Common Phrases to Program on AAC Devices of Adults

Resource Toolkit Assignment:  Resource Summary Sheet

1.     Name of the tool, or a brief description: Common Phrases to Program on AAC Devices of Adults

2.     What type of patient(s) would you use this tool/technique with?  (Describe by characteristics or by etiology.) This is a varied list of phrases that could be included on the devices of many different adult AAC users. Although some of the phrases might also be useful for children, most are inappropriate for children to use with other children, because they don’t represent the kinds of utterances children use with one another. One category of phrases are especially helpful for including in AAC methods of individuals in the hospital, or for individuals who will likely be spending time in the hospital (programmed before a surgery or for individuals with degenerative conditions that may predict lots of hospital experiences in the future).

3.     How/why would you use this tool?  In what way will it be helpful? This tool includes a number of common, helpful phrases to program into a client’s AAC device, or to include on a low-tech communication board. Some are applicable in particular contexts, while others are far more generic. I would refer to this tool when programming a client’s device, updating their device, or creating a new AAC method in a particular context (e.g., the hospital).

4.     What are the advantages of this tool/technique? Although this list is far from exhaustive, there are lots of common phrases that might otherwise be forgotten when programming a device. I like that the original source attempted to group phrases by context.

5.     Are there any disadvantages to this tool/technique? This list is just a start for phrases that should be considered for any client who uses AAC. It becomes a dangerous and unhelpful tool if the SLP using it assume that only these phrases should be considered, or is unwilling to individualize phrases to each client (if need be).

The next several questions relate to how you obtained this resource:

6.     If you used an existing tool, answer these two questions:

a)     Source/citation for this tool:   (whether published, or from a course, or SPHSC materials) This tool is from a website entitled AAC Messaging and Vocabulary (http://aac.unl.edu/vbstudy.html), created by the Hattie B. Munroe and Barkley Memorial Augmentative and Alternative Communication Centers.

b)    Did you modify this tool?  If so, in what way? I combined some phrases from separate lists into a single list. There were many other phrases to add to this list, but this is a great start and I could always access the website to find more helpful phrases for a client’s device (or other AAC method).

c)     Anything you still don’t like about it and may change in the future? No matter how well you think you’ve grouped phrases by type, there is always so much crossover, and it’s important to recognize that the titles of each section may not most accurately describe how it should be included on a device.

Common Phrases to Program on AAC Devices of Adults

created by the Hattie B. Munroe and Barkley Memorial Augmentative and Alternative Communication Centers

Conversation Control Phrases

All I'm trying to say is
As I was saying
"Boy, I'm glad you called"
But guess what
Can I talk to you?
Change the subject
Could you repeat what you said
Did you understand?
Didn't you know that?
Do you know what he did?
Do you understand what I mean
Explain that to me
Guess what I've got
Haven't I met you before?
How about you?
How about you?
How are things going for you?
How come?
I don't understand your question
I don't want to interrupt
I forgot to mention
I have a great idea
I have news
I have to go
I just remembered
I know why
I need to explain
I really like to talk about it
I should explain
I want to know
I want to show you something
I want to talk to you about
I was just curious
I was just wondering
I was saying
I will see you
I'd better get going
I'd better go
I'll have to think of a few more questions
I'll let you know
I'll see you around
I'm curious about
I'm really glad you dropped by
I've got an idea
Is it a deal?
Is that okay?
Just one comment
Just one more thing
Let me answer
Let me tell you
Let me tell you about it
Let me tell you what I did
Let me tell you why
Let's see now
Listen to me
Over and out
Please don't interrupt
See you later
Tell me about it
Thanks for telling me
That's all I have to say
That's all that's happening
there was something else I was going to ask you
What are you going to do today?
What are you talking about?
What are you trying to tell me
What did she say?
What do you think
What do you think about that?
What happened?
What is it now?
What were you about to tell me?
What's up?
What's wrong?
Will I see you later?
You are not going to believe this
You don't have to go
You know something?
You know what I don't understand
You know what I think
Come right back please
Let me tell you why I was upset

Communication in the Hospital

Requests for Assistance 

suction
pain

change position 

bed
chair
up
down
left
right
turn

wipe
bedpan
urinal
medicine
call family
call nurse

Expression of feelings

angry
tired
sick
OK
good
better
worse
mad
fed up
lonely
worried

Body parts

leg
arm
head
stomach
foot
back

Physical state

hot
cold
hungry
thirsty

Conversational Interaction Communication

Initiations of subject/topic

What do you think about?
Tell me about?
I've been think about?
Did you know that?
Did you see?
I would like to?
I think that?
I've been meaning to tell you
By the way
I'd rather
Someday I want to

Topic continuations

And then...
Keep going.
Right.
Oh yeah.

Feedback to encourage and discourage comments

I agree.
That's right.
I don't doubt that.
I'm sure that's right.
You're right about that.
You're kidding.
I don't agree.
Do you really think so?
I don't think so.
I doubt that.
I'm not so sure.
Who said so?
You're wrong about that.
How do ya' know?
You missed the boat.

Communication repairs/corrections

What do you mean?
You misunderstood.
Wait, let me rephrase that.
No, I meant something else.
I don't understand.
Excuse me for interrupting.
Just a minute, let me think about that.
That's not what I meant.
No, no, no.
What did you say?
Say that again, I missed it.
I get it.
I don't get it.
Who are you talking about?
Huh?
Ah, now I see.
I'm going to start over.

Disagreements/agreements

I agree.
That's right.
I don't doubt that.
I'm sure that's right.
You're right about that.
You're kidding.
I don't agree.
Do you really think so?
I doubt that.
I'm not so sure.
Who said so?
You're wrong about that.
How do you know?
I don't think so.
That's true.
That's a possibility.

