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Vacationing at Lakeside 2016: Augmented Communication and Pointing

Vacationing at Lakeside 2016: Augmented Communication and Pointing

Kim Rankin
AAC, Our Family

When Nathaniel was fourteen months old, our then speech therapist asked if he was pointing at things. She expressed the importance of pointing and joint attention in language development and stressed that these were precursors for further language growth. She advised that I should place Nathaniel, who was still new at sitting up, in the middle of the room with everything desirable out of reach. "Unless Nathaniel points to the object, do not let him have it. No toys until he points to them."

Nathaniel was perfectly content to sit quietly for full days without toys.

Augmented Communication and Messy Play

Augmented Communication and Messy Play

Kim Rankin
AAC, Homeschooling

I realized something new in our quarterly AAC consultation earlier this month. We were discussing Nathaniel's ownership of his device and the need for him to have it with him at all times. I've been honest with the team and on my blog that I struggle with this idea. He is three, little for his size, and his device is a full size iPad. It is cumbersome even in the lightest case. I know he needs his words available. I dislike putting the responsibility on him to carry them or wear them at all times.

I brought up messy play. "Nathaniel shouldn't have to give up messy play because he is wearing his words..." I said. We use our water table daily three seasons of the year. On warm summer days, it is my son's "afternoon at the pool" experience. His words and device are exchanged for water, sand, shaving cream, cooked and dyed spaghetti noodles, mud, and rocks.

AAC Part 7 - A New Turn in Our Journey

AAC Part 7 - A New Turn in Our Journey

Kim Rankin
AAC

Nathaniel is taking a college class! Well, not really. Nathaniel is a college class. He has been accepted into a preschool level Developmental Language Group (DLG) at a local university. This summer he attends for two hours two mornings a week. The program is offered through a hands-on clinic where students enrolled in a Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program work with patients under the supervision of university faculty members. For the summer session, three clinicians and an instructor are working with six children. Nathaniel is the only AAC user. He is learning to navigate play and preschool programing alongside peers capable of speaking.

Potty Talk and Augmented Communication

Potty Talk and Augmented Communication

Kim Rankin
AAC, Parenting

POOP
PEE
POTTY
UH OH!
I NEED TO GO POTTY!

We started potty training a few weeks ago. Day one my focus was just on the task. Running to the potty, resetting the timer, running to the potty again fifteen minutes later. I signed TOILET to represent this process and I suspect this will be Nathaniel's first way to communicate the need. But I quickly realized we need potty language on the talker. Speak for Yourself (SFY), the speech generating app that Nathaniel uses, had TOILET pre-programmed. That will be helpful in years to come, so I made the word available. We may use it from time to time in modeling. But TOILET is not age appropriate language for all the stuff little ones learn about through potty training.

Augmented Communication Core Vocabulary with Board Books

Augmented Communication Core Vocabulary with Board Books

Kim Rankin
AAC, Homeschooling

At our last augmented communication team session, one of the therapists asked me how Nathaniel does with books. "Oh," I thought to myself, "we're doing great here. They will be so impressed!" Out loud I said, "Really well! We read ten to fifteen books a day. We get books from the library. We have set times through out the day when we read. And we use the talker while reading too!" They asked for further explanation on my last point.

I have read to Nathaniel since his first day home. Shared moments of reading between parent and child is foundational to my understanding of child rearing. My mother read to me. My Aunt Beccy kept stacks of books in her car for her children and other young riders. My mother's cousin was an elementary school teacher and gave me most of her classroom library when she retired. I was nineteen. I had children's books before I had children. Through our years of homeschooling, reading books aloud has been a pivotal aspect of our curriculum and our family's day.

Augmented Communication Part 7 - Combining Words, Current Goals, and Singing.

Augmented Communication Part 7 - Combining Words, Current Goals, and Singing.

Kim Rankin
AAC

Rich and I are professionals at a consistent bedtime routine. I think we crave it as much as the children. It closes our day familiar and predictable. We share responsibilities; we know our roles. Nathaniel knows the schedule too. After bath and g-button care, trach ties, lotion, and pajamas, he is ready for stories. Then a short cuddle on a parent's lap in the rocking chair, and he crawls willingly into bed. Many nights, Rich shares these last moments of the day with Nathaniel, while I use the time to catch up on emails, prepare for the next day, or write. Last night, Nathaniel came into the living room between stories and getting in bed. Something new. He was carrying his talker. He said, "Night Night, Mommy," and offered a hug.

It has been about six months since I offered a review of Nathaniel communication growth and shared what we are working on. Nathaniel's new bedtime routine reminded me that I have much to write about.

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