Empowering Success Through Positive Solutions Focused Mentoring

By Kelly Fagan, MS CCC-SLP

At the recent Northeast AAC Summit held at University of Albany, Alyssa Malone MS Ed, CCC-SLP and I spoke about "Creative Solutions Through AAC Mentorship." Alyssa was one of the mentee's from the AACcess Program I developed at the College of Saint Rose. Through mentorship, Alyssa was able to gain confidence in the augmentative & alternative communication (AAC ) process to the point she was able to move from the role of mentee to mentor. She then was able to guide her school team and others to successfully implement AAC in the classroom. This is the capacity building model we need to create access to AAC for all that need it. This is why my work is focused on moving from the 'expert model' to a more sustainable and empowering, collaborative mentoring model for teams and families.

When mentoring SLPs & teams through the AAC process, I employ a positive solutions-focused mindset. Instead of the "expert model" my goal is to empowers mentees to unlock their potential and build their confidence and skills in providing augmentative & alternative communication services . In this blog post, I will highlight one of the initial step using solutions-focused therapy.

As a coach or mentor, it is more effective to utilize a positive approach and move from deficit-based thinking to a strength-based approach. “Solution-Focused Brief Therapy” was originally based on counseling, social work, and mental health programs developed in the 1980s by Steve de Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg, and Bill O’Hanlon. They came up with questions and a rating system that were based on positive psychology to highlight strengths and create goals. Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) was developed by Steve de Shazer (1940-2005) and Insoo Kim Berg (1934-2007).

We can use solution-focused therapy as a strength-based approach to AAC implementation. Fox et al. (2012) applied Solutions Focused Therapy rating scales to aphasia, and recent research supports its application to AAC. This approach can be used in AAC work with students, teams, and personal improvement goals, promoting collaboration on person-centered goals in a positive way. It shifts from an "expert model" to a collaborative, strengths-based model, aiding in reflective progress tracking.

Drawing from psychology and mental health, a series of questions and ratings focus on existing strengths and what needs development to advance toward goals. The first step of this method can be applied by SLPs through reflective questions: ( adapted from Monroe, 2025)

What would it look like if...

• ...a student/individual communicated in the best way possible?

• ...a team implemented AAC in the best way possible?

• ...an SLP achieved best AAC implementation success in their practice?

You then reflect & describe what that would look like to define it, and ask "what else?" Multiple times to expand each description.

Then assign that description as a “10” on a scale (remember… we do not need to always be a 10 - this is something to move towards). Defining and knowing your goal helps. You then reflect on where you/the team/the student are now - assign that a number on a scale from 1-10. 

Then this is the important strengths-based part… ask/reflect on why that number was assigned and not the number below it. What makes it a “5” instead of a “4”? This is where you reframe to focus on strengths. With AAC, it helps us focus on the capabilities!

Then reflect - what would be needed/ what action steps or skills would take you/the student/ the team from a “5” to a “6”?  This could then help us define next steps and gets the individual, team, & family reflecting and onboard with the plan.

This can help guide the team to actionable steps in a positive way. Positive solutions-focused mentoring emphasizes strengths and constructive outcomes. Traditional problem solving in a deficit model often focuses on problems and weaknesses, but this approach encourages mentors and mentees to discover solutions and foster a growth mindset. I really like how this simple series of questions can help meet students, individuals, or teams where they are, defined in terms of strengths. Then collaboratively empowers them to take that next step.

Fox, L. E., Andrews, M., & Andrews, J. (2012). "Self-anchored rating scales: Partnering for post-aphasia change." Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders. 22, (1), 18–27

Fox, Lynn E. "AAC Collaboration Using the Self-Anchored Rating Scales (SARS): An Aphasia Case Study." Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, vol. 21, no. 4, 2003, pp. 136-143. https://doi.org/10.1044/aac21.4.136

Monroe, Kristen (2025) “From Problem-Solving to Solution-Finding: A Solution-Focused Approach to AAC Intervention.” VCU health Continuing Education https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/course/courseoverview?P=3000&EID=34113&Panel=9

Sara Smock Jordan & Brie Turns (2016)."Utilizing Solution-Focused Brief Therapy with Families Living with Autism Spectrum Disorder", Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 27:3, 155-170, DOI: 10.1080/08975353.2016.1199766

( *post edited using internal Wix AI tool)