Creative Solutions to Overcoming Communication Barriers

Creative Solutions to Overcoming Barriers
Jill E. Senner, PhD, CCC-SLP
Shelley Harris, Family Member & Librarian
High Tech Devices are Fantastic…
Until We Encounter Barriers…
•  Barriers to Technology
–  Water
–  Sunlight
–  Positioning
–  Noise
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Water
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Rain
Pool
Beach
Water Play
Cooking/Eating
Bath
Sunlight
•  The great
outdoors…
Positioning
•  Restaurant
•  Playground
•  Gym (Health Club)
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Noise
•  Bowling Alley
•  Zoo
•  Mall
Communication Happens
Everywhere… There are solutions!
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Home
School
Community
Everywhere!
Josh Harris
•  Josh is 24 years old. He
has Rubinstein-Taybi
Syndrome, which resulted
in cognitive impairment,
mobility challenges, hearing
impairment and various
medical challenges.
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Community
•  Portable solution for
outdoors
communication.
•  Like walking in a
Halloween parade
•  ‘96
*Attainment company, Pocket Talker 15
Recreation
•  Josh’s talker was
programmed to
command his horse.
•  “Walk on.”
Wearable Solutions
LITTLEmack by Ablenet
TalkTrac by Ablenet
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Wearable Solutions
Hip Talk by Enabling Devices
Super Wrist Talker by
Enabling Devices
GoTalk Pocket by
Attainment
In the pool!
•  Iron-on communication
boards on white T-shirts
or tanks
Guy chatting with Matt at
Activities And Camp for Families - Aug.04
and more swimming . . .
•  Float a board on a
styrofoam tray
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and even more swimming . . .
•  Laminated boards glued
to kick boards with
plumber’s glue
Alternate Pointing Options
•  Pointing
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Feet/toe(s)
Manual Pointer
Chinstick
Headpointer
Mouthstick
Adapted Splints
Optical Pointer
Light Pointer
Eye-Talk by Enabling
Devices
•  Eye Gaze
Eye Gaze
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Partner Assisted Scanning
•  During partner assisted scanning the
“partner” lists or “scans” through the
individual’s choices visually and/or auditorily.
The individual indicates when their desired
choice is being presented.
Partner Assisted Scanning
At the Beach
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At the Beach
Trendy Digital
pouches
Handy
headphone
jack available!
Laminated boards IN THE GARDEN
Glad Pad
•  Communication
board on a garden
pad.
•  Complete
instructions at
www.aacintervention
.com
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More gardening…
•  Glad pad with
garden symbols.
Water Play
•  Weatherproof
Canvas Tote with
velcro receptive
material and
laminated symbols.
Pillow Talk
•  No, not
“Pillow Talk,”
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Pillow talkers
•  Are perfect when the device
is charging and you’re in bed
•  Pillow talkers can be ironed
on or embroidered
•  Avery now makes glow in
the dark iron on sheets!
When snuggling on the couch
On long road trips
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Or in the hospital
In the kitchen
•  Spills? Splashes? No
problem!
•  Plastic, disposable and
inexpensive . . .
SHOWER CAPS
In the kitchen
•  Bowl covers
work too.
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In the Kitchen
•  Magnetic Symbols
for the Fridge
In the kitchen…
Positioning and Materials
•  Placemat
•  Wall Mounted
Boards
•  Velcro-Receptive
Material
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In the bathroom
•  Motion sensor call
button and laminated
communication boards
In the bathroom
•  This green board has
lasted over a decade in
our bathrooms!
In the shower
•  Forgot your very cool
apricot face scrub?
•  Printed window decals
on the shower door
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In the shower
•  Have a shower curtain?
Laminate a board and
keep it in arm’s reach.
or the bath…
•  Floating 2 liter pop
bottle with
communication
board inside.
Cafepress.com
•  Can upload any image
to be printed on a
variety of objects
including:
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Pillows
Magnets
Clothing
Posters
Stickers
Tote Bags
And…
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Cafepress.com
•  Mousepads!
Talking photo albums
•  Josh enjoys creating
talking scrapbooks.
•  He shares his
experiences with
others.
•  This led to . . .
A new hobby - digital photography
•  Josh began to tell us
when he wanted a
picture taken.
•  We purchased a
digital camera with
an LED screen and
now Josh takes the
pictures!
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Accessible photography…
•  Switch-adapted
digital camera by
Orcca Technology
Location, Location, Location
•  Sometimes the biggest
barrier of all is location.
Laminated
communication boards
in every room means
communication
whenever and
wherever, even when
the device is in another
room or charging.
Resources
•  Attainment, www.attainmentcompany.com
•  Ablenet, www.ablenetinc.com
•  Augmentative Resources, http://www.augresources.com/
•  Avery® T-shirt Transfers for Inkjet Printers 8938
•  Enabling Devices, www.enablingdevices.com
•  JAC’s Custom Sewn Embroidery 708/579.5494
•  Oak Park Public Library, [email protected]
•  Office Depot® Brand Inkjet Window Decals, Item # 212881
•  ORCCA Technology, Inc., http://www.orcca.com/photo.htm
•  Talking Photo Album, http://www.difflearn.com
•  Technology & Language Center, Inc., www.talcaac.com
•  Trendy Digital Waterpoof Cases, http://trendydigital.com
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