Acquisition of AAC skills is somewhat dependent on ensuring the appropriate communication responses successfully receive a consequence from the listener that is reinforcing for the individual. It is important that the communication partner consistently and reliably reinforces the individual's AAC-based communications. The general principle is that the communication partner's reaction to AAC-based communications should match the function or intent of the individual's communicative intent. Therefore, the listener's reactions serve as a natural reinforcement.  

To support the development of communication skills, the listener should positively reinforce appropriate communication responses made by the individual. For some types of communication, such as requesting, the reinforcement provided naturally corresponds with the request. However, when working on other types of communication, such as labelling (tacting) things, additional reinforcement (outside what would naturally occur) is needed to help acquire the skill. For example, if social reinforcement (e.g., "That's right, it is a butterfly!") is not enough, then additional reinforcement might be helpful to establish the new skill. It is essential to note the reinforcement used must be of interest to the individual. A formal preference assessment can be completed to determine what to use as external reinforcement. These assessments are easy to implement, and instructions and data sheets are freely available online.  

To establish initial communication, a great starting place is to work on requesting (mands) by considering what the learner enjoys and might want to ask for when not readily available. 

A preference assessment can be completed to identify items the learner likes. Once the preference assessment is complete, the most preferred item can be used to teach a request with an AAC system. After setting up the AAC to include the preferred item/activity/social interaction, you are ready to go. 

One way to provide positive reinforcement for a request is as follows: 

1. Hold up the target item or place it out of reach but visible. 

2. Wait a few seconds for the individual to indicate interest in the item (e.g., activating the AAC system or engaging in a vocal response). 

3. As soon an AAC-based response is made, provide a vocal model that corresponds with the AAC request  

• For example, the learner activates the symbol for "play", and you say "play" and wait a few seconds, so the learner has an opportunity to repeat the word "play" or produce a vocal proximation. If no vocalisation occurs, you can provide another vocal model (e.g., says "play") and wait an additional few seconds for the learner to engage in vocal responding, but be sure the learner can tolerate this delay to gaining the reinforcer.  

4. If a vocalisation occurs, immediately provide access to the item/activity/social interaction (e.g., play).  

5. If there is no vocalisation, then provide access to the reinforcer at this stage. You may consider providing increased access if a vocal response occurs to help promote more vocal responding 

6. Repeat as many times as appropriate.  

Franklin uses a Speech Generating Device (SGD) and after a preference assessment, his most preferred item was deemed to be bubbles. During a session, Franklin activated the symbol for bubbles on his device, and his communication partner waited 5-seconds to see if he would say “bubbles.” When he did not, his communication partner provided a vocal model by stating “bubbles,” and waited an additional 5-seconds. Franklin did not emit any vocalisations, so was given the bubbles for only 20-seconds. When the timer elapsed, his communication gently put the bubbles away and explained to Franklin that if he wanted to continue playing with the bubbles he should ask for them. Franklin selected the bubbles symbol on his device, and his communication partner waited 5 seconds before offering a vocal model and a further 5 second delay. During the second delay, Franklin stated “bubble” and was immediately reinforced by receiving access to play with the bubbles for a longer period of time (1-minute). After this process was repeated multiple times, Franklin began to verbally request bubbles after pressing the symbol, in which he was immediately given access to the bubbles for a longer duration.