1. Kate Ahern, M.S.Ed. ATIA 2014

2. All photos/videos not created by charities in this presentation are the respective property of the individuals in them and/or their parents or guardians. I have permission to use these photos/videos that permission does not extend to the audience photographing or filming them or sharing any downloaded hand outs Please be respectful of the rights of these families Special Thanks to Shannon and Jeanne Molloy; Nik and Beth Anderson; Samantha, Kevin, Alison and Ana Burke; Graham and Randi Sargent, Jordan and Stephanie Brown for permission to use the photos and videos! 3. My Voice is My Power Presume Competence AAC Bill of Rights How do we help parents? Simple Steps for Positive AAC Experiences: MMM Method Motivate Model Move Out of the Way Grow Vocabulary Communication Rich Environments Involve Siblings I still have something to say!The 4. "The least dangerous assumption is the premise that (in the absence of evidence) we believe we not yet found a way to make it so a child or adult with a disability "can" instead of believing he or she "can't." AKA "Presume Competence" Donnellan, Anne, (1984) "The Criterion of the Least Dangerous Assumption" Behavioral Disorders, v9 n2 p141-50 Feb 1984 (print copy not available).Rossetti, Zach and Tashie, Carol (2002) "Outing the prejudice: Making the least dangerous assumption." The Communicator: Newsletter of the Autism National Committee, 2002. downloaded from inclusivelife.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/leastdangerous-assumption.pdf on June 30 2010. 5. Make real choices Refuse, reject, sa y no Ask for what I want Share feelings Be heard and responded to even if the answer is no Ask for and get attention and interaction Have and use AAC all the time Know and ask about my scheduleBe taught how to communicate Be a full member of my community Be treated with respect and dignity To spoken to and not about Be communicated with in a sensitive manner 6. Setsmall goals that work towards full time communication system use Break it down into things you can do If possible offer AAC training in the home Give information about webinars and online courses Encourage joining social networking groups Help them re-group when things get hard 7. Setit and forget it! MMM Motivate Model Move out of the way! Growthe vocabulary! 8. Set it and forget it! - Set up and turn on the speech device and then take the focus off of it. The device is a tool. It is your child's voice but in reality the focus is on interaction and connection. The more you try to focus on the device and just asking questions of your child or insisting they "find _____" the less motivating communication will be. Once the device is set up... 9. Focus on the fun or connection in an activity or family situation. Around the dinner table? Don't force asking to pass the peas or for a glass of milk - boring! Instead tell jokes, share about your day and encourage interaction. Focus on comments, descriptions and the AAC user asking, not answering, questions. Make communicating irresistible and then... 10. Model - language in equals language out (to paraphrase Linda Burkhart). Fancy word for this is Aided Language Stimulation Number one way to increase AAC skills is ALS! The device is set up, you have a topic at hand and it is fun. Now YOU use the device. Have your other children use the device. Have visitors use the device. Communicate with the device as you communicate with your voice. Want to say that something is awesome? Use the device! Want to tell someone to quiet down? Use the device! Show, don't tell, how to use AAC to communicate 11. Leave the device set up, there is no such thing as "device time being over" or "being too tired". If someone is too tired to communicate then they just won't say anything. It is fine to have a device set up and then not say anything! Moving out of the way means letting life unfold and being ready for the surprises your child throws are you. You never know what someone will to say until you give them the time and space to say it! Encourage talking to yourself! 12. If there is nothing to say then they wont say anything! Start somewhere between where you think they are and where you want them to be in your wildest dreams Increase vocabulary so there is always more to learn to say Imagine a life of only being able to say, potty, cookie and more!!! 13. The device is on and ready at all times, you may need to build up to this but it is the goal Family members use the system when talking to the AAC user Label everything possible not just with nouns but core words as well Have posted core word boards or other materials 14. Harness their innate tech saavy Encourage them to model using the device Insist they respect communications made with the device Ask for their input on what cool language should be programmed Teach older siblings how to program 15. Access in unusual places might take creativity. Can you mount the system? In bed Near the couch? The dinner table? Can you add accessories to make it work out? Can you use a lite tech version? The hassle is always worth allowing the human right of communication! 16. CommunicationBills of Rights Posters http://bit.ly/16AvGvu Original Motivate, Model, Mov e Out of the Way http://bit.ly/SyUpJw Livingthe Least Dangerous Assumption Article http://bit.ly/17dwLxs 17. KateAhern kahern@eastersealsma.org Ana Burke coqui61670@gmail.com