The professional development DVD series by Caroline Ramsey Musselwhite is a perfect way to provide training to educators, SLPs, and other people who support individuals with special needs.
These would be great for a professional development series in a school for the upcoming year or for learning over the summer. You can see samples of the titles here: http://www.youtube.com/user/CMusselwhite and you can order these from this website: www.aacintervention.com
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Lately, in such a good way, I feel pulled in so many directions, keeping family first, new friends, p2g, and last but not least, the PhD. With so much data coming at you, it can be hard to keep the ax sharp. Yet, there are times when someone tells you something and it pulls things right back into focus. When Kara, one of the first Proloquo2Go users messaged me tonight, it reminded me that I became a teacher because I care and because I like being part of a community. This was Kara’s response to my message commenting on how cool it is that both her and her son use and benefit from Proloquo2Go, on the iPhone and iPod touch respectively. Much thanks to Kara for letting me tell the story here. To me, things like this are my motivation for being a teacher.
….yeah, it’s something he and I can do together.
-Kara
Rob,
I am so glad you addressed the incendiary issue put forth around speech and communication because it is a conversation worth having. I believe that as a field in general we have been overlooking a key missing link, how they connect.
Today has been a day where I have seen dreams move forward. Today a boy was able to walk into his elementary school and say that he was in the newspaper. Today I have seen simple miracles of life.
Out of the shadows of fear of missed opportunity of speech, comes a potential alternate scenario. Out of a debated, confused topic comes a concept of focusing on communication, which can mean many things to many people.
For some, communication is writing, while for some it is selecting pictures and placing them on a velcro strip. For others it is using a PODD book. For yet others it is switch scanning. Now people use their eyes. Back then, people used their eyes. For some it is art. For some it is using a computer.
To me, when I try to think about what communication means, I always hear about three or four of some of the people I look up to most. I hear Janice Light saying communication is the essence of life. I think about that intro to the Buekelmand and Mirenda text about driving up to stop light and you don’t realize how many symbols we all use. I hear Robin from the Respite saying it is all about love. I hear Patty Cassidy saying “model, model, model”, bringing me back to my role as a teacher and mentor. I also think about Michael Phillips and his blog.
Yet today, I was considering the evidence of how augmentative communication use effects speech. There is a mounting body of evidence that suggests that speech is improved in individuals using AAC (Binger et al. 2008, Schlosser & Wendt, 2008, Milar, Light & Schlosser 2006). In practice, I have definitely seen this be the case and I believe it is because of the active engagement around communication is improved while using AAC, the individual has the opportunity to see the power of communication, and the individual often has a more full immersion experience with both receptive and expressive communication. So while we see this evidence in the studies cited, the key question that came up in a coffee with a professor yesterday was how to you link them? How do we best encourage speech while using AAC? I am glad that Dr. Leaf responded to Robert Rummel-Hudson’s post and I like how he spoke about individuals with autism being able to learn how to use their natural voices. It seems that we now have a conversation going and to me the focus should quickly shift to how can we better teach communication. We can use everything available to us. Truly, unaided natural voices are always with us and I remember Dr. Cress says, “no kid in the world is going to give up on speech” What a great common sense interpretation of the research! So as we take up our iPhones and iPods, Vantages, Vanguards, Tangos, Dynavoxs, and Mercurys, we will consider how it all fits together into a total communication system that is fully individualized for the particular individual it serves. We can remember what Gayle Porter says is the goal, “The goal is for people to be able to meet their own daily language needs as efficiently, specifically, intelligibly, independently, and socially valued as possible. In closing, I would like to invite Dr. Leaf and any other experts in the study of behavior and teaching to engage in this important question, “How best do we help individuals communicate by using everything we have available?”. I went to a lecture in LA at CSUN this past March led by Dr. Bruce Baker and Dr. Bill Helsel, titled Linguistics and Behavior Analysis Find Common Theoretical Ground in AAC and I see great opportunity for collaboration as they laid out how slps, teachers, and behaviorists can each play a part in answering the question we are all interested in better answering.
Thanks for what you do Rob and for how much you care.
Regards,
Samuel Sennott
- Binger, C., Berens, J., Kent-Walsh, J., & Taylor, S. (2008). The effects of aided AAC interventions on AAC use, speech, and symbolic gestures. Seminars in Speech and Language, 29(2), 101-11. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1079124.
- Schlosser, R. W., & Wendt, O. (2008). Effects of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention on Speech Production in Children With Autism: A Systematic Review. Am J Speech Lang Pathol, 17(3), 212-230. doi: 10.1044/1058-0360(2008/021).
- Millar, D. C., Light, J. C., & Schlosser, R. W. (2006). The Impact of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention on the Speech Production of Individuals With Developmental Disabilities: A Research Review. J Speech Lang Hear Res, 49(2), 248-264. doi: 10.1044/1092-4388(2006/021).
- Beukelman, D. R., & Mirenda, P. (2005). Augmentative and alternative communication: Supporting children and adults with complex communication needs (3rd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Proloquo2Go is featured in USA TODAY, in the online-edition on 27 May 2009 and in the print-edition on 28 May 2009. See “iPhone applications can help the autistic” By Greg Toppo
This is a step for AAC in general and it makes me smile for all the children, their families, and their teachers of all sorts.
In case something was needed to help get me up in the morning…
Upon awaking this morning, I have had an overwhelming sense of awe for what mothers do. This morning, I am thinking of the mothers of children with disabilities. All mothers have an amazing task, but the responsibility of some of my students’ mothers is even more awe inspiring. It is a clear message to me and that message is love. All mothers work hard. Yet, for many of these particular mothers, the physical, emotional, and spiritual lifting they do on a daily basis is truly awesome in nature. Life is shrouded in mystery and the connection that is created by that care and work is powerful. I think about Sharon, Dale, Marsha, and the Jens. I think about Sue and Pam and all of the families I know. The deep love manifest and observed is a powerful example to everyone they meet. This very much holds true for the fathers as well.
I am so inspired by the mothers of my students. There were many times in Fort Lauderdale where team members Jessie and Christina and I would just stop and comment on how terrific the parents that we worked with are. I will always look back fondly on how those two young women, who are training to be SLPs, respected and looked up to the mothers of the students in our program. So as I ready myself for the next phase of my teaching and research, I simply recommit to doing it for the individuals I serve and also their families. I consider myself very lucky to be able to do this work and be a part of various families lives. I am committed to working as hard and as smart as I can to make a difference for them.
My mother has been visiting me in State College over the last few days. We awoke and went to a nice breakfast before she headed home. The love she has for me and the support she has given me is something that will stay with me forever and I am more than thankful for it. In these times of balancing life, p2g and the PhD, it is especially appreciated! Thanks mom.
