Bringing AAC Home Presentation from Closing the Gap 2013

1. Kate Ahern, M.S.Ed.
Ana Burke
Closing the Gap

2.  All photos/videos not created by charities in this
presentation are the respective property of the
individuals in them and/or their parents or
guardians.
 We have permission to use these photos/videos –
that permission does not extend to the audience
photographing or filming them or sharing any
downloaded hand outs
 Please be respectful of the rights of these
families
 Special Thanks to Shannon and Jeanne Molloy;
Nik and Beth Anderson; Samantha, Kevin, Alison
and Ana Burke; Graham and Randi Sargent,
Jordan and Stephanie Brown for permission to
use the photos and videos!

3. • My Voice is My Power
• Presume Competence
• AAC Bill of Rights
• How do we help parents?
• Simple Steps for Positive AAC Experiences:
The MMM Method
 Motivate
 Model
 Move Out of the Way
• Grow Vocabulary
• Communication Rich Environments
• Involve Siblings
• I still have something to say!

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5ZlUnU8Oeo

5. Many parents need and want the tools…
We as professionals MUST find a way to provide it!

6. To give their child a
powerful voice!

7. Teach Parents:
"The least dangerous
assumption is the premise
that (in the absence of
evidence) we believe we
not yet found a way to make
it so a child or adult with a
disability "can" instead of
believing he or she "can't."
AKA
"Presume Competence"
Donnellan, Anne, (1984) "The Criterion of the Least
Dangerous Assumption" Behavioral Disorders, v9 n2
p141-50 Feb 1984 (print copy not available).
Rossetti, Zach and Tashie, Carol (2002) "Outing the
prejudice: Making the least dangerous assumption."
The Communicator: Newsletter of the Autism National
Committee, 2002. downloaded from
inclusivelife.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/least-
dangerous-assumption.pdf on June 30 2010.

8. •Make real
choices
•Refuse, reject, say
no
•Ask for what I
want
•Share feelings
•Be heard and
responded to
even if the answer
is no
•Ask for and get
attention and
interaction
•Have and use
AAC all the time
•Know and ask
about my
schedule
•Be taught how
to
communicate
•Be a full
member of my
community
•Be treated
with respect
and dignity
•To spoken to
and not about
•Be
communicated
with in a
sensitive
manner
At School and at Home – Communication is a Human Right!

9.  Show them how to make small goals that
work towards full time communication
system use
 Help them break it down into things they can
do, starting now
 If possible offer AAC training in the home
 Give information about webinars and online
courses
 Encourage them to join social networking
groups
 Help them re-group when things get hard
 Encourage and Inspire

11. Set it and forget it!
MMM
• Motivate
• Model
• Move out of the way!
Grow the vocabulary!

12.  Set it and forget it! - Set up
and turn on the speech
device and then take the
focus off of it. The device is
a tool. It is your child's
voice but in reality the focus
is on interaction and
connection. The more you
try to focus on the device
and just asking questions of
your child or insisting they
"find _____" the less
motivating communication
will be. Once the device is
set up...

13.  Focus on the fun or
connection in an activity or
family situation.
 Around the dinner
table? Don't force asking
to pass the peas or for a
glass of milk -
boring! Instead tell jokes,
share about your day and
encourage interaction.
 Focus on comments,
descriptions and the AAC
user asking, not answering,
questions.
 Make
communicating irresistible
and then...

14.  Model - language in equals
language out (to paraphrase Linda
Burkhart).
 Fancy word for this is Aided
Language Stimulation
 Number one way to increase AAC
skills is ALS!
 The device is set up, you have a
topic at hand and it is fun.
 NowYOU use the device. Have
your other children use the
device. Have visitors use the
device.
 Communicate with the device as
you communicate with your
voice. Want to say that something
is awesome? Use the device! Want
to tell someone to quiet
down? Use the device!
 Show, don't tell, how to use AAC to
communicate

15.  Teach parents how to move out of
the way:
• Leave the device set up
 There is no such thing as "device time
being over" or "being too tired".
 If someone is too tired to communicate
then they just won't say anything.
 It is fine to have a device set up and then
not say anything!
• Moving out of the way means letting
life unfold and being ready for the
surprises your child throws are you.
• You never know what someone will to
say until you give them the time and
space to say it!
• Encourage “talking to yourself!”
• Don’t forget to give them wait time!
Pressuring them gets in the way. *

16.  If there is nothing to
say… then they won’t
say anything!
 Start somewhere
between where you
think they are and
where you want them
to be in your wildest
dreams
 Increase vocabulary
so there is always
more to learn to say

17.  The goal at home is:
• The device is on and
ready at all times, you
may need to build up
to this but it is the
goal
• Family members use
the system when
talking to the AAC
user
• Label everything
possible not just with
nouns but core words
as well
• Have posted core
word boards or other
materials

18.  Harness their innate
tech saavy
 Encourage them to
model using the device
 Insist they respect
communications made
with the device
 Ask for their input on
what cool language
should be
programmed
 Teach older siblings
how to program

20.  Access in unusual places
might take creativity.
 Can you mount the
system?
• In bed
• Near the couch?
• The dinner table?
 Can you add accessories
to make it work out?
 Can you use a lite tech
version?
 The hassle is always
worth allowing the
human right of
communication!

21.  Communication Bills of
Rights Posters
http://bit.ly/16AvGvu
 Original Motivate,
Model, Move Out of the
Way
http://bit.ly/SyUpJw
 Living the Least
Dangerous Assumption
Article
http://bit.ly/17dwLxs
 Purchase the MMM Kit
http://www.teacherspa
yteachers.com/Product
/Motivate-Model-
Move-Out-of-the-Way-
How-to-implement-
AAC-888502

22.  Kate Ahern
 kahern@eastersealsma.org
 Ana Burke
 coqui61670@gmail.com