Miniplayingwords

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AAC should not and must not be used as the last resort to support an individual to communicate! We can work on an individual's speech WHILE we are teaching him/her to communicate using other tools. It does not have to be one or the other. Challenge for yourself today: spend 10 minutes to communicate with a friend or family member only by talking. ❌ don't gesture (keep your hands down) ❌ don't use your body in any way (sit or stand upright; try not to move) ❌ don't use facial expression (try to maintain a flat expression) Now, how did that feel?

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AAC may be broadly categorised into low-tech and high-tech. Low-tech AAC includes PECS, PODD, and communication boards. High-tech AAC consists of iPads and eye gaze systems. There is also mid-tech AAC as well (not included in the image), which includes battery-operated devices without the fancy technology. This includes switches and GoTalks.

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AAC is for individuals who cannot speak. SO 👏 NOT 👏TRUE! Swipe 👈 to read more. Parents, caregivers and teachers, please do not let any professional (yes, including Speech-Language Therapists, SLT) tell you that your child does not need AAC because he/she can talk. If you feel that your child is unable to communicate clearly most of the time with most people (family members, child's peers and teachers, neighbours, relatives, your friends) due to speech and/or language delay, your child may benefit from an AAC evaluation performed by a SLT who has experience with AAC.

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October is AAC awareness month! I know I'm late in the game but I'll end off the month by sharing some information! For those who know me, you would know how passionate I am about AAC as I believe everyone deserves a voice. So let me kick off the week by defining AAC 🙂

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I am deliberate with my language when I created this. Instead of using "deficits" (in DSM-5), I've chosen to use "difficulties". If I were to be more specific, I might say "difficulties using neurotypicals' way of communicating, interacting, and processing of information." Should we expect people of different cultures to communicate similarly? Food for thought 🤔

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I'm very fortunate to be in a position to advocate for autistic and deaf individuals. I'm committed to raising awareness and advocating for their needs by sharing evidence-based information and my experience :)

I completely understand that sometimes the things that SLTs do in therapy may not look like we are trying to develop your child’s ability to talk.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to put together information and share them in a visually clear manner with the intention to support you (parent, caregiver or educator) to understand what you see in therapy.

My hope is for you to take comfort in the fact that we are working toward getting your child to talk by putting down one brick at a time, one layer at a time, building your child’s pre-linguistic skills (pre-talking skills) until we get to the top of a Lego house where hopefully, your child begins to talk.

If you find that your goals for your child do not align with what you think you observe in therapy, I encourage you to speak to your SLT about it, ask questions, and find out the reasons for his/her choice of activity, material or technique :)

In October 2021, the International AAC Awareness Month theme is, “Get Out, Speak Up and Break through the Screen in a Recovering World.”

Why wear a communication board? It gives your child access to communication and allows you to model language and communication on the go!

You will love this unisex T-shirt with quality print on soft cotton :)

Drop me message to order this piece!

Children learn to understand symbols before they use them. Understanding symbols is important because spoken language is a system of speech sounds to which we give meaning to. Once children learn to understand that a gesture, a sound, a sign or a word may be used to represent meaning, they may begin to use words to communicate with people.

Imitation skills are essential for the development of.... everything! We learn by watching and copying others. Children learn to copy actions before words.

Let's build the next layer of the Lego House by engaging your child in purposeful play with you, and then with toys!

As an SLT, I get asked this question a lot by concerned parents and caregivers, and sometimes by well-meaning professionals. I am hoping to offer some insights into one of the most difficult skills a child has to learn i.e. talking over the next few weeks. It may not be apparent in our therapy, but we, SLTs are working towards teaching your child to talk :)