# One Does Not Simply 'Mm-hmm': Exploring Backchanneling in the AAC Micro-Culture

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.17890 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.17890/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 22 Jun 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [It's Complicated: On the Design and Evaluation of AI-Powered AAC Interfaces](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.24854/) (2026)
- [Bespoke Visual Assistance: What and How do Blind and Low-Vision People Create with Agentic Programming?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.21760/) (2026)
- [A Cross Community Agenda for Speech AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.13168/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Backchanneling (e.g., "uh-huh", "hmm", a simple nod) encompasses a big part of everyday communication; it is how we negotiate the turn to speak, it signals our engagement, and shapes the flow of our conversations. For people with speech and motor impairments, backchanneling is limited to a reduced set of modalities, and their Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technology requires visual attention, making it harder to observe non-verbal cues of conversation partners. We explore how users of AAC technology approach backchanneling and create their own unique channels and communication culture. We conducted a workshop with 4 AAC users to understand the unique characteristics of backchanneling in AAC. We explored how backchanneling changes when pairs of AAC users communicate vs when an AAC user communicates with a non-AAC user. We contextualize these findings through four in-depth interviews with speech-language pathologists (SLPs). We conclude with a discussion about backchanneling as a micro-cultural practice, rethinking embodiment and mediation in AAC technology, and providing design recommendations for timely multi-modal backchanneling while respecting different communication cultures.