Communication Specialist
(Please note that although “I Help People Communicate! What’s your Super Power?” has been floating around Pinterest with no link, this is the original quote, by ME!)
If you’d like a poster version of this quote, check out this set of posters/activities that I have made!
That’s it. I’m changing my title. I want no longer to called Super Woman CCC (Certificate of Clinical Competence)-SLP (Speech Language Pathologist). I don’t just do speech therapy. I don’t just help students speak.
And I have one parent in particular that I absolutely cannot convince that doing basic sign language and low tech Augmentative Communication is helping his non-verbal son with Autism.
I help people communicate. By whatever means that I can. For most of my students, that is with their voice. But for some, using their voice just isn’t happening and these kids need a way to communicate other than through extreme behaviors (grabbing, pulling, biting, spitting, etc.). Even for students who have verbal skills, I spend much of my time working on non-verbal communication: body language, eye gaze, social cues, social routines.
In spite of what this parent says, I can’t make a child speak. But I’d like to think that I can really help them communicate by some means.
If he’d ever be willing to read these, here are a few articles I’d like this parent to consider:
Autism and ASL
Using Sign Language to Help People with Autism Communicate
Alternative Augmentative Communication for Children with Autism: PECS and Sign
AAC and Autism
Faced with the Communication Challenges of Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorders and AAC
If you have any other articles or stories for me to share, please leave them for me in the comments. Because this is one less critical person that I’d like to be dealing with right now…
Do you haventhemsign and say (now known as sign to talk) cards by Tamara Kasparov and nancy Kaufman ? They are specifically made for signing to lead to verbal speech .
Tamara Kaspar is at the center for autism. She could probably give you more articles or infor for your parent. I saw her speak and it was all about this. An excellent presentation and exactly what this parent needs to hear. She had videos, too to illustrator her point.. I used to have the 3 links to a video of her conference…I will hunt for them and send them to you if I find them.
Sign and say cards ( using iPad to type doesn’t always work 🙂 )
Tamara Kaspar. Autocorrect likes to add ov
How sad that a parent is so short-sighted.
I will e-mail you a short article that has really helped me with parents of children beginning with AAC. It is easy to read and is in Myth/Fact format!
I’m a ‘child wisperer’!!!
Truly…I am! Heeehehehe!
Have a blessed week sweetie!!! :o)
You are fabulous! I’m so happy I stumbled upon your blog. As a fellow “communication engineer,” please feel free to pursue my ramblings about speech therapy & education at: http://speechnerd.edublogs.org/
I look forward to reading more about your work.
Cheers,
Jennifer
As a parent of a child with autism sign language was a great help even before my son learned to speak. Thank you for sharing those articles I will be checking them out.
YES!!!!!!!!! 1000x YES! I hve SO been there….people do NOT get what “communication” is and sometimes I feel like pulling my hair out. I’m going to check out the articles you posted 🙂 Hang in there Super Woman!