Claire had her second Aug Comm appointment today. "Aug Comm" is short for "Augmentive Communication" -- basically, using alternative forms of communication or assistive devices to communicate.
The appointment was spectacular!
The Aug Comm Therapist was so pleased with the strides Claire has made since her last appointment six months ago, and I was impressed with how well my little munchkin showed off!
We have been working with a "switch"--i.e., a button Claire can push to make something happen. We have used all kinds of switch toys with Claire--remember this post?--and she has shown so much progress!
We are now taking her switch activation to the next level--teaching her to use her switch to play games, make choices, or even "talk."
We tried each of these activities during today's appointment, and Claire excelled at each one!
Our next goal is to help Claire become more precise with switch-hitting. Teaching her to stop and wait. This will help her be able to select items from a list. For example, if we ask: "Claire, tell me which activity you would like to do: Read a story, play a game, go outside," we can teach her to hit the switch when she hears the activity she would like.
Oh! And the best news of all--the Aug Comm therapist sent us home with a communication device! It is a little antiquated, but it's designed to help Claire "get the hang" of "talking."
We still have a long way to go before we get there, but we are at a point where we can start to use the skills she has-hitting a switch, cause and effect, recognition and understanding-to try to develop communication.
It's a marathon, not a sprint, but I'm really excited about how far we've come and where we are going!
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