Mike McGinn, from the Philadelphia area, recently spoke at his graduation using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This moving video tells the story of how he developed Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) which impacted his ability to speak. Mike uses Proloquo2Go to communicate and used it to speak at the graduation.
This story shows the importance of communication and the power of AAC. I am thankful to be in this field and to have been able to have co-created something that is making a difference. Here for the video.
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Today, the phone rang and it was the mother of a former student saying that her son had something he would like to say to me. I listened and he said, “hi, Mr. Sennott.” This seemingly ordinary event was far from it, for I have never heard that student speak that greeting to me before. The student has an autism spectrum disorder and while he has learned to communicate utilizing various forms of AAC, he has struggled to develop speech. His mother has been messaging me lately with updates about how he has been using the iPad in various ways to communicate and engage with curriculum content. I have been delighted to hear the good reports. Yet, I was unprepared to hear him speak those words.
I recall speaking with his mother on numerous occasions saying to appreciate what AAC offers, but to also know that individuals can acquire speech quite late. I shared anecdotes about some of the people I first worked with at the Respite Center in Hopkinton and how their families reported to me about how late they started speaking. (I remember being in awe hearing about how one friend of mine there had started speaking so late, as she was one of the most loquacious people I know.) Despite my hope and belief that this former student would speak, it still came as quite a wonderful surprise to receive that phone call today. It was truly like music to my ears. Occasionally, I have vivid dreams that some of my students with complex communication needs who use AAC to express themselves communicate to me using speech. I have heard of other teachers experiencing the same thing. Today, that dream cam true.
Fortunately, parents, teachers, and therapists do not have to choose between promoting speech and AAC. It is a well established finding that AAC does not hinder the development of speech. There are some terrific reviews of the relevant research:
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.
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. Journal of Speech Language Hearing Research, 49(2), 248-264.
Schlosser, R. W., & Wendt, O. (2008). Effects of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention on Speech Production in Children With Autism: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Speech Lang Pathology, 17(3), 212-230.
Language and communication are tremendously powerful things. I am thankful we have ways to wield them such as speech, sign language, writing, and other forms of AAC, such as using iPads and iPods with AAC software.
It was quite humbling and awesome walking into the Apple Shop inside my local Best Buy store today.
What did I find, but the Apple associate pulling me over to their iPad display to show me that Proloquo2Go is on the new demonstration image. When I first envisioned an AAC app on the iPhone over three years ago, I believed that it would help people and be a wild success. Little did I know how each step in the journey would unfold. What came to my mind was that this is a huge success for people with disabilities. This is a stake in the moon for accessibility. Apple has championed accessibility for a long time. Now, as the world of computing shifts beneath our feet, it is more important than ever to be considering how to build things to be universally designed. The exposure and conversations that people checking out Proloquo2Go across Apple Stores and Best Buys is powerful.
Here is a picture of me today at the Apple Shop inside my local Best Buy holding an iPad with Proloquo2Go.
Samuel Sennott holding an iPad with Proloquo2Go at an Apple Shop in Best Buy
Proloquo2Go, the most popular full featured Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) iOS App is featured on iPads at Apple Retail Stores and Best Buy locations in the United States. There are over 200 Apple Retail Stores and 1,000 Best Buy Stores in the US.
As a co-creator of the original Proloquo2Go and a PhD student at The Pennsylvania State University it means a lot to see the AAC App that I worked tirelessly on being exposed to thousands of people. When I contacted David Niemeijer of AssistiveWare about collaborating, I learned a valuable lesson. That lesson was that by collaborating you can accomplish goals better, more quickly, and in unique ways. My dream quickly became a reality, as Proloquo2Go has been one of the most successful AAC products ever created. The grassroots community that rallied behind using the iOS as a tool for people with disabilities has been simply fantastic.
As a co-creator of the original Proloquo2Go, I feel so thankful to have been able to receive so much help in spreading the word that people with disabilities who have difficulty speaking, when given the opportunity and right supports can learn to communicate. AAC is not just an app. It is a whole field dedicated to helping people get the communication systems they need. That means good assessment and evaluation. It means customization and individualization. It means teaching people to use language in augmentative and alternative ways. It means reading and writing for some and photographic symbols for others. It means high tech tools like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, but it can also mean sign language, gestures, and paper based communication books. Most importantly, it is about the people and those people harnessing the magic and power of communication, which Janice Light eloquently says is the essence of life.
So as I buckle back down to my PhD studies this weekend, I’ll take a last walk of the day and take a deep breath into the cool December air. I’ll think about that two years ago, I was breathing even cooler air in Vermont where much of the work of Proloquo2Go was completed together with David Niemeijer way across the ocean in Amsterdam. As I put my pen to the page tomorrow in my studies I will think about all the people I am working to help and I’ll think about all the people who have worked to help me. And I’ll know from personal experience, that if you believe in a project, seek the help that you need, and work hard enough, that very special things are possible. It is simply amazing grace.
So thank you to all the people who work at Apple, for it is because of you that a few more people will see and feel the power of AAC.
Check out the following article and video, featuring a Proloquo2Go user and Steve Jobs commenting on the people we serve. Seeing this made me so thankful that I believed in the vision of creating Proloquo2Go. Also, it is vital that AAC moves from being obscure to being as well known as sign language, hearing aides, and braille.
Using the iPad to Connect
Parents, Therapists Use Apple Tablet to Communicate With Special Needs Kids
By JENNIFER VALENTINO-DEVRIES
It is days like this that help boost my desire to help even more as I study AAC in-depth as a PhD candidate at the Pennsylvania State University.
It was terrific speaking with ABC news about Proloquo2Go on the iPad. Here is the link to the full story. You can see the video below.
The Conversation: iPad Gives Voice to the Autisti
Fox News Video: Girl with autism using Proloquo2Go
Autism: there’s an app for help. Monday March 29, 2010 Fox News in Tampa reports on a young girl using Proloquo2Go at home and at school. Click here to read the story.