Generic Responses Phrases

Anything's possible 
Are you crazy? 
Are you serious? 
As far as I'm concerned 
As much as I can 
As usual 
Beats me 
Believe me it is 
Blows that theory all to hell 
Boy do I ever know 
Can you beat that? 
Come to think about it 
Don't encourage him 
Don't make me laugh 
Don't mess me up 
Don't worry about it 
Easy for you to say 
For all I know 
Forget about it 
Give me a break 
good idea 
Have a heart 
"Hey man, you've got a lot of gusts." 
Honest to goodness 
How about that 
How could I be mad at you? 
How did you know? 
How do they know. 
I always do 
I believe it 
I can handle it 
I can't 
I can't answer 
I can't believe it 
I can't figure that out 
I can't help it 
I can't remember 
I can't remember anything else 
I can't tell 
I can't think of anything 
I can't understand 
I certainly did 
I certainly don't mind 
I could probably do better 
I didn't know 
I didn't realize that 
I didn't say anything 
I didn't say it was true 
I do not have any idea 
I don't either 
I don't have any 
I don't have any idea 
I don't have much choice 
I don't have to 
I don't know 
I don't know about you. 
I don't know how 
I don't know which one 
I don't need it 
I don't need it anymore 
I don't really know how 
I don't really need it 
I don't really remember 
I don't think so 
I don't understand it either 
I don't want anything 
I don't want that 
I don't want to 
I don't' mean like that 
I don't' want it 
I doubt it 
I forgot 
I found it 
I gave my final word 
I guarantee it 
I guess 
I guess not 
I guess so 
I hadn't even thought about it 
I have no idea 
I haven't noticed any difference 
I haven't yet 
I hear you 
I hope it is 
I just don't feel like it 
I just don't think that's true 
I know 
I know it 
I know it's important 
I know that 
I know what you mean 
"I know, I don't need to be reminded" 
I promise 
I really do 
I really feel I can't do it. 
I really think its long enough 
I really try 
I said I was 
I still have to 
I suppose so 
I sure hope so 
I think it's only fair 
I think not 
I think that is unnecessary 
I think we ought to do that 
I though it would be good for me 
I thought I was through 
I thought so 
I thought you were going to 
I told you 
I told you I don't know 
I trust you 
I understand 
I understand that 
I was going to 
I was suppose to 
I was supposed to 
I was trying to tell you 
I will 
I will still need it 
I will try harder 
I wish I knew what happened 
I wish them luck 
I won 
I won't do that 
I won't guarantee anything 
I won't let him 
I wonder 
I'll ask him 
I'll check 
I'll come back 
I'll deal with it 
I'll decide later 
I'll keep an eye on that for you 
I'll plan on it 
I'll try 
I'm afraid I can't change that 
I'm afraid so 
I'm doing it anyway 
I'm game for trying that 
I'm just making a comment 
I'm not a child 
I'm not even sure I want the answers 
I'm not going anywhere 
I'm not talking about that
I'm not trying to put it off
I'm probably going to be sorry. 
I'm still thinking about it 
I'm suppose to 
I'm suppose to have 
I'm sure 
I've been told 
I've got no idea 
I've heard of that 
If I could I would 
If you want to 
Is there any doubt? 
Is there something wrong with that 
It certainly did 
It could have been 
It depends 
It didn't turn out that way
It doesn't matter 
It has to be 
It just seems to always happen like that 
It might work 
It might work out 
It really helps 
It's completely different 
It's the truth 
It's up to you 
Just fine 
Just looking 
Kiss my grits 
Let's not go into that again 
Let's not take it to extreme limits 
Let's try again 
Let's try it 
Looks like it 
Makes you wonder 
Maybe they do 
"Maybe, maybe not" 
Never mind 
Never you mind 
No joke 
No way 
"No, I'm not" 
Nobody told me that 
not much at all 
Not usually but in this case 
Of course 
Of course I do 
Oh darn 
Oh my God 
Okay gorgeous 
One never knows 
Please stop nagging 
Poor thing 
She didn't give me that impression 
So is mine 
So that's the way it is 
So what? 
Something like that 
Sure I am 
Thank God 
Thank the Lord for small favors 
That depends 
That didn't work 
That does the trick 
That is interesting 
That won't make a difference 
That's a deal 
That's all 
That's an idea 
That's enough 
That's got nothing to do with it 
That's it 
That's my choice 
That's my problem 
That's not right 
That's not the way it works 
That's okay 
That's right 
That's the last resort 
That's the truth 
That's the way its always been 
That's why 
There is nothing I can do about it 
There used to be 
There was something else 
There's got to be a better way 
There's got to be another
There's no way in the world 
There's nothing more 
They do the strangest things 
They told me that 
They usually do 
This is anticipated 
This is different 
"Unfortunately, yes" 
Want to bet? 
Well it sure feels like it 
Well it sure looks like it 
"Well, I wouldn't know about that" 
What an idea 
What else am I going to do? 
What luck 
What other choice do I have? 
Why not 
Yes, I was 
"Yes, I can" 
"Yes, I can do that" 
"Yes, you can" 
You are kidding 
You bet your britches 
You better not 
You can come up with something better 
You can give it to me 
You can say that again 
You can try but I doubt it 
You could not possibly understand 
You know how it goes 
You know they do 
You never know 
You said you'd try 
You should have told me 
You shouldn't have 
You're not supposed to 
You've go to be nuts 
You've got to be kidding 
What can I do?