo-Kerth and colleagues, Using Multiple-Exemplar Training to Teach a Generalized Repertoire of Sharing to Children With Autism
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Finni resources
