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Assistive Technology Network

AAC Prompting and Wait Time

  • Aided Language Stimulation
  • Provide Motivating and Engaging Opportunities
  • Practice the Expectant Pause - wait for a response
  • Indirect Visual Cue - gesture, draw attention to AAC, then pause
  • Direct Visual Cue - point at or show possible messages, then pause
  • Indirect Verbal Cue - hint, use a sentence starter, or ask for their thoughts, then pause
  • Direct Verbal Cue - tell the individual possible messages they may want to share, then pause
  • Increase Motivation and Re-expose to Target Vocabulary - remembering that communication is a choice!

Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center’s Autism Center for Education (VCU-RRTC-ACE) is funded by the VA Dept. of Education, contract # 881-APE61184-H173A220112.