Yet for six months, every day, I put the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device in our daughter’s bag and asked nicely that they use it to teach and support her, with no luck. Our daughter was almost entirely non-speaking at that time. When we lived in British Columbia, Canada, two months into her kindergarten year, our daughter was suddenly being sent home at lunchtime instead of at the end of the day due to “unmanageable behaviors,” said to be caused by her extensive difficulty with communication. This type of technology was vital to me because of the versatility, robust language options, ability to customize immediately, and our daughter’s preference over picture cards. There are several apps on the market like this, so choosing one that works for you and preferably is familiar to your speech-language pathologist is essential. This app has a full range of language, images, and options to customize. Proloquo2Go is a robust app that allows users to communicate using folders and picture buttons that speak the chosen word/phrase when touched. Instead, schools wanted to continue trying Picture Exchange Communication – PECS, which our daughter had no interest in after four years of limited attempts. For a child who had only 20 words at the time, our daughter gained eight new words in one hour with a borrowed iPad. Some of that time was spent advocating for current technology, such as the iPad I set up with Proloquo2Go after some research and a fundraiser we held. When a speech-language pathologist (SLP) tells you that it will take a child 2-3 years to begin to grasp this new language, much like learning any language during typical child development, they don’t figure in the potential years of advocacy. When I think back to the long road that we’ve been down when it comes to augmentative and alternative communication and using an AAC device, it’s unreal. Chantelle is also a volunteer with the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint. Always proud of her accomplished adult son, Eric, she is delighted daily, caring for her non-speaking autistic daughter Lily with her wonderful husband Sheldon. With a background in Business and Education, Chantelle now advocates for Disability Supports and Human Rights.
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