How ABA May Support Asking Questions During a Health Visit

Choose questions before the visit

Start with the patient's goals and concerns. Group questions by symptom, diagnosis, test, treatment, medicine, daily impact, risk, alternatives, follow-up, and who to contact. Mark the top two or three so time pressure does not hide them.

Use established patient-question tools

AHRQ's Questions Are the Answer provides tools for preparing questions before medical appointments. MedlinePlus recommends listing concerns, asking until information is understood, requesting written instructions, and finding out how to contact the provider later.

Make the exchange accessible

Use speech, sign, writing, pictures, interpreter, extra response time, or AAC. The patient can ask a supporter to take notes while keeping their own questions and choices central. Label answers from the provider rather than paraphrasing them as settled facts.

Check understanding without testing the patient

Invite the person to explain the plan in their preferred mode, ask the provider to correct the summary, and record the approved wording. Check names, dates, doses, warning signs, next steps, and contact route. A misunderstanding points to a communication repair need.

A practical example

Theo brings eight chosen questions. Six receive a documented answer or an assigned follow-up. Two remain unanswered at visit end. Answer coverage is 6 of 8, or 75%. The open questions keep their original wording and move to the clinic's approved contact route.

Questions families can use

Ask whose priorities shaped the list, which questions are most urgent, what communication method works, who answered, what wording was confirmed, and what remains open. ABA health visit question skills support patient participation without turning recall into a compliance test.