When considering an augmentative communication system, you should consider the following:
- complexity of the system for the user/parent - complexity of the student's needs/abilities - Is there a cognitive delay that could affect the use of the communication device? - Does the student need pictures for communication or also text to speech to communicate? - cost - What kind of accessibility needs does your student have? Eye gaze vs. switch operated - How old is the student? What kind of communications/controls need to be available to this person? - Will it require assistance? (aided vs. unaided) Online resources included: - Can the person speak but they are unintelligible? Personally, I have found that getting access to the correct mobility assistive devices is much harder than just getting issued a standard wheelchair. My sister has a movement disorder that consists of generalized dystonic movements that are aggravated by muscle fatigue. Three years into our search for devices to make her life better, we were offered a SmartDrive, which makes a manual wheelchair motorized by just attaching the device to the wheelchair. It is safe for rain and off sidewalk movement. I feel it shouldn't have taken 3 years for us to get this, but I am just so grateful we finally have it. I have to assume that many of our families feel exactly that way: uneducated about their options and frustrated at the lack of open knowledge sharing between doctors and patients.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl-tmYsJZug&ab_channel=KarisaReed
The videos that we were assigned this week regarding McKenzie were very surprising. This child, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, had less on a cognitive delay than most people would expect. McKenzie has learned to adapt and function in her learning environment. She uses her foot (big toe) to communicate, and the quality of the communication isn't what you would expect without inquiring.
Ecological assessment makes sure that the students is able to access every part of a functional activity, whether it be making coffee or getting dressed in the morning. As a general education teacher, having students with significant or profound disabilities can be alarming. But once you take a task, break it into small accomplishable pieces, and then begin to tackle those pieces, tasks seem less challenging. For a lab activity, the student may need to have the activity moved to a lower table so she can access it. She may need a safer way to light the Bunsen burner or better cylinders to pour the liquid into. As for teaching/AT adaptations, McKenzie may need speech to text (OCR) to help understand the assignment or to participate in a group activity. A magnifier or better lighting could also help her access this if she has a visual challenge. It's important to do this ecological assessment because otherwise, teachers and aides will mostly assume that it's just too hard, the student can't accomplish the task. When really, the student may not be able to access one small part (or 2) of the task, and could gain a lot of knowledge from completing the assignment. What did you know about Down syndrome before beginning the readings in this unit?
I am familiar with Down Syndrome on a basic level. I understand the genetic anomaly that results in a child being born with Down Syndrome. I have a first cousin who is an adult with a severe form of Down Syndrome. She will be reliant on adult care the rest of her adult life due to cognitive delays that accompany her Down Syndrome. This segment of my family has 2 children with Downs. What are some of the common myths associated with Down syndrome? The most common myth I know is that only older mothers will conceive a child with Down Syndrome. I know that not to be true because my first and second cousin (one of which was born to a 19 year old) has Downs. Another common myth is that the cognitive function of people with Down’s Syndrome is always significantly impaired. Cognitive impairment for people with Downs works more like a spectrum, not unlike Autism. Finally, the last myth is that there is only 1 type of Down’s Syndrome, where there are 3 different types of Down’s Syndrome (Trisomy 21, Translocation Down Syndrome, Mosiac Down Syndrome). What other syndromes present similar characteristics to Down syndrome? Fragile X Syndrome, Landau Kleffner Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome |
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