The effect of pause time upon the communicative interactions of young people who use augmentative and alternative communication

Response Time of Young Children With Complex Communication Needs Following a Communication Opportunity

“…Our study suggests that if the child does not respond to previous opportunities, there may be benefits to the provision of a longer wait time. Some researchers have argued that when teachers wait longer, children have better communication outcomes (Kent-Walsh & McNaughton, 2005; Mathis et al, 2011; Maroni et al, 2008). Thus, how to individualize the wait time likely depends on the child's individual needs and goals.…”

“…Third, according to previous studies, some teachers express conversational discomfort if the child does not respond within 2 to 3 s and feel pressure to provide another opportunity to fill the uncomfortable pause (Mathis et al, 2011). Our findings suggest that longer wait time is generally necessary, and educators may need support to change their behavior.…”

“…In other words, providing a second, clarifying or follow-up communication opportunity after a nonresponse could serve to increase the rate of child communication. However, communication partners often tend to provide another communication opportunity quickly if the child does not respond after 2 to 3 s (Mathis et al, 2011). It is unknown if providing another opportunity after a previous nonresponse, perhaps without sufficient wait time, influences the child's response time.…”

“…Regardless of the modes of child response (e.g., AAC and non-AAC communication), previous studies have indicated that children with CCN are more likely to respond to choices (i.e., choice questions) because of the reduced difficulty of response (Whalon et al, 2013) and increased motivation to communicate (Snell et al, 2006). Although some researchers suggest using open-ended questions to support more communicative interactions for children who use AAC (Kent-Walsh & McNaughton, 2005), Mathis et al (2011) found that participants were more likely to respond to comments or statements and closed questions than to open-ended questions. However, a higher likelihood of response does not necessarily imply a faster response.…”