[IEP_guide] Variety of assistive devices enhance communication skills of nonverbal children

[Guest guest]

Variety of assistive devices enhance communication

skills of nonverbal children

By kson

Deseret Morning News

Twenty years ago, if Kaplan, 14, had been alive, he

wouldn't have been able to tell you what the weather was like. He

would have known perfectly well that it was sunny and warm, but as a

nonverbal child with autism he wouldn't have been able to

say " sunny, " as he communicated last week.

, Deseret Morning NewsA Dynovox helps Rasmussen

communicate. She has cerebral palsy. He pushed a button on a

machine with a number of pre-recorded phrases and words.

" What are you eating, ? " his teacher asked.

The Jordan Valley student pushed a button on a

touch

screen. " Popcorn, " the speakers answer.

Thanks to the device, teachers also learned that he likes green

M & Ms, a lot.

The word " more, " came from his device a number of times. Then

he was done.

" I'm finished, " he messaged. And after being asked to answer

more questions he hit the " I don't want to " button and then shut off

the device. Enough was enough.

In the past three decades, with the help of technology and

research about specific disabilities, devices for nonverbal

individuals have improved by leaps and bounds.

Speech pathologist Rita Bouillon, who is also the principal at

Jordan Valley School,

said a multitude of disorders can render a

child with no ability to communicate verbally — cerebral palsy,

autism, Down syndrome and multiple disabilities.

" Twenty-five years ago these kids would have been considered

unteachable and unlearnable, " said Bouillon. " There are

assumptions

made, if they can't say it then they don't understand it, but we know

that they understand a whole lot more than we would have thought. "

She said years ago most communication for students who were

nonverbal was through pictures, motions and behavior. But drawing

pictures for each need takes time, and guessing can become

frustrating for everyone.

Special education specialists say computer devices like voice

output machines, voice synthesizers, language keyboards and even

picture exchange communication systems have greatly improved disabled

students' communication and access to education.

Seitz, Deseret Morning News Kaplan, 14, who has autism,

works recently with his teacher, Ann Hunsaker, on a MiniMo at

Jordan Valley School.

" If a student throws a fit then they are

telling us that they need something. But those behaviors are

maladaptive, they don't fit in and they look out of the ordinary when

they are out in the real world, " Bouillon said. " If they can

communicate those things with a device then it makes them fit in

better with their peers and their neighborhood community and their

family. "

Salt Lake

residents Donna and Rick Spivey adopted their

daughter, Krista, who has autism, from Lithuania when she was a

toddler.

Because Krista was nonverbal she would become easily frustrated

and act out. Aside from biting and kicking, when she was upset she

would hold her breath, turn blue and pass out — sometimes three times

a day.

But when she was around 8 years old a speech pathologist

introduced her to an augmentative device that could do the talking

for her. And Donna said since that time Krista has completely done a

180.

Krista, now a 12-year-old at Eastmont

Middle School, has a lot

less frustration. Donna said the tantrums are gone, she has friends

and she is learning math skills and reading.

" Before, hardly anyone would interact because they just didn't

know how and didn't think she understood. But now she goes around

after church saying 'Hi, how are you?' and everyone wants to come

over and talk to her, " Donna said.

" She is doing so well and progressing academically where before

it was just dealing with behaviors and putting out fires — that's all

we were doing, " she said.

Similarly, it was a seventh-grade teacher who introduced

Clearfield

resident Marie Rasmussen's daughter, , who has

cerebral palsy, to a communication device.

, Deseret Morning NewsFifteen-year-old Rasmussen

punches a choice on her Dynovox. " Before our way was to ask

questions, 'Do you want this, do you need this, are you hurting?' and

she would sign yes or no, " Rasmussen said.

But when was in seventh grade, her teacher recognized that

was capable of a lot more than some had thought — she could

read. would could hear a word and then point at the word that

was said.

Shortly after making that discovery her teacher helped her get

a computer device that gave her a voice and helped her communicate

with her family, teachers and peers. But more importantly it is

allowing her to learn, Rasmussen said.

, now a sophomore at Layton High, is seldom without her

device. She just got a new $7,000 device that can attach to her

wheelchair and output information about friends, school, home,

family, needs, wants, food and a lot more. It also has Internet

capabilities.

" It's opening up everything for her, " Rasmussen said. " She can

come home and say, 'Mom, this is what I'm doing,' instead of showing

a note that they bring home — it's the greatest thing in the whole

world. "

The devices can often be a considerable expense. Some families

are able to get Medicaid or their insurance to fund them. But there

are makes and models for all types of disabilities, and families can

access a number of them through the Utah Augmentative Alternative

Assistive Communication and Technology Teams (UAAACT).

Through the team, students can get evaluated to determine what

kind of assistive communication is most appropriate for that student

and the organization can help access the needed devices.

Though technology has been key in communication and learning

for those who are nonverbal, Jim West, assistive technology

specialist in

School District, said

devices are not the end-all.

Seitz, Deseret Morning Newsiel Maxwell, 8, who has

multiple disabilities, loves using the computer, especially the

Reader Rabbit software, at Jordan

Valley.

" (Technology) has

made communication more efficient, but it's not a saving grace, " West

said.

Since only 90 percent of communication is verbal, the best way

to communicate is pay attention — sitting in front of the person,

paying attention, watching their eyes, their looks and asking them

what they need.

" Everyone speaks in some form or another, it's whether or not

the communication partner takes the time to understand, " he said.

For more information about UAAACT visit www.uaaact.org

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