5 Questions about Aphasia & Communication Books
Today, we welcome back Dr. Kristy Weissling who shared some detailed thoughts on using AAC to support people with aphasia in this earlier post. In this post, she gets us thinking about what might be behind a situation familiar to many SLPs: Under-utilization of the AAC support/
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Five questions to ask yourself when the person with aphasia you are working with isn’t carrying their communication book.
1) How easy is it to take with them where they go? Is it convenient to use?
2) Does it contain messages they WANT to use?
3) Do they know how to find a message in the book when the time to use the book arises?
4) Have you practiced using the book with them?
5) Do they have another way to communicate the information in the book that they prefer to use?
There are certainly many other possible questions to ask ….. I offer these as starting points.
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: aphasia, communication book, portabilility, practice, self-reflection, vocabulary
This post was written by Carole Zangari
2 Comments
Thank you!
This is a good set of questions for school – aged nonverbal kids as well. I recently gave a communication ring with conversation phrases on a lanyard for a grou of students in a classroom and they disappeared. When I asked the teacher, she did not know what happened to them. I wear one all day ad the kids are always wanting to flip through the pictures to say something. This can be very frustrating, so, I think the post is a good one!!
Thanks for your insights Ann. Keeping people and their books together is sometimes challenging. I use “labels” (mailing labels-they come in many different sizes) a lot. That way I can just print a new set and stick them into a book/ring when they get lost. I keep back up labels with me. I keep files for each client with his/her communication book pages so it’s easy to reprint as needed. It also allows for quick updates as needed. At least if they are lost they were used and not left in that “special place” until it’s time for speech again!