The success of any communication system is highly dependent upon the skills of the communication partners. The communication partners need skills such as modeling the use of the system, interpreting the symbols selected by the communicator and even low-level technical problem solving. Often when a communication system is introduced, it is the first time a student has ever seen or used such a thing. From an intervention standpoint, it is helpful to think of how an individual learns a foreign language. One would not give a student a Spanish/English dictionary and expect them to be a proficient Spanish speaker. That proficiency would be gained only through listening to the language and by repeated practice with an experienced Spanish speaker. The same holds true for learning to use an augmentative communication system. Good communication partners will provide modeling and feedback as to the accuracy and efficiency of the communication attempts in addition to actually using the system itself to communicate with the student.

To increase the chances of success in learning a new system, activity-based intervention should be used. This model relies on selecting initial intervention activities that are highly motivating to the student, occur regularly and present multiple opportunities for communication. One way to identify these activities is for the team working with the student to use an ecological inventory, that is to make a list all the activities that the individual engages in throughout the day. Consideration should also be given to activities that occur in environments other than school. Once the activity list has been generated, the team can prioritize the activities depending on their potential for communication opportunities for the student and motivation by the student to engage in those activities.

Vocabulary Selection

Regardless of the activities selected for intervention, success with an augmentative/alternative communication system is highly dependent on appropriate vocabulary selection. Motivation plays a huge role in selecting appropriate vocabulary. Many times, teams begin with vocabulary such as “eat”, “drink” and “bathroom”. While these may be key statements in the eyes of caregivers, for most augmentative communication students, these basic needs are met whether communication occurs or not. Therefore, their motivation to communicate these basic needs is greatly reduced. Bruce Baker (2005) proposed the following “motivation formula”:

Motivation

Physical effort, cognitive effort, time

This formula illustrates that when the motivation to communicate a message is greater than the physical effort, cognitive effort and time to compose it - communication will occur. However, if the effort or time required to produce a message is greater than the motivation to communicate it, communication will not occur. Motivation comes from the student when he/she realizes that communication can be a powerful and pleasurable thing. For example, it can be highly motivating to say “Tickle me” using a single message device.