Self-determination has long been recognized as a critical factor in achieving positive life outcomes for people with disabilities, including people with disabilities who use AAC. According to Shogren et al. (2015), self-determination is “a dispositional characteristic manifested as acting as the causal agent in one’s life; self-determined people act in service to freely chosen goals.” For people who use AAC, the ability to act as causal agents is often mediated through complex systems of support, technology, and social expectations. This presentation explores how to meaningfully promote self-determination for AAC users across contexts and the lifecourse, with a focus on practical, research-informed strategies that center user autonomy, agency, and authentic participation.
AAC users frequently encounter systemic barriers that limit opportunities to make decisions, express preferences, and influence their own lives. These barriers may be rooted in physical access limitations, restrictive communication environments, or low expectations from others. While AAC systems are designed to support communication, they do not inherently guarantee opportunities for choice-making or self-directed action. In many cases, well-intentioned support strategies prioritize efficiency, compliance, or safety at the expense of individual agency. As such, it becomes essential for practitioners, families, and educators to actively foster environments that promote self-determined actions, while respecting each person’s communication style and preferences.
This session draws from research on self-determination and AAC, including evidence-based practices from education and transition-to-adulthood fields, and integrates lessons learned from real-world implementation in school, clinical, and community contexts. It focuses on how to support AAC users in building the skills associated with self-determined action—such as setting goals, making choices, solving problems, and advocating for oneself—while also addressing environmental factors that shape access to self-determined opportunities. Equally important to technology is the role of communication partners. Many AAC users rely on consistent, trusted individuals to co-construct meaning and scaffold new learning. In this context, the attitudes and action of communication partners play a significant role in either enabling or inhibiting self-determination. The presentation will examine how to support partners in recognizing and responding to acts of agency, facilitating rather than directing communication, and reframing support to prioritize autonomy over assistance. Supporting self-determination also means embracing the dignity of risk and being willing to navigate moments of discomfort or unpredictability as AAC users assert their preferences, challenge norms, or make choices.
This presentation will also address broader systems and policies that influence how self-determination is supported—or not—in AAC practice. This includes examining how school structures, service delivery models, and transition plans can be aligned with self-determination goals, and how practitioners can advocate for more inclusive and person-centered approaches. Special attention will be paid to shifting away from compliance-driven or adult-controlled models toward collaborative, strengths-based frameworks that presume competence and celebrate diverse ways of communicating.
Underpinning all of this work is a belief that self-determination is not a static skill to be taught, but a lived experience to be fostered. Supporting AAC users as causal agents in their own lives requires a commitment to listening deeply, designing supports that reflect individual goals, and continually adapting environments to expand—not restrict—opportunities for autonomy and self-expression. In doing so, we honor not only the right of all individuals to direct their own lives, but also the unique contributions and perspectives they bring to the communities they inhabit.
This session aligns with ISAAC 2025’s emphasis on innovation, inclusion, and advocacy by offering concrete, implementable strategies to support one of the most essential—and often overlooked—aspects of AAC: the empowerment of the person using the system. Whether working with young children, students in transition, or adults navigating community life, attendees will leave better equipped to create environments where AAC users are recognized not just as communicators, but as decision-makers, leaders, and full participants in their own lives.
