Tag Archive: hospital

COVID-19 Supports for AAC Users & Service Providers

August 3, 2020 by - 3 Comments

COVID-19 Supports for AAC Users & Service Providers

“I need to prepare my child for nasal swab testing.” “How can I get my students to wear their masks?” “My students don’t wash their hands properly.” “What vocabulary and messages should I add to SGDs for my students to be able to talk about the coronavirus?” “How can I explain social distancing in ways that make sense?” “What can I do to help my students know what to expect from a Zoom session?” If you have questions like these, take some time to browse through this online resource list with over 150 free downloads, videos, and more. We’ve updated this resource quite a bit since it was first published 4 months ago and are re-publishing it for those who need visual supports, social stories, videos, and communication boards. In the online newsletter below, you can access visual schedules for handwashing, social narratives, videos, educational materials, and more by clicking... [Read More...]

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Video of the Week: AAC in Acute Care

May 16, 2018 by - 1 Comment

Video of the Week: AAC in Acute Care

Hospitalization can be difficult and scary under any circumstance, but when the individual uses AAC, there are increased risks for adverse effects and other problems. How can we reduce risk and improve communication between healthcare providers and people who use AAC? Today’s featured video is part of the wonderful USSAAC Webinar Series. Dr. Richard Hurtig, from the University of Iowa and Voxello, discusses ways to facilitate improved communication between hospitalized patients with AAC needs and healthcare providers. Many thanks to USSAAC, Dr. Hurtig, and ISAAC for making this archived webinar available. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U71mk-dSwk4

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Supporting Children in the Pediatric ICU

February 11, 2014 by - Leave your thoughts

If there is anything scarier than having a very sick child in the ICU, it has to be when that child has no means of communication. In this Research Tuesday post, we join the efforts spearheaded by Rachel Wynn of Gray Matter Therapy to share an article that discusses the issues and presents some solution strategies. When we think of research studies in SLP, we think of experimental designs and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In AAC, group research designs are uncommon because of the immense heterogeneity of this clinical population. Even limiting the study to one single disorder and age group, say teenagers with dysarthria secondary to cerebral palsy, contains too much heterogeneity for most group research. Instead, we see more single subject design experimental studies (SSEDs) in AAC. When well-designed, SSEDs have strong experimental control and allow researchers to answer causal questions, such as “did the treatment (e.g., teaching... [Read More...]

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Video of the Week: The Role of AAC in Effective Patient Provider Communication

May 5, 2013 by - Leave your thoughts

The Role of AAC in Effective Patient Provider Communication

If you’re in a healthcare setting, you probably have noticed the increased attention to communication issues between healthcare providers and individuals who are ‘communication vulnerable.’ As all of us well know, people with AAC needs are certainly in that category. Many of us have worked with AAC clients who’ve had negative experiences communicating with healthcare providers in emergency situations, hospital visits, medical procedures, and just routine preventative care. Our featured video this week is on The Role of AAC in Effective Patient Provider Communication by John Costello, Director of the Augmentative Communication Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. The presentation is part of a larger series organized by Patient Provider Communication network and Sarah Blackstone.

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5 PrAACtical Resources For Better Communication Experiences with HealthCare Providers

October 12, 2012 by - 2 Comments

5 PrAACtical Resources For Better Communication Experiences with Health Care Providers

Being sick is no fun, but when you can’t communicate effectively with your healthcare provider, it can be disastrous. Here are some resources that SLPs can use to help promote effective communication and prevent adverse affects. Accommodations Cards: One of the simplest things we can do to help healthcare providers understand the needs of a person who uses AAC, is to give some basic information on an accommodations card. Health Bridges is a project of the Western Pennsylvania Initiative to support individuals who have hearing and vision loss. Their website includes a section that allows you to create quick accommodations cards for this population and serve as a good example for ones that you can make on your own. Accommodations cards don’t solve all the problems, but they’re a quick and easy way to make a start. Patient-Provider Communication Website: Amazing array of information and resources from around the world.... [Read More...]

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Communicating in the Hospital

September 14, 2012 by - Leave your thoughts

Communicating in the Hospital

We are so happy to share a link to downloadable resources that come from the collaborative effort of the Patient Provider Communication Forum, Central Coast Children’s Foundation, Dr. Bronwyn Hemsley, and Widgit Software. These research-based materials were developed to help improve communication in hospital settings.   The link takes you to the Widgit Health site and is a set of cards with 26 key phrases for patients who use picture symbols to communicate. The cards are printable and available in 20 different languages. You can access those materials here.

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Emergencies and Resources to Help

March 19, 2012 by - Leave your thoughts

Emergencies and Resources to Help

It has been a really long weekend.  A very close relative had a significant medical emergency this week.  The emergency involved intubation, an air ambulance (that is helicopter), and many many procedures.   With the intubation, there was a temporary loss of speech which made communication difficult to say the least.  This was a time that the patient (my relative) needed communication most, yet there were multiple barriers to effective communication (no speech sounds, tubes in the mouth obscuring lip movement, noise, etc..).  Although the hospital staff was amazingly wonderful, communication was not their priority.  Lucky, for us, I just happened to have some AAC apps on my iPhone.  At one point, the AAC app was literally a lifesaver (thanks so much to Verbally for providing  an easy way to communicate complex questions, reminders, and comments). As I was waiting around for many hours, texting Carole, we started thinking about... [Read More...]

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