Transcript life talking through a communication aid.

LIFE TALKING
THROUGH A
COMMUNICATION
AID.
A personal story of how I
communicate using AAC.
By Scott Stack
Communication Matters Trustee
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:
AIM:
To tell you about how my communication
aid helps me to talk, live and work.
OBJECTIVES:
 How I raise awareness of AAC.
 Give a description of how I personally communicate.
 How my communication aid has changed my life.
 Pros and cons of my particular device.
 Plans for the future.
 Questions at the end please.
A BRIEF INSIGHT TO MY LIFE:
 I live at Cornerways Residential Home, in Tavistock.
 I share my home with another 2 friends.
 We have carers 24 hours a day.
 We make the decisions on how we live.
 It is important I can tell them what I want, by using my
communication aid.
ECO 2:
 I use an Eco 2 to talk.
 I use it everyday, for talking, over 15 hours a day, 7 days a
week.
 If I can’t use it, I will eye point, use gestures, hand signals or
body language.
 But my favourite way to communicate is my Eco 2.
COMMUNICATING:
 I was 17 years old when I got my first communication device.
 I am a single switch user, and I operate it with my head.
 The communication aid will scan through the icons, and I press
the switch, that is in my headrest, when the light is over the icon I
want to select.
 This is time consuming, and also takes a lot of concentration and
energy from me.
IMPORTANCE OF USING A
COMMUNICATION AID:
I need to communicate as much as possible
It’s the best way to understand me, and what I
want on a daily basis.
And to get to know me – my daily routine, my likes
and dislikes and my opinions.
LONGSEDALE SCHOOL:
 When I was at Longsdale school, I started to communicate with Bliss
Symbols.
 This was by eye pointing at various symbols around the room.
 My body language was misunderstood, so I think the teachers were
telling my parents that I was progressing better than I actually was.
 I fooled people into believing that we were having a conversation,
whereas they were actually having a conversation on their own and I
was just helping them with it.
LEARNING TO READ:
 Taking away my Bliss Board and replacing it with a board I had to
read from, was a very difficult time for me.
 Eventually I was given a picture book, with 20 photographs of my
family and teachers, and 30 symbols, expressing my basic needs
and feelings.
 I did not learn to read letters or words.
 But I learned to read people.
 And to listen to their voice. And to read their face.
GETTING MY PATHFINDER AT DAME
HANNAH RODGERS:
 Being given the Pathfinder gave me more opportunity to take more control
of my life.
 It was re programmed with a new language that I had to learn –
MINISPEAK.
 I started with 24 pictures with single messages., which I had to learn.
 It let me express myself, for the first time in years.
 I could finally talk about everything, that I had been accumulating for years.
TODAY’S LANGUAGE:
 I now use,144 pictures and a 3 layer sequence.
 It is the same programme, that over the years I have expanded.
 It took a long time to go from expressing myself with behaviours as a
way to communicate, to being actually able to say so.
 But I got there.
 It feels good to be able to explain to people why I behaved badly.
SEPARATION:
 When I was at school, my parents split up.
 I did not deal with the situation very well.
 I refused food and drinks as well as showers.
 I used to lash out at my carers.
 I used to throw myself out of my bed.
 I screamed nearly all night. I also used to self harm myself.
 This was my way of dealing with what was going on at home with my
parents, especially because I was away at boarding school.
LIFE WITHOUT MY COMMUNICATION
AID:
I can not imagine not having my communication aid.
I often think of my eco 2 as a part of my body!!
And when it goes wrong or breaks I feel ill.
FRUSTRATIONS:
 If my device stops working, I stop talking.
 When I am outside I struggle to use it:
 When it is sunny I cannot see the screen.
 When it rains I cannot use it at all!
 It constantly needs charging. So I have to rely on my carers
to remember spare batteries and to charge it every night.
ROLE MODEL:
 A friend of mine inspired me.
 Best of all, he helped me to dream. He helped me to wish and he
showed me it was possible.
 The best advice he gave me was::
Work hard, talk, practice.
 The best thing he did was that he showed me to always aim at what I
want and reach for it.
 I liked being able to help others like he helped me.
COMMISSIONERS MUST KNOW THAT:
 If I did not have my communication device, I would not be able to live my
life the way I want.
 Because I cannot talk with my mouth. My machine is a necessity to me like
your voice is a necessity to you.
 Training for me and my carers, from suppliers on how my device works is
important.
 Without my device, I could not have the jobs and opportunities that I have
now.
 My disability needs to be thoroughly understood, so the right device is
given to me.
OVERALL:
 I can keep in contact with my friends and family.
 It has also given me huge opportunities to do more than just
sitting at home everyday.
 I can talk to people, so my carers do not have to talk for me.
 And most importantly having a device to talk makes me feel
more equal to all of you.
THANK YOU.
 My communication aid is like a part of my body.
 I would be lost without it.
 Thanks for listening to me.
 And if you have any questions, I will do my very best to answer.
 You have been great to talk to.