AAC Is Not a Test

AAC Awareness Month 2026

4 Oct

Written By Carol Hegan

AAC is communication.

Yet people who use AAC are often placed in interactions that feel more like a test:

find the correct button
answer a question with a known response
copy a model
use a particular word
prove that the system can be used before the message is taken seriously

Teaching and practice can be useful, but communication cannot be reduced to correct answers.

People communicate to connect, refuse, joke, ask, protest, direct, share, wonder and change their minds.

A strong communication environment makes room for all of that—including silence, incomplete messages and unexpected responses.

Recognising the testing trap

Testing often appears in ordinary language and everyday interactions.

A communication partner might ask a question they already know the answer to, hold back an item until a particular word is selected or repeatedly prompt the person to “say it on the device”.

The focus shifts from meaning to performance.

Over time, this can make AAC feel like work being completed for someone else rather than a communication tool that belongs to the person.

A useful check is to ask:

Would I say this to a speaking person in the same situation?

If not, the interaction may be organised around proving a skill rather than sharing a genuine message.

Model without demanding

Modelling means using AAC while you communicate.

You might select one or two relevant words while speaking, without expecting the person to copy you.

The model offers language and demonstrates that the system belongs in real conversation. It does not require the person to:

look at the system
imitate the model
answer a question
demonstrate understanding
use the same words
communicate immediately

Keep modelling natural, and connected to what is happening.

Model comments as well as requests. Use humour, opinions, refusals, questions and observations.

A communication system that is used only for requesting things can limit the kinds of conversations and relationships that are possible.

Waiting is an active communication support

Waiting is not passive.

It can mean holding the conversational turn, keeping your attention available and resisting the urge to repeat the question, change the wording or finish the message.

Some people need additional time to:

process what has been said
decide whether they want to respond
plan their message
navigate their communication system
coordinate movement
manage competing sensory information

Try leaving the silence open.

Avoid using a countdown or repeatedly reminding the person that you are waiting. These can create additional pressure.

Ask the person what pace works for them where possible.

Respond to meaning

Respond to what you understand—not simply the method the person used.

If someone communicates that they dislike something, respond to the dislike. If they ask a question, answer the question. If they make a joke, share the moment.

Communication produced through AAC does not need to be met with applause simply because the person used their device.

All messages matters.

If you are unsure what someone meant, say what you think you understood and ask how you can repair the misunderstanding.

Do not pretend to understand—but do not abandon the interaction either.