A lot of people who are unable to talk are severely disabled and wheelchair bound. This includes children and adults, many of whom need personal care such as transferring in and out of bed, bathing, feeding, etc., or going to OT and PT, getting ready for school or a day program. There is a lot [...]
A lot of people who are developmentally and cognitively disabled, and especially some of us who are also non-verbal, don’t have good etiquette skills. We don’t mean to be rude; it’s just that for a lot of us, it might be because of the priorities of our upbringing.
For me, learning to say “Please” or “Thank [...]
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 enjoy writing and I have found that it is therapeutic for me, in a way because of how my thought process works. But there are things which work against me in being a good writer, like my poor language skills and the nature of my disability.
My cerebral palsy has added both developmental delays and [...]
It’s okay to use different methods of communicating over the phone. I use many different methods of talking over the phone because, depending upon the situation, one might be more effective than another.
I usually use my personal care attendant (PCA) to help me talk over the speaker phone because I can hear the other person [...]
I had no communication device when I was growing up. All I had was an alphabet board. With just an alphabet board it was hard to have a conversation with anyone because they had to keep track of every letter of every word I “spoke” in their head long enough to get at what I [...]
I communicate in many different ways. I use my Vmax and my alphabet board. I might vocalize, use gestures or sign language, point to something or even use an instant messenger if I’m at home. Which method I use depends on what is most efficient for me at the time.
When my personal care attendant (PCA) [...]
I was thinking about what it was like growing up having athetoid cerebral palsy and being non-verbal, and how people used to talk to me when I was little. And what it is like now as an adult using a communication device and having a chance to tell people what my thoughts are.
My parents and [...]
It is interesting to watch how people react when I go out into the community. The difference in reactions between adults and kids when they see me in a wheelchair with my DynaVox device is especially interesting.
People often stare at me because I’m in a wheelchair, and then they see this weird thing in front [...]
Recent Comments