Home  Michael  My Talker  AAC: aids  access  content  coding  fAACts  fun  role models  projects  

AAC Role Models and Mentoring:

 

It can't be stressed how important it is that everyone whose life significantly impinges upon that of a child who relies on AAC meets at least one AAC Role Model, someone who is a good at communicating with their AAC, and better still to meet several, and more than once, and to enlist the involvement of Role Models in mentoring and teaching the child.

In the first few moments of being with a Role Model you know what AAC could be doing for your child, that they don't even have to be able to use their hands to do it... 1 Voice children on handsfree access.

'Peeking through the Crystal Ball: Conversations with Adult AAC Users' is the title of Robin Hurd's article for this month's Parents' Corner column on the AAC Institute website.

Scope published this excerpt from Nicola Bush's CM Symposium presentation, in their 'Speak for Yourself' campaign report:

"I'm eighteen and I love to talk. I'd like to tell you something about my world.

When I was five I went to school but I couldn't speak to my new friends and I felt dead. When I was nine I would lie in my bed and wish I could meet someone who would help me speak.

I was about ten when I was given an Orac (a communication aid). I had some jokes in my Orac but I wanted to say more. I couldn't use the Orac to say the things that were in my head.

On my last day at junior school I was very sad. I was losing my friend, the physiotherapist, and Gareth, my boyfriend. I wanted to say 'Thank you very much' and 'I love you' but I couldn't.

I went to my new school, but I found it hard to communicate with my communication aid and stopped using it. Then at school I met Christine, who understood me when I spoke with my eyes. She made me a communication book and it was great. Christine and I went to a communication user group. Christine had an idea about me using a new electronic aid and it has changed my life.

My Delta Talker works when I point my lightbeam at it. It has really changed my life. I have met so many people and made lots of friends because now I can talk and say what is in my head. I have been able to talk to Christine about everything... life, love, religion, wars... everything.

I want people to know that even though I have cerebral palsy I'm not worried about it. I want people to know I am a person like them who can think and feel.

We all have lots to learn. My world gets better every day. Before I had my Delta Talker I felt dead.

NOW I AM ALIVE AND I CAN SAY WHAT MY BRAIN IS THINKING."

Nicola Bush

Nicola spoke with Tony Blair on her communication aid, to help bring about the Communication Aids Project (£20,000,000 fund for communication aids for school children in England, 2002-2006).

Nicola was using a Delta Talker with LLL software, and accessing it with a laser pointer that clips onto her headband.

 

 

Excepts from Amanda Creely's CM presentation, September 02, about being an AAC Role Model:

"...I think it was important for the children to see adults using a communication aid.

When I was little, I started with a pad and drawings. There were eitht pictures with the word written underneath. They said things like 'drink' 'eat' and 'toilet'...

...Then I got a Light Talker (voice output communication aid) and we put the eight messages on. I thought it was fantastic because now I could SAY 'Can I have something to eat?' 'Can I have a drink?' and 'I need to go to the toilet'.

I'm not being sarcastic. I really thought it was great that I could SAY those things... But I didn't look beyond that. I thought I would be saying those things for the rest of my life.

If I had seen a Role Model when I was young, I would have thought 'Will I be able to do that?' 'I am going to be able to say more things when I grow up'. It was hard learning LLL. I never gave up, but I did think to myself 'Will I ever be able to do this?'

I think it is important to have role models because children can't ask questions like that... They need people to say 'You are using eight pictures now, but you will use more and more, and you will be able to say more and more things'.

They don't just need to know that it is worth all the hard work, they need to know that there actually is something to work towards.

Role models can show them what they are aiming for, and role models can answer questions that the children don't even know to ask. They are learning their AAC and they need the role models to tell them things like 'You will be able to say more things if you keep working at it'.

It is important for families to meet role models socially so they can see all the things we enjoy and achieve... AAC can help us do all the things we want to do...

I think it is good that professionals can see how important it is for children to meet role models. When I was at school, there were some younger children learning to use communication aids and I did a talk for them and I hope they could see themselves using AAC fully when they are older. I hope professionals will make sure that their children get to meet older people using AAC.

I think it is good that professionals can know what adult role models thought about AAC when they were children, so they can talk about what will help children learn about AAC. Then the professionals can work well with young children.

It is important for brothers and sisters to meet adult role models to know that people can communicate well, and then they might expect more of their brothers and sisters, and they could expect more for them as well.

It is important that they know that one day their brother or sister will move on and use more than eight pictures. They know that this is just the beginning."

Amanda Creely

Amanda uses a Liberator with LLL, and accesses it with a joystick. Unfortunately no one else in Amanda's day centre has a communication aid so she gets very little chance to talk.