How ABA May Support Making a Phone Call

Define what the call should accomplish

Write the person or organization, verified number, reason, information to have nearby, authority, preferred communication, and desired endpoint. Booking an appointment, calling a friend, reporting a repair, and asking a store question are different tasks. The CASP public summary supports individualized assessment and planning rather than one phone script.

Build an accessible call path

Test contact search, keypad, favorites, headset, volume, captions, real-time text, relay, speaker settings, and wait-time needs on the actual device. The FCC accessibility categories include telephone equipment, real-time text, relay services, and electronic messaging. Keep AAC available throughout.

Use notes without replacing the person's words

A short card can hold the purpose, contact name, account reference if permitted, two key questions, and a callback route. Include ways to say repeat, slower, hold, another method, private, finished, and call back. A supporter can help navigate while leaving choices, answers, and consent with the proper person.

Close with a clear outcome

Before ending, confirm the answer, next action, responsible person, reference number when offered, and expected timing. If voicemail answers, decide whether to leave the permitted information or use another verified route. Record unanswered, busy, disconnected, transferred, completed, and callback-needed as separate states.

A practical example

Arlo prepares six calls to community programs. Five have a verified number, clear purpose, accessible method, and needed information. One number comes from an unverified advertisement and stays held. Readiness is 5 of 6. Of the five ready calls, three complete, one reaches voicemail, and one requires a scheduled callback. Each outcome remains separate.

Questions families can use

Ask what the call should accomplish, where the number came from, who may share which information, which access features work, how long the person wants to wait, what happens at voicemail, how a decision is confirmed, and when another route is better. ABA phone call skills should support real communication rather than memorized performance.