SOCIAL PERSUASION Social Persuasion involves encouraging someone to adopt an idea, attitude, or course of action. It involves direct encouragement, reassurance, and verbal support from colleagues or experts. The more cohesive a team is the more likely they will trust others and consider sound arguments and examples to be persuaded. One of the most difficult times of AAC buy-in is during a transition. The sending school often will report how a student is doing with a system but the receiving team does not have the same experience or is reluctant to implement the system. An example of social persuasion in AAC use during a student's transition from preschool to kindergarten could involve a preschool teacher and SLP sharing success stories and encouragement with the kindergarten team. A student has been using a high-tech AAC device in preschool, and the kindergarten team is hesitant about implementation, fearing it will disrupt their classroom routine. The preschool teacher and SLP meet with the kindergarten team to share concrete examples of how the device supported the student’s communication, reduced frustration, and increased engagement. They provide reassurance, highlighting that they saw progress in the student using the system the more it was intentionally integrated into the classroom. This encouragement and validation from trusted colleagues boost the kindergarten team's confidence and willingness to fully support the student’s AAC use. Faddis et.al (2023) note that individuals who have strong persuasion skills embody qualities such as keeping promises, being reliable, taking responsibility, being sincere, genuine, and honest. Social persuasion helps influence and empower team members to believe they have the necessary skills and capabilities to succeed. POSITIVE EMOTIONAL STATES Positive Emotional States involve the affective conditions at the school and the emotional tone of the organization. This can reinforce educators’ trust in one another and provide an environment that feels psychologically safe. When overcoming challenges in the perception of AAC devices, ensure that you have built excitement around the potential of the AAC system, and create system-wide support to enhance AAC implementation. Peter Senge, author and founder of the Society for Organizational Learning, once said, “People don’t resist change. They resist being changed.” This idea is particularly relevant when working on a team and the educational team may feel uncertain about the need for change. Resistance can stem from longstanding practices or the belief that the student’s needs are already understood. When introducing a new AAC system, practitioners must adopt a collaborative and coaching mindset to address resistance. Elena Aguilar, in her book The Art of Coaching Teams (2016), explains that resistance often originates from fear. When
individuals feel fear, they may exhibit behaviors such as arguing, withdrawing, or rejecting support. These behaviors often stem from unmet core human needs, which include: 1. Belonging – Feeling part of a supportive community 2. Autonomy – Having control and a voice in decisions 3. Mastery or Competency – Feeling capable and effective 4. Self-esteem – A sense of worthiness, independent of achievement 5. Trust – Confidence in others and the system 6. Purpose – Knowing one’s role contributes to something greater Resistance can manifest in various ways: not using the AAC device, leaving it out of reach, or failing to apply strategies like aided language input or modeling. When these are seen, it is important to identify what human need may be unmet and how it could be filled. Let’s think about these areas of core human needs and look at a few of them related to the classroom and AAC usage. A team member may not feel they have had input into the AAC system selection and so they have an unmet need of belonging. An unfilled need in mastery of competency may stem from team members being unsure of how to use the device. They don’t feel capable and effective with the system and this comes across as resistance. It is important to be able to get to the root of resistance and help identify the core unmet need. Using coaching questions can help teams have discussions that dig deeper and support understanding of what team members are feeling and experiencing. NEXT STEPS Collective efficacy requires intentional and purposeful planning in developing and leading a team to support AAC implementation. Coaching is a research-based process that can be used intentionally with any of the four sources of collective efficacy. When coaching through AAC use, planning coaching stems can guide discussions and learning. Aguilar (2016), offers several examples: • All-purpose : “I’m curious to hear more about…” • Clarifying : “Tell me what you mean when you…” • Cathartic : “I’m noticing you’re experiencing some feelings. Would it be OK to explore those for a few minutes?” • Supportiv e: “You did a great job when you…” • Confrontational (Interrupting) : “What’s another way you might…?” Imagine a scenario where a student’s AAC device sits on a shelf, only used during therapy sessions. You could start with an all-purpose coaching stem: “I’m curious to hear more about how this student communicates during the day.” This stem opens up the opportunity to gain information on what others see as happening with communication. A clarification question
15
April / May, 2025 | www.closingthegap.com/membership Closing The Gap © 2025 Closing The Gap, Inc. All rights reserved.
BACK TO CONTENTS
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator