1. Kate Ahern, M.S.Ed.
ATIA 2014

2. All photos/videos not created by charities in this
presentation are the respective property of the
individuals in them and/or their parents or
guardians.
 I have permission to use these photos/videos –
that permission does not extend to the audience
photographing or filming them or sharing any
downloaded hand outs
 Please be respectful of the rights of these families
 Special Thanks to Shannon and Jeanne Molloy;
Nik and Beth Anderson; Samantha, Kevin, Alison
and Ana Burke; Graham and Randi Sargent,
Jordan and Stephanie Brown for permission to use
the photos and videos!


3. •
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My Voice is My Power
Presume Competence
AAC Bill of Rights
How do we help parents?
Simple Steps for Positive AAC Experiences:
MMM Method
 Motivate
 Model
 Move Out of the Way
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Grow Vocabulary
Communication Rich Environments
Involve Siblings
I still have something to say!
The

6. "The least dangerous
assumption is the premise
that (in the absence of
evidence) we believe we not
yet found a way to make it
so a child or adult with a
disability "can" instead of
believing he or she "can't."
AKA
"Presume Competence"
Donnellan, Anne, (1984) "The Criterion of the Least
Dangerous Assumption" Behavioral Disorders, v9 n2
p141-50 Feb 1984 (print copy not available).
Rossetti, Zach and Tashie, Carol (2002) "Outing the prejudice:
Making the least dangerous assumption." The
Communicator: Newsletter of the Autism National
Committee, 2002. downloaded from
inclusivelife.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/leastdangerous-assumption.pdf on June 30 2010.

7. •Make real choices
•Refuse, reject, sa
y no
•Ask for what I
want
•Share feelings
•Be heard and
responded to even
if the answer is no
•Ask for and get
attention and
interaction
•Have and use
AAC all the time
•Know and ask
about my schedule
•Be taught how
to
communicate
•Be a full
member of my
community
•Be treated
with respect
and dignity
•To spoken to
and not about
•Be
communicated
with in a
sensitive
manner

8.  Set
small goals that work towards full time
communication system use
 Break it down into things you can do
 If possible offer AAC training in the home
 Give information about webinars and
online courses
 Encourage joining social networking
groups
 Help them re-group when things get hard

10.  Set
it and forget it!
 MMM
• Motivate
• Model
• Move out of the way!
 Grow
the vocabulary!

11. 
Set it and forget it! - Set up
and turn on the speech
device and then take the
focus off of it. The device is
a tool. It is your child's voice
but in reality the focus is on
interaction and
connection. The more you
try to focus on the device
and just asking questions of
your child or insisting they
"find _____" the less
motivating communication
will be. Once the device is
set up...

12. 
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
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Focus on the fun or
connection in an activity or
family situation.
Around the dinner
table? Don't force asking to
pass the peas or for a glass
of milk - boring! Instead tell
jokes, share about your day
and encourage interaction.
Focus on
comments, descriptions and
the AAC user asking, not
answering, questions.
Make
communicating irresistible
and then...

13. 
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Model - language in equals
language out (to paraphrase Linda
Burkhart).
Fancy word for this is Aided
Language Stimulation
Number one way to increase AAC
skills is ALS!
The device is set up, you have a
topic at hand and it is fun.
Now YOU use the device. Have
your other children use the
device. Have visitors use the
device.
Communicate with the device as
you communicate with your
voice. Want to say that something
is awesome? Use the device! Want
to tell someone to quiet down? Use
the device!
Show, don't tell, how to use AAC to
communicate

14. Leave the device set up, there is
no such thing as "device time
being over" or "being too tired".
 If someone is too tired to
communicate then they just won't
say anything.
 It is fine to have a device set up
and then not say anything!
 Moving out of the way means
letting life unfold and being ready
for the surprises your child throws
are you.
 You never know what someone
will to say until you give them the
time and space to say it!
 Encourage “talking to yourself!”


15. 
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If there is nothing to say…
then they won’t say
anything!
Start somewhere between
where you think they are
and where you want them
to be in your wildest
dreams
Increase vocabulary so
there is always more to
learn to say
Imagine a life of only
being able to say, “potty”,
“cookie” and “more”!!!

16. 
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The device is on and
ready at all
times, you may need
to build up to this but
it is the goal
Family members use
the system when
talking to the AAC
user
Label everything
possible not just with
nouns but core words
as well
Have posted core
word boards or other
materials

17. Harness their innate
tech saavy
 Encourage them to
model using the device
 Insist they respect
communications made
with the device
 Ask for their input on
what cool language
should be programmed
 Teach older siblings
how to program
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19. 
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Access in unusual places
might take creativity.
Can you mount the
system?
• In bed
• Near the couch?
• The dinner table?

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
Can you add accessories
to make it work out?
Can you use a lite tech
version?
The hassle is always
worth allowing the human
right of communication!

20.  Communication
Bills
of Rights Posters
http://bit.ly/16AvGvu
 Original
Motivate, Model, Mov
e Out of the Way
http://bit.ly/SyUpJw
 Living
the Least
Dangerous
Assumption Article
http://bit.ly/17dwLxs

21.  Kate
Ahern
 kahern@eastersealsma.org
 Ana Burke
 coqui61670@gmail.com