At the recent Communication Matters (ISAAC UK) conference held at Leeds University I had the absolute pleasure of meeting & listening to seminars from a few AAC users. It’s always incredibly interesting, as the parent of an AAC user, to see how an adult with an AAC device utilises their device. It makes me see all the possibilities for my son in the future & gives me an enormous sense of hope & gratitude. 💜

Here’s some of the key takeaways I will always remember from their talks to inform my actions as a Communication Partner for my son – there were so many, but here’s my top 3!

✨ The huge importance of patience. AAC users can sense when the person they are communicating with is rushed, eager to second-guess the conversation or doesn’t want to take the time to truly listen. Please give the time, the silence & the patience AAC users deserve to get their specific message across – don’t make them feel they need to shorten their sentences or change their views just to respond quickly.

✨ The importance of seeing AAC out & about in the community. Please use AAC out & about, have it accessible, use it to order, use it to model & never hide it away. For AAC to be accepted it needs to be seen.

✨ The power of typing & spelling. Showcase things such as – how the keyboard can be used on the AAC device to fill in the gaps when the buttons needed aren’t there, to demonstrate an alternative way of using the device to communicate, or how typing on the keyboard & symbols can be combined to make communication work best for the AAC user.

As a direct result of these takeaways I am going to ensure; I always always always ensure I give enough time for Ethan to communicate & find the correct buttons, plus making sure I never disregard any communication as a “mistake”. We always take Ethan’s AAC out & about – this is hugely important to us – but we haven’t yet had Ethan use it to communicate with anyone other than us his parents, close family & teachers at School. Next time, we’re going to get Ethan to order one of his faves Babychinno & a Gingerbread Man & I’m excited to see the response – watch this space!

Lastly, slowly but surely I am going to make sure I am modelling the use of the keyboard on Ethan’s device so he knows the possibility is there whenever he chooses to communicate this way. 💜

Thank you Mateo Moreno, Alyssa Zisk & Beth Moulam PLY. 💜