ABA assent communication support should make willingness, uncertainty, pause, withdrawal, discomfort, and requests for change easy to express and meaningful in practice. Assent is distinct from legal informed consent. Identify the person's reliable verbal and nonverbal signals, keep AAC available, explain what partners will do, and stop nonemergency practice when withdrawal or distress occurs under the governing process.
Define the person's signals
Use direct input and observation to identify yes, maybe, wait, stop, move away, silence, device messages, tension, pushing materials, or other individualized signals. Avoid treating compliance or absence of protest as willingness.
Explain the partner response
Partners should pause, acknowledge, check access or discomfort, offer choices, and follow the clinical or safety route. A signal only functions as withdrawal when the environment changes predictably.
Keep consent separate
The legally authorized person provides informed consent when required. The client communicates assent or withdrawal when applicable. Record both without allowing representative consent to erase the client's current response.
Use the governing safeguards
The Ethics Code defines assent and requires it when applicable for covered behavior analysts. ASHA supports continuous AAC access. The CASP public summary supports individualized assessment and planning.
A practical example
Owen has ten practice opportunities with a defined pause signal. Owen uses it in three, and partners pause within five seconds in 2/3. The plan reviews the missed partner response and avoids scoring the other seven as blanket assent.
Questions families can use
Which source makes assent applicable? How does the person show willingness or withdrawal? Is AAC ready? What should partners do? Are distress and silence interpreted individually? What emergency limit applies?
Sources
Finni resources
