Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) in kids with special needs.
One of the core deficits of autism is difficulty in communication. This is evident from the fact that 40% of kids with autism are nonverbal even though most of them have average or above-average intelligence. The cause for why such a high percentage of kids are nonverbal is unknown.
In the case of our son he started babbling around the age of two but never really developed verbal speech as he started showing signs of autism and began showing regression in skills. He became silent even before a formal diagnosis. He remained silent for the next couple of years. He started saying some single words around the age of four and we used to hear a new word every day even though it never progressed to saying a sentence. Even though he was still not speaking we were very hopeful he would speak one day. Around the age of seven Aarian got diagnosed with a rare seizure disorder due to which he is nonverbal till today.
In the meanwhile, during this time at home, he would take our hands to show us what he wants. He used to make some vocalizations during play and try to imitate single words immediately after he heard them. There was no joint attention. He used to smile during a song or activity.
It became evident he needed to be provided with a system to communicate. We started with the PECS( picture exchange communication system ) in order to help him communicate his wants and needs. We got limited success with this program as it all came down to the level of motivation he had to get a particular item. He would often get very upset if he was unable to get his message across and most of the time we had to interpret what Aarian was trying to communicate.
So in the year 2013 it was decided to use an AAC device for Aarian to communicate. All adults and children who are unable to communicate by way of spoken speech need an alternate way to communicate. This can be done with the use of AAC devices. It can be two types a low tech device or a high tech device with a variety of options available in the market today. There was a basic assessment done on Aarian and it was decided by the team he may benefit from a dynamic screen speech-generating device. It was decided to try 2 types of devices one was a springboard lite and the other was Proloquo2go or P2G.
A trial was put in place and after trying out both the devices it was decided that P2G was the best option for Aarian. It is an award-winning symbol supported communication app that provides a voice to many kids and adults who cannot speak for themselves. It caters to kids of all levels from beginning to advanced communicators and targets fine motor, cognitive, and visual skills. It can be customized to each user with different types of vocabulary options. The other device was too bulky for Aarian
So we started our journey with AAC since 2013 and till today Aarian communicates with it as he never developed spoken speech. Today he is less frustrated unlike before as he is able to communicate his wants and needs, his feelings and also protests if he does not feel like doing something. One of the most important things to remember is just by getting a device the child cannot just learn to communicate by themselves. It requires lots of modeling by their parents or teachers long before we can expect them to use the device.
There are no prerequisite skills required for a child to use an AAC device. Please be careful if any of the professionals tell you that. Any child who cannot communicate verbally qualifies to get a device depending on what kind of device is suited to their needs. There is also a misconception among parents that the use of AAC devices will hinder speech development is not true at all. if anything it promotes speech development in kids.
Today Aarian is in high school. His needs are changing. We have decided to try a new AAC device for him as we feel he is ready to make a change. I am so excited about the possibilities of the new device. I will discuss about the same in a future blog post.
In conclusion I would suggest to parents make sure you provide a way for your child to communicate which in turn will reduce frustration and behavior problems as our kids deserve a voice.
In the case of our son he started babbling around the age of two but never really developed verbal speech as he started showing signs of autism and began showing regression in skills. He became silent even before a formal diagnosis. He remained silent for the next couple of years. He started saying some single words around the age of four and we used to hear a new word every day even though it never progressed to saying a sentence. Even though he was still not speaking we were very hopeful he would speak one day. Around the age of seven Aarian got diagnosed with a rare seizure disorder due to which he is nonverbal till today.
In the meanwhile, during this time at home, he would take our hands to show us what he wants. He used to make some vocalizations during play and try to imitate single words immediately after he heard them. There was no joint attention. He used to smile during a song or activity.
It became evident he needed to be provided with a system to communicate. We started with the PECS( picture exchange communication system ) in order to help him communicate his wants and needs. We got limited success with this program as it all came down to the level of motivation he had to get a particular item. He would often get very upset if he was unable to get his message across and most of the time we had to interpret what Aarian was trying to communicate.
So in the year 2013 it was decided to use an AAC device for Aarian to communicate. All adults and children who are unable to communicate by way of spoken speech need an alternate way to communicate. This can be done with the use of AAC devices. It can be two types a low tech device or a high tech device with a variety of options available in the market today. There was a basic assessment done on Aarian and it was decided by the team he may benefit from a dynamic screen speech-generating device. It was decided to try 2 types of devices one was a springboard lite and the other was Proloquo2go or P2G.
A trial was put in place and after trying out both the devices it was decided that P2G was the best option for Aarian. It is an award-winning symbol supported communication app that provides a voice to many kids and adults who cannot speak for themselves. It caters to kids of all levels from beginning to advanced communicators and targets fine motor, cognitive, and visual skills. It can be customized to each user with different types of vocabulary options. The other device was too bulky for Aarian
So we started our journey with AAC since 2013 and till today Aarian communicates with it as he never developed spoken speech. Today he is less frustrated unlike before as he is able to communicate his wants and needs, his feelings and also protests if he does not feel like doing something. One of the most important things to remember is just by getting a device the child cannot just learn to communicate by themselves. It requires lots of modeling by their parents or teachers long before we can expect them to use the device.
There are no prerequisite skills required for a child to use an AAC device. Please be careful if any of the professionals tell you that. Any child who cannot communicate verbally qualifies to get a device depending on what kind of device is suited to their needs. There is also a misconception among parents that the use of AAC devices will hinder speech development is not true at all. if anything it promotes speech development in kids.
Today Aarian is in high school. His needs are changing. We have decided to try a new AAC device for him as we feel he is ready to make a change. I am so excited about the possibilities of the new device. I will discuss about the same in a future blog post.
In conclusion I would suggest to parents make sure you provide a way for your child to communicate which in turn will reduce frustration and behavior problems as our kids deserve a voice.
U are an inspiring mother Gauri ..so much to learn from you...truly..your true spirit is seen in the fact that you want to help others in their struggle. Hats off to u dear..keep writing n keep inspiring..
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