AAC: Self-Advocacy in the Classroom
Programmed phrases a secondary student needs to direct their own support in class.
Session summary (SOAP)
Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.
Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.
How to run it
Teach the specific ones first. I don't understand this part is far more useful than a general I don't understand, because it tells the teacher where to start again. Rehearse in a real class with a teacher who is expecting it, then withdraw — the point is a student asking a teacher, not a student asking you. I'd rather answer this in writing is worth pre-storing prominently; it converts a live oral demand into one the student can meet.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentSet up the moment, then wait with an expectant look for 10 seconds.Log as correct
- GesturePoint toward the device or the right area of the page.Log as cued
- ModelTouch the symbols on the device yourself while you say the message.Log as cued
- Partial physicalOnly if the team agrees and the student accepts touch: a light touch at the elbow toward the page. Never press the symbol for them.Log as cued
Adjust it
Fewer symbols on the page, and model the message several times before you expect it.
Wait longer before prompting, or expect one more symbol in the message.
Matching IEP goal
During structured activities, Student will use their AAC system to state a need or an opinion in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a gestural prompt.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Eight phrases that let a secondary student direct their own support: I need more time. Can you repeat that? I don't understand this part. Please slow down. I need a break. Can I get a copy of the notes? I'd rather answer this in writing. I have a question about the assignment. Accommodations written in a document do nothing unless someone asks for them in the moment, and by high school that someone should be the student.
What to listen for
Watch for use with teachers who have not been briefed. A student who advocates only with the staff who expect it has a supported skill, not a portable one. Notice the timing too: an accommodation requested at the start of a task changes the task, while one requested at the end explains a failure.
Carrying it home
Homework is the natural place for this. When something is not understood, the family can ask the student to write down the specific question for the teacher rather than explaining it themselves. The question is the skill.
What's in this activity
- I need more time.
- Can you repeat that?
- Please slow down.
- I need a break.
- +4 more
Questions
- What grade level is this?
- Sixth through twelfth. It fits self-advocacy and transition goals more than expressive language ones.
- Do I have to sign up?
- No. It plays free in the browser with no account.
- Should teachers be told to expect these?
- Once, at the start. After that, the useful data comes from classrooms where nobody was warned.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.