Teaching students with developmental disabilities to locate their AAC device.
After kids learn to use a VOCA, add a least-to-most prompting plan so they’ll go get it when it’s not right beside them.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Sigafoos et al. (2004) worked with three nonverbal students who had autism. The kids already knew how to press picture buttons on a VOCA to ask for things. The team wanted them to walk across the room and pick up the device when it was out of reach. They used least-to-most prompting: first a gentle hint, then a point, then hand-over-hand if needed. The study ran a multiple baseline across the three students.
What they found
All three students learned to go get their VOCA when they wanted something. Prompts faded out and the behavior stuck. The kids asked for preferred items more often because they could now reach the tool themselves.
How this fits with other research
Wilkinson et al. (1998) showed that simply giving preschoolers a VOCA plus naturalistic teaching during snack time boosted their requests without hurting other communication. Sigafoos et al. (2004) picks up where that leaves off: once the child can use the device, teach them to go find it.
Robertson et al. (2014) used the same least-to-most hierarchy to help preschoolers with autism play board games on their own. Like Jeff et al., they saw good gains, but they also noted that some kids needed ongoing support or the skill dipped. The message: plan for booster sessions.
Bosley et al. (2024) extended least-to-most prompting to dialogic reading with visual cards. Their preschoolers talked more during story time, showing the hierarchy works across very different tasks—reading versus fetching a device.
Why it matters
If you use AAC, don’t stop at teaching button presses. Build in a short least-to-most chain so the learner walks to the VOCA, opens it, and then talks. Start with the device just a step away and slowly increase distance. Track prompts each trial; fade as soon as independence holds. This tiny add-on turns a static therapy tool into a self-directed communication system.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Place the VOCA two steps away, give a verbal cue first, and record how many prompts each student needs to retrieve it before requesting.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Students with autism and related developmental disabilities who do not speak are often taught to use some type of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system, such as a voice output communication aid (VOCA). One problem with such devices is that the person may be unable to communicate when the device is not readily accessible. We first taught three nonverbal students with autism to use a VOCA to request access to preferred items. Following this initial acquisition phase, however, none of the students would locate their VOCA when it was not within reach. A least-to-most prompting procedure was implemented to teach the students to locate their AAC device. The effectiveness of this procedure for teaching VOCA location skills was evaluated in a delayed multiple-baseline across subjects design. The results showed that the intervention was effective in teaching the students to locate their AAC device when they needed it to request access to preferred objects. Teaching VOCA location skills may be a useful and necessary component in AAC interventions for some people with developmental disabilities.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2004 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2003.07.002