What a Shame…..

“What a shame that she has to rely on AAC.”

These words were spoken to me by a colleague recently after completing an evaluation for a teenage AAC candidate. The diagnoses filled a long list, but the one this colleague was stuck on was severe stuttering. Surely if an individual was cognitively capable of using a device the other therapist proposed, then she was capable of using fluency modification techniques to be a verbal communicator. 

This conversation was like a punch to the gut. Despite all the advocacy and education I’ve provided on behalf of our AAC users, here was an opinion relegating AAC to worst case scenario status. 

I propose the opposite side of the coin: This individual had been written off by many as incapable of interacting or achieving goals merely because of a lack of verbal speech. What a shame that in this era of technology no one had put the power of a voice in her hands. An individual who could not string more than two words together verbally teased and argued with me using a communication device. Her entire demeanor changed as the possibilities of a voice were realized. The parting message composed? “I feel happy because I like this.”

Every day, I see children who need assistance to communicate not because of lack of intelligence, but because of a disconnect between brain and mouth. What a shame that there is a prevailing opinion even among professionals in our field that using an SGD is a lesser form of communication. 

AAC myths are prevalent regarding actual implementation, but what a shame that I now have to add another to my list. 

The education and advocacy will continue. I will never give up on our kids. There are still many more who already have.

What a shame.

Janice Reese

My name is Janice Reese and I LOVE assistive technology! I worked as an Occupational Therapist for more than 15 years, earned a Master’s degree in Education Technology, and I’m RESNA certified as an Assistive Technology Profession (ATP). I have worked in the school system for many years now and I love using technology to enhance the lives of children with disabilities. Since my first love is teaching, I’ve spent just as much time training wonderful teachers everywhere to use these tools in their classrooms. AT4Kids, llc was founded in 2008 in an effort to provide quality instruction and resources for teachers, therapists, student users and parents who wanted to know more about using AT.

I currently serve as Director of the Center for Assistive Technology, a state-supported program of the Little TN Valley Educational Cooperative. LTVEC is a non-profit agency whose goal is to provide rehabilitation services and accessibility supports for students with special needs in east Tennessee. My AT4Kids blog is designed to be as a one-stop resource for ideas and information for those wanting to learn more about the use of AT with children in the special education setting.

I hope to offer helpful hints, program and product reviews, AT recommendations, links to great new finds on the web, and lists of resources for “all things AT”.

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Tennessee Association for Assistive Technology Conference: A Presenter’s Review

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Tennessee Association for Assistive Technology Conference: What We Learned