[ Post a Response | AAC, Special Education, and Inclusion ]
Posted by karen on 9/10/2009, 11:00 pm, in reply to "HS students with Dynavox"
69.154.25.252
You need to first figure out if they really understand how to use them. I've been in this situation many times where I inherited clients with VOCAs and they used them as weapons (throwing them at staff) rather than as the voice they were intended to be. Through observation, determine if this is really they way they communicate. And, no, it doesn't really matter what everyone else wants them to do. They are in high school. They've chosen how they will communicate already. The second thing I would do is analyze what is on the VOCA. Are the chosen messages really things they want to, or need to, communicate. I once had a client that had all sorts of food items on her VOCA. Then it was determined that she didn't even like half of them. The staff wanted her to have them as they were healthier choices. Not that it's bad thinking, just not what she was motivated to communicate. Third, analyze how many messages are there and if they are really able to use that many. Sometimes wellmeaning staff put a bunch of pictures on at one time and assume the client knows them. Not true. Often each picture needs to be taught. They may just be overwhelmed and confused.
Hope this helps.
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