Last year Lauren and I came back from Closing the Gap pretty fired up and ready to make some big changes at our school! When I first started there in April 2014, I immediately gave some trainings about core language and its important role in AAC. Our biggest challenge was trying to get people to stop re-recording BIGmacks and 8 Cell devices! But… it’s hard to make changes! And getting people on board with core (and AAC in general) was happening at a pretty slow rate! Shortly after we came back, Lauren found Kate Ahern’s picture version of the Communication Bill of Rights. We immediately posted it and started referring to it in trainings! We’re still making changes, slowly, but they’re happening! You can check out the original document from ASHA here!
It’s hard to pick a favorite since they are all important! But here are the few that I love to remind people about!
EVERYONE has the right to be heard! You would be pretty mad if you were talking and nobody acknowledged you! How do you think our AAC users feel? Let them know you heard them and respond, even if the answer is no!
I’m sure you say “NO” all the time! Why can’t your student?!
AAC systems are the way our students communicate. It is their VOICE! You have your voice with you everywhere you go, why shouldn’t they? *Check out #seemeseemyAAC to see AAC users everywhere using their AAC systems!*
We ALL want to be treated with dignity and respect. Just because someone may not appear to be listening doesn’t mean they aren’t listening. Just because someone does not appear to understand, doesn’t mean they don’t understand.
Ahern, K. (2014). Communication Bill of Rights. Retrieved [Nov 2015] from http://kateahernesma.wikispaces.com/