tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447392662850613354.post4682560371506152186..comments2024-02-25T10:24:30.868-05:00Comments on Special needs disability parenting BLOOM: How ideas about 'normal' speech silence childrenBLOOM - Parenting Kids With Disabilitieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06901482901008135659noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447392662850613354.post-21565490272516143812016-06-13T09:23:34.816-04:002016-06-13T09:23:34.816-04:00Thanks for this informative post, Louise. In readi...Thanks for this informative post, Louise. In reading through the comments I would say 'ditto' to BethBG's comment. My comment about our son, Carter's situation would mirror exactly what Beth had to say about the situation and the experience she's had with her son. Nonetheless, this is a very thought provoking piece. I can only hope that we will be able to find someone who can act as a reliable communication partner for Carter because, as many have said here already, Mom, Dad and siblings will not always be around to translate.More Than Wordshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11138952283334533183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447392662850613354.post-62526424457742033702016-04-28T09:03:44.323-04:002016-04-28T09:03:44.323-04:00It is great to engage in these conversations! Agre...It is great to engage in these conversations! Agreed - people with communication impairments should be supported to use ALL of their preferred modes of communication - this will include technologies in many situations. To reiterate, AAC devices have much to offer but youth in my research said they did not want people to 'rule out' all of the other ways that they communicate. <br /><br />An important clarification: The term 'facilitated communication' is a very controversial one that means different things to different people. The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) is a group that includes many people who use AAC. They define facilitated communication as the type where one person physically prompts another to type a message - usually hand-over-hand. ISAAC has taken a position against facilitated communication. The communication partners (sometimes called communication assistants) described in this blogpost are not using that approach. The biannual ISAAC conference will be held in Toronto this year and brings together people from around the world who use AAC, clinicians, educators, device developers and so on. This is a great resource and networking opportunity for Ontario families see https://www.isaac-online.org/english/conference-2016/ or on Twitter #ISAAC2016 Gail Teachmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447392662850613354.post-15488531559287799672016-04-28T08:43:31.059-04:002016-04-28T08:43:31.059-04:00Great post! I shared with NeuroDevNet researchers ...Great post! I shared with NeuroDevNet researchers who are looking for best practice in research engagement. This reminds me so much of what happens in our house with Nick. We talk all the time and he is considered non-speaking. Our family and Nick's closest helpers understand him just fine. Nick is reluctant to use his Dynavox with head switches and earphones because it's so slow and work-intensive. He'll use it under duress with unfamiliar communication partners. We are all waiting for the day when technology is developed that can translate thoughts into spoken words.The Caregivers' Living Roomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10920119448415733545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447392662850613354.post-82098184715415384792016-04-28T07:43:47.203-04:002016-04-28T07:43:47.203-04:00Thank you for a very thought-provoking post. My s...Thank you for a very thought-provoking post. My son has Down syndrome and apraxia. We went to a communication device at around age 8 and he hated it. He refused to use it which was frustrating for all of us. He signed a little bit but not very much. He now has an iPad and ProLoQuo2Go which he finds much easier to use. But he almost never uses it at home with us because we understand him. When we use it out in the community at stores and restaurants, reactions are mixed. Some people say how cool! Some ignore it and address all their questions to me. Some don't even realize it's his communication and just think he is a bratty kid who can't put their electronics down long enough to help Mom with the shopping. And yet, even his teachers express surprise at how much knowledge he has when he is able to answer them correctly or express a complex thought. Yes, he has intellectual disabilities and trouble speaking but he is not stupid! Our main worry is what happens to him when we are no longer here to translate for him? As Catherine said above, if we only relied on those who understood his speech it would be difficult when we weren't available and I think more frustrating for him later on. So we will keep plugging away and helping him communicate in a way that the majority of the world can understand. I'll perhaps feel less guilty about him not using it so much at home though :-DBethBGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12353601159806913449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447392662850613354.post-24811913225638748272016-04-27T23:46:26.631-04:002016-04-27T23:46:26.631-04:00This post brings up so many important issues that
...This post brings up so many important issues that<br />need more attention and awareness. Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06318174928862120631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447392662850613354.post-36682823817001591712016-04-27T18:48:23.415-04:002016-04-27T18:48:23.415-04:00I believe that facilitated communication is a grea...I believe that facilitated communication is a great thing when it works for a person. The only problem with it is if there are not many interpreters who can do the facilitating. It's great that Mom, Dad, Sis or other family members or friends can do such a great job but if only one person can do it and something happens to that one person, it leaves the facilitated in a bad place. <br /><br />I wish centers, universities, some place would have a facilitated person and helper come up with a methodology that would allow someone to be trained in the facilitator's place, and that this is something that keeps getting updated, so some one can step in if something happens. Sadly in life, there is no predicting what can occur, and a back up is needed. Such a center can also verify that the translation is all that is happening, that the communication is indeed being facilitated, because there have been cases where that was not the case, and even more where doubt is cast. Catherinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149885637140617891noreply@blogger.com