We've been using the SFY (Speak For Yourself) iPad app for a little less than a week now, and I feel like I can safely say that Bennett 1) doesn't hate it, 2) understands that it's a form of communication, 3) enjoys pressing the buttons and hearing the different words, and 4) doesn't really know how to use it to tell us things we don't already know he's thinking, haha.
So I took to the internet to try and find tutorials and resources showing me how to begin teaching AAC, starting with the Nieder Family blog (who originally posted about SFY and have posted their own journey with their amazing daughter) and found a really amazing webinar series the Angelman Syndrome Foundation (I think?) put out a few years ago. It's basically 42 hour-long presentations by speech-language pathologists about how to start implementing AAC with your students (in our case, our child). It's geared toward professionals, but it's AWESOME for parents too! They also directed me to a few other great resources: PrAACtical AAC, AAC Intervention, and the AAC Girls Blog.
****************
I've gone through the first 4 webinar episodes from the Angelman education series and have already learned a ton. The biggest takeaways I want to emphasize and remember are:
1) MODEL. MODEL. MODEL.
Everyone says this, but I didn't really understand what they meant by it until the SLP went into detail in one of the episodes where she showed how to model with the device. Basically it just means that when we're playing, eating, watching TV, reading a book, out and about, etc., we need to be commenting on our world using the device just like we would comment on the world using our voice. The way she put it was "what goes in, comes out: verbal language in, verbal language out." But for our kids who need alternative communication "AAC in, AAC out." We can't expect "verbal language in, AAC out." We have to show Bennett that this is a legitimate way to communicate and that means using the system to show him what we're saying to him as much as humanly possible.
This is difficult--particularly with Olivia running around and trying to touch the buttons on the iPad when we're using it and playing--but I can already see his gears turning in his mind as he sees me use it more naturally. It's a total mindset shift, but one we have to make if we want this to work.
2) Get away from the NOUNS!! 80/20. They want 80% of the words on the device to be non-nouns. Meaning verbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, etc. Only 20% should be nouns. They want to get AWAY from labeling things and just requesting things. "I want ____".
This was really mind-blowing to me because it made me realize that alllllll Bennett does right now is label and request! I mean, I think that's probably age-appropriate for a 2 year old, right? But they're saying that you can't use AAC for only nouns and then expect the rest of the language structure to fall in to place. If I'm using the word "and" in a sentence, I should press "AND" on the talker. If I'm using "now" I should press "NOW". You get the idea.
Before, we really only had a few of the "core vocabulary" words visible on the app because I didn't want to overwhelm him, but they're pretty emphatic about leaving as many of the core words visible as possible and trying to just use them as much as we use them in real verbal conversations with our kids. It makes sense to me, it's just another shift in mindset. But I like it!! I want Bennett to be able to make comments about the world around him, how he feels about things, what he thinks about, not just what he wants and needs.
****************
So those are the main things that I can remember right now, but they've already been helpful! Bennett is trying to say new sounds of words we don't really expect him to use like "and" and "to", and "what", just because I'm emphasizing them using the talker! It's awesome. I'm hoping I can keep this momentum up once real life starts again (we've all been on holiday break) so we can keep making progress. Thanks for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment