Where Would You Be Without Communication?

Could you even imagine what your life would be like if you couldn’t communicate?

It would be very hard to make meaningful relationships.

You wouldn’t be able to ever pick what you wanted to do, eat, wear, watch.  People would have to make the assumptions for you.

It would be so frustrating to not get your basic needs met.

You couldn’t tell anyone you weren’t feeling well or you had a headache and you just needed to lie down.

You couldn’t tell anyone if someone was mistreating you.

You couldn’t even ask where the public restroom was when you were out and about.

People would look down on you and assume you weren’t intelligent because you weren’t able to communicate.

This is my child’s life.

But that is all about to change for my boy.  He just finished up a two-month long trial using LAMP, an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device.  We had a meeting yesterday to go over the findings of the trial.  To see if the specialist was going to say that this was the device Brian was going to thrive on.

Within five days of using the device, Brian was putting together up to five-word sentences by pressing the buttons and having the device speak for him.  Within a couple of weeks the phrases he had been taught to say using the device he was now actually speaking, like “turn the page” when he’s being read to.  Just yesterday they tested him with the full screen of 84 buttons that open up to other menus with just as many buttons and he rocked it.  The specialist who has been coming from 2 hours away to work with Brian for several years now just couldn’t stop smiling as he showed video after video of how well Brian is doing with this after such a short trial.

So, we got the OK!  Now starts the collection of doctor notes, referrals, and insurance calls but everyone is hopeful that before school is over Brian will be the proud owner of his very own communication device.

And so starts a new way of life for my little man.  A life where he can tell us what he wants, needs, thinks, and feels.  A life with communication.

LAMP

He was able to ask for bubbles and then get them! The simple things we all take for granted!

 

Heather Nelson

About Heather Nelson

Heather resides in Rockland where she is busy juggling life as a newlywed, a mom to two boys (one of which who has autism), a part time job in direct sales, and a full-time job as a pediatric occupational therapy assistant. She has a love for live music, karaoke, and cheering on the underdogs.