A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with an old friend and becoming acquainted with her family. She has a 6-year-old with a very inquisitive nature. Frequently, she asked “what” we were saying, “why” something occurred, “when” and “where” we were going. She was curious not only about the schedule but about [...]
Like most people with severe communication disorders, I hated going to doctors. I came home a basket case from their yelling at me as if I was deaf, or had no intelligence. Unfortunately, this lack of understanding comes from receiving little disability training in med school. In spite of the unawareness, my recent visits have [...]
My 7 year old nephew, Bryce, plays on two little league teams. To say that he is passionate about the game of baseball would be a huge understatement. Hunter Pence, of the Houston Astros, is his idol. Everyone, including AAC users, needs to be passionate about something they truly love. It is through our passions [...]
I am getting ready to embark on a new chapter in my life. I am moving from Cape Coral, Florida to Katy, Texas to live with my girlfriend, Tasha. Like me, Tasha is also a consumer representative for DynaVox, and a VoiceforLiving.com blogger. In fact we met in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2007 during a meeting [...]
Hello…what…can you hear me now? There is nothing more frustrating than experiencing a communication breakdown, whether it is a technical difficulty or misunderstanding between communication partners. As an AAC user this can be even more trying. I wanted to provide you with some resources in an effort to minimize these breakdowns. Here is one tool [...]
Hello…what…can you hear me now? There is nothing more frustrating than experiencing a communication breakdown, whether it is a technical difficulty or misunderstanding between communication partners. As an AAC user this can be even more trying. I wanted to provide you with some resources in an effort to minimize these breakdowns. Here is one tool [...]
I’m sure we are all quiet familiar with the phrase “no one ever said life would be easy.” It is in the most difficult times in life when the hardest life lessons are learned. Each person brings to the table their own perspective of lessons learned. In effect, we become teachers to one another.
I have [...]
A song is a very moving and powerful thing. Starting with the National Anthem, everything in this country is tied to a song. Birthdays, holidays, weddings, special events, moments in history, and so on. If you can name it, there’s a song for it. Singing is part of our culture.
I remember at age 21 getting [...]
In January of this year, I travelled to Orlando, Florida, where I participated in an AAC Town Hall meeting as a panelist. This was one of the breakout sessions at the annual Assistive Technology Industry Association (A.T.I.A.) Conference in Orlando. The other three panelists were Gail VanTatenhove (AAC Clinician), Dave Herschberger (manufacture/vendor), and Dr. Mary [...]
For students who rely on AAC devices for communication, there is no such time as “speech time.” Communication happens all day long. I have witnessed this many times in my career. The AAC device comes out of the backpack when the Speech-Language Pathologist comes to fetch the student for therapy. Communication happens all day long. [...]
Recent Comments