AAC Chicks
The DYnamic Therapy Associates Blog
We had the opportunity this month to meet some very special boys who have complex communication needs and sensory impairment. One of our boys is deaf-blind, ambulatory and nonverbal. One youngster is functionally blind and has severe motor impairment. He is nonverbal and nonambulatory. Our last fella is nonverbal, has a severe visual impairment and significant sensory defensiveness. All three boys are curious, focused when motivated and responsive. They all communicate primarily through affect, unconventional gestures and vocalizations.
The sensory evaluation starts many days in advance with collecting a wide variety of items to present systematically to the children in the following sensory categories: visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular and olfactory. Fun shopping, including some handy dandy toolbox organizers, and this is what we came up with! Our Sensory Collection:
8 Comments
Vicki Clarke
12/6/2014 04:22:22 am
Thanks Mary!! Let us know if you have some other sensory suggestions!
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Gayle
3/15/2015 05:11:31 am
Please continue this post as you flesh out not only which reinforcers worked for each child but also how you helped them move towards functional, meaningful communications with examples of what messages were important to each child.
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Vicki Clarke
3/15/2015 05:59:25 am
That's a good idea, Gayle. We are actually heading out for the next round of trials this week. We are looking at live voice scanning and several devices using auditory scanning for two of the boys. We are doing trials with an iPad app for the third. Typically we start looking at the motivators for basic engagement so that we can base interactions around something we know has high motivation value for the patients. I'm not a fan of just using motivators for requesting so I see us quickly charging forward into control messages, and social messaging. Thanks for your idea!
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Andrea
1/3/2017 11:51:03 pm
Count me in as another person interested in how you get from favorable sensory response to communication!
Vicki Clarke
3/15/2015 08:13:26 am
Thanks! EMC3 has been around a long time but it is extremely helpful!
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3/18/2017 09:38:06 pm
Hi, ran across this-- we're in VA and work with adults who experience significant disabilities, often at day programs and in group homes, and often without viable communication systems or available equipment or trained staff. We've been trying to put together a good preference assessment, but this captures two birds with one stone. Do you have any feedback on the supplies that you ordered and if you feel they would be relevant to an adult population too? Any tips / ideas would be greatly appreciated, it's tough work out this way!
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About the Author:
I am a SLP who has the distinct fortune of having a job that is also my passion. I have been an AAC Specialist for almost 25 years in schools and my private clinic. I currently own Dynamic Therapy with my husband, Chuck (also of 25 years) who is my business partner and enabler. We have a wonderful staff of SLPs & AAC Specialists who work with us to help our patients. I hope you find my blog helpful as you join me in our journey with our unique and amazing friends!
Vicki Clarke, MS CCC-SLP
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Dynamic Therapy Associates, Inc.
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