What do you do when your non-verbal special needs child uses his speech device (in Andrew’s case an iPad mini featuring Proloquo2Go) to make a very specific request first thing in the morning?
Why, you change your plans, pack your crap, and reinforce the hell out of his amazing communication via miraculous technology!
Yesterday morning Andrew approached my husband Mikey with this:
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times (and I’ll say it a million more): This technology has changed our son’s life, has changed all of our lives. As he continues to learn to navigate the program and really embrace it as his “voice,” we are committed to reinforcing his hard work whenever possible. Andrew is not only non-verbal, he’s significantly developmentally delayed. He needs lots of practice, practice, practice and we have to do whatever we can to keep him motivated.
Impromptu trip to the ocean? Don’t mind if we did!
The end result was marvelous.
Those of you raising non-verbal children will understand when I say that if Andrew should ever ask to go to the moon, Mikey and I would find a way to make it a reality.
If that sounds crazy, let me just say that if someone had told us that Andrew would one day be able to independently ask us to take him to the beach, we would have looked at that person like he had suggested we take our son to the moon.
So yeah.
Never say never.
After all, miracles do happen.
YES YES YES!!! I agree 100%! We have the same rule with our Andrew. When he asks, we do if it is at all possible! And his “talker” has been such a game changer for him and for us. He is actually more verbal now that he has his talker. AMAZING!!
Absolutely cause to celebrate!
Love.
You have no idea how amazing the timing of this post was for me- someone on twitter sent me over here as I was struggling to accept the fact that we are about to start an eval for such a device with the school system. feeling sad about the speech thing. Thank you for putting it into perspective for me….ready to move ahead now 🙂
http://jackandnatesmom.blogspot.com/2013/09/o-is-for-obstinate-and-its-mommys.html
Mommy of profoundly deaf -language severely delayed son. This app is a game changer for him as well (opening up the world of friendship with non signer kids). This post made me cry. You’re a beautiful mama. Keep showing up. Keep lovin’
We chose Proloquo2go for our 3 yr old this year since the days of needing to buy hardware to use these programs with was no longer necessary, and since she was so proficient on iPads where we could simply buy the software. Just last night I got to listen to her ‘sing’ Row Your Boat and Happy & You Know It on her talker, right along to the radio. We are so proud of her.