Every day may not be good,
but there’s something good in every day.
Author Unknown
When I ask people to describe a particular student with autism that may be on their caseload or in their classroom, I often hear about the student’s challenges. I might hear about the fact that the student isn’t motivated to learn or that [...]
In my last blog, I shared my dismay at the effect the aging process was having on the vision of my friends and (sigh!) myself. This led me to consider the importance of vision in using AAC and the visual issues which might occur in those who have experienced a neurological event such as a [...]
Like many others, my town has baseball leagues for children and teens. The park district building was overrun the other day with kids and their parents signing up for these leagues. Most of the kids ran (or at least walked really fast) up to the door excited to get their team assignments. One boy, probably [...]
I consider myself a relatively handsome guy with a real smooth sense of style. I pride myself on making more then a few women turn their heads whenever I roll by in my wheelchair. I heard that my smile can melt any girl’s heart and is an excellent icebreaker. Sufficed to say I definitely got [...]
Putting together a presentation is hard for anyone. For some people it comes easily and for other people it comes harder. But as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) user, the way I write may be different from how other AAC users write. I created a system that is adapted to my disability and works [...]
I often find myself helping people who are brand new to AAC. This often happens in the school setting when a teacher gets a student in their classroom who either already has a device or is going through the process to acquire one. Sometimes, it is an SLP who doesn’t really know how to support [...]
Before my accident I had always considered myself to be funny. I could always get my friends rolling on the floor with my quick-witted humor. Since my accident, I have not lost my sense of humor. But I found it hard to keep up the quick-witted part of my humor – especially when using an [...]
Making alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) fun and interesting is one of the keys to success. It should be fun, especially for children, learning how to use an AAC device. Therefore, it is important to ask, “Is the consumer’s experience in learning a device fun and interesting?”
If the learning experience is boring and without purpose, [...]
Has this ever happened to you? You’re nice and relaxed, and all ready to talk to someone when someone walks into the room and you just tighten up. You find you can’t think, you become totally spastic, and even though that one person hasn’t said or done anything, you just feel tight having them around.
This [...]
Have you considered using high-tech AAC with a young child? We’ve recently met a young child named Wyatt using a high-tech DynaVox device. He was 19 months old when he first received his device, and he just turned 2 last week. He has made some significant communicative progress using his device! Wyatt’s family has shared [...]
The school team working with Evan has made another great move to make his device a powerful tool for him both in and out of the classroom!
A few weeks ago, the school classroom hosted a sharing night where students were to make presentations to their peers and families showcasing the work and special projects they’ve completed [...]
By Kellie Roberts
I want to share a conversation that my son, Chad, who is non verbal had. This is a miracle! Something I have waited for all of his life!
Chad is now 18 years old and has had all the therapy I could get for him. We have been blessed by kindness of others who [...]
By Maria Flores
As a single mother, I have been working hard for my son, Zamir, to get a communication device. The one he is currently using is from the county. His communication is 80% better than before he began using the device.
My son has Autism. He is nonverbal and I believe he cannot live without [...]
By Stacy Hall
My son, Noah, was diagnosed with Autism right after he turned two. From the time he was diagnosed to now, Boardmaker, PCS symbols and Writing with Symbols have been used in my house religiously. I make social stories, calendar symbols, and even power cards using the software. Using tools created with Boardmaker has [...]
By Cathy Wachtel
Michael is considered lower functioning by some because he does not speak, he can’t tie his shoes or take a shower by himself. But having a DynaVox MiniMo has opened a whole new world for him. He can tell us things like where he wants to go eat when we ask him (and [...]
By Catherine Fox
Donavan is a young man who spent a great deal of his early development learning through applied behavior analysis (ABA) principles. An important part of his learning focsused on receptive language development, combining visual supports (like those created with Boardmaker with category-based learning. When it was time to choose an augmentative and alternative [...]
“Matthew” was in a car accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury (TBI). He was in his early 30s at the time, was married, and had a young daughter. During his recovery process, Matthew spent a lot of time away from his family—either in while he was in the hospital for rehabilitation, a nursing [...]
Everyone hits a roadblock or two in their life. AAC users are no different. But the manner in which we are able to deal with them can be much more challenging than for the average person. The old saying is true – “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
It can be a simple roadblock, such as [...]
Finally! After two years of dropped calls and dead zones, my husband and I are going to be switching cell phone carriers! While I am excited about the thought of having conversations without apologizing 5 times for being disconnected, I am not looking forward to learning a new phone. I am not looking forward to [...]
As a product manager at DynaVox, I’m so excited to be writing my first blog post and announcing the AccessIT™ Bluetooth® Adapter, an exciting new accessory that I think a lot of AAC users are going to love.
Doesn’t it look cool? Ok, here’s the techie stuff. The AccessIT Bluetooth Adapter operates with the same principle [...]
I’m very excited to announce another new accessory being released from DynaVox – the Xpress Shoulder Strap.
The Xpress Shoulder Strap is compatible with the handle that has been shipping with the Xpress device so that you can connect them together to make a longer strap, or disconnect the handle and only use the shoulder strap. [...]
The blogs on stroke and brain injury found on VoiceforLiving.com have highlighted the benefit of multi-modal communication, the role of the communication partner and the importance of honoring the personality and interests of the individual. Today, I want to tell you a story that shows the result of all of these important topics.
Kristy was a [...]
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