michael brian reed
I use a speech output communication aid and sometimes a computer to talk. This is called using Augmentative and Alternative Communication, or AAC for short. I'm 17, still learning.
Events, Gallery, Blog & About Me (top right of page) not done yet. Here's some notes of what we are up to:
15 September 2007 My 18th birthday I'm 18 on 11 September, having my party on Saturday 15 September
Thank you everyone for celebrating my 18th with me at Chilton Community College (map) and for your generous gifts. Most activities went ahead as planned, and we all had a great day - I did anyway. Unfortunately the AAC song and movie-making didn't happen due to some technical hitches. We are hiring rooms at the college to do the AAC movie work on Tuesday evenings from 5pm - 7pm starting 9 October, and possibly another Saturday all-day session, so do come along.
AAC DVD
Our movie is to celebrate the many forms of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) that some people rely on to communicate.
We have a communication aid, communication book, word cards etc. for people to use to say whatever they want and we kids will be involved in every part of the movie from storyboarding to editing and making animation scenes.
The DVD should prove the benefits of AAC for us kids and our ability to benefit from it, as well as being a teaching tool to show our teachers and speech therapists how to use AAC with us.
We hope the movie will help to remove some of the barriers that stop people from making more of AAC.
13 - 15 july 2007 Hayes Conference Centre, Derby
1 Voice 'Listen to Me' DVD making project and Family Network Day
A group of teenage AAC users from 1 Voice (I was one) were filmed making a DVD 'Listen to Me'. The DVD will be in three parts - a music video, a documentary about our experiences of being communication aid users, and a section promoting the 1 Voice group. Silver Fish, who shot the movie, say it will be ready early in September.
30 September 2007 Great North Run
Six people in my family are doing the Great North Run to raise awareness and funds for AAC charities and the hospital where I have my head operations.
October 2007 The first International AAC Awareness Event.
The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) - ISAAC - is inviting members in fifteen countries around the world to organise local events during October 2007, with a goal of raising awareness of what AAC is.
ISAAC is 25 years old 6 October 2008, and the pictures, video and news reports from the 2007 local events will be used to promote a coordinated International event for next year's celebrations.
Communication Matters (the UK chapter of ISAAC) will publicise everyone's events this year and forward our pictures and reports to ISAAC. The link to the invitation to participate this year is half-way down the right side column of CM homepage at: http://communicationmatters.org.uk
home blog gallery events: 15 Sep - my 18th GNR isaac '07 pages
The links below go to my old site, where all the 'home' links go its homepage.
There's a link on the old homepage to get back here.
