Page 26 - SEN113 SEN Magazine July-August 2021-V3

26 Myth 3: A child with severe learning difficulties cannot use AAC effectively This is a biggie not least because if a child has never been able to speak (clearly) and may also have a physical and/or sensory impairment, how can you actually judge that they have a severe learning difficulty? Of course there will be some children, but not very many, who are so cognitively impaired that they are unable to reliably use any form of communication, but the vast majority of non-verbal children will, with the correct assessment, provision and support, be able to use AAC in some way. Myth 4: “Just give them an iPad with XXXX symbols on” One size of AAC intervention certainly does not fit all. One of the most important stages is a proper multi-disciplinary assessment which looks at all aspects of the child’s dis/ability, including, crucially, hand function and dexterity, posture (esp. if they are a wheelchair user), cognitive stage (though as above, this is very hard to do accurately if someone has not yet achieved reliable communication) and visual/object tracking skills and any sensory impairment. This should be accessed through a speech and language therapist attached to a local AAC service and may also involve the regional specialist centre, depending on the complexity of the child’s needs. Myth 5: “Children don’t need low-tech symbol / spelling books once they have progressed to hi-tech electronic talkers” Oh yes they certainly do! Low-tech remains a crucial back up for all the situations where hi-tech isn’t available (e.g., flat battery, in the bath, in the car). My own son still makes extensive use of a basic alphabet board, with whoever he is talking to acting as a “human word-predictor” to speed things up, but he has also had electronic talking communication aids since was at nursery school. Getting and giving support Parents and carers are an essential piece of the communication jigsaw for children learning to use AAC and so it is really important that they are involved at all stages of assessing for and developing a child’s AAC system. But it can sometimes be “simply assume that parents are ‘uninterested’” hard for families to deal with the fact that their child may never have functional speech, and it is important for professionals to be sensitive to this, and not simply assume that parents are “uninterested” in AAC. On the other hand, sometimes parents report that they feel excluded from the process or that they don’t really know how their child communicates at school because it has not been explained or shared with them. There are many reasons why this happens, but for a child to progress with their AAC it is vital that they have access to consistent methods of communication in all settings, wherever possible. Often, especially in mainstream settings, a child using AAC may well be the only one in the school, and the school has probably had few, if any, AAC using pupils before. Similarly, the child and its family might never have met any other AAC using children and so for everyone it has the potential to be a very isolating situation. This is why it is so important not only to get specialist speech and language / AAC support and advice into school and home as early as possible, but also to make contacts and network with others to share information, experience and skills. There are a number of organisations, both locally and nationally, which can offer support, information and advice to AAC users and their families and those who work with them. communicationmatters.org.uk (national) Communication Matters aims to increase understanding, awareness, and knowledge of the needs of people who use AAC. It does this by providing online information, regional AAC information days and an international conference which brings together AAC users, family members, professionals who support them (including speech and language therapists, teachers, technicians) and suppliers & manufacturers of communication aids. 1voice.info (national with local branches) 1Voice takes a family and social perspective on communication and recognises the great need for adult role models to inspire children and families alike. 1Voice promotes families supporting each other to overcome the isolation that being unable to speak can bring. They run day and weekend events across the country, which bring families and young AAC users together for networking and support. They use volunteer supporters, often speech and language therapy students who are keen to learn more about AAC and the people who use it, at these events. ■ Day to day AAC communication. SEN113 senmagazine.co.uk Communication