Day 3-AAC Myths

EDUC 5173-Assistive Technology

Class #3 AAC Myths

July 7, 2016

AAC Myths-Augmented Alternative Communication

1. AAC does not impede speech and language development.
2. Children/Adults do not need to match or identify pictures to develop AAC skills.
3. No one has to start with a paper based or low tech AAC system before on to a high tech system.
4. There are absolutely no cognitive or behavioural prerequisites to AAC.
5. Access to the “hardware” of AAC is only the first step. The teaching, intervention and support that follows is the critical piece.

My Thoughts

Here are some points that resonated with me based on class discussion.

• Some children will never “speak” the like typical people-in my opinion, communication is just that…” Communication”. As long as we can understand each other, what does it matter the path we choose. Just because people speak a different language doesn’t mean that they are less capable. In my experience, educators can become focused too much on the curriculum and they way they receive the knowledge. This class has given me the confidence and language to challenge the way some currently accept assessments. It goes back to the age old conundrum…”if a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it...Does it make a sound?” Well if a student communicates and we understand it, the answer is “YES!, we have communication”.
• There are different kinds of communication-I loved the exercise that involved thinking about different types of communication. I can't help but think about the different pictures on my trip to Mexico. We were staying at the Gran Bahia Príncipe Myan Riveria. It was a huge resort and 3 places combined into one big one. We had to take a trolley/truck to get to the beach and restaurants on the resort. Because of the language barrier I relied on signs. The signage was left to the imagination. It was often a picture of someone jumping on the seats. The caption would read don't do this...in Spanish and English. I could go on but I am quite sure you could understand the expectations with mostly pictures in Mexico. :)
• I agree that there doesn’t have to be a progression of AT through someone's life. As educators we need to get past the idea that all students should learn to hold a pencil to paper before jumping onto higher tech AT. Students should be allowed to benefit from the AT that is available to them. Not everyone should be expected to write with a pen and pencil on paper, just the same as not everyone should be expected to do a perfect lay-up in Phys. Ed. People should be given the choice to communicate with the most user friendly options available. It is about us understanding each other not the method,
• Another take away from class today is that “THE BAR HAS TO BE RAISED AT ALL TIMES”. Learning is a continuum for any human being. As educators it is our job to ensure that we are providing a challenging education for all students. It is a waste to have students keep doing the same thing. It is unfair to keep programming sedentary as they get bored and never reach their true potential. There have been many examples provided in class of students that were able to lead meaningful and productive lives because AT was introduced and their program planning teams were determined to give them quality programming.