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BG
by Beth Gruzewski1 view·Updated Apr 13, 2022
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  1. Good afternoon.
  2. I know for our advocacy draft assignment, we did not have to create a video.
  3. Um,
  4. but I wanted to practice using present video
  5. along with the slides that I had created.
  6. Um, so with that
  7. let me get started.
  8. So my advocacy topic
  9. is um
  10. advocating for the inclusion of hobby specific vocabulary on a ce devices.
  11. And before I delve into
  12. um
  13. everything uh,
  14. let me start with this fact from ASHA,
  15. Over two million adults rely on AC devices for their communication needs.
  16. I was shocked to find
  17. to discover
  18. that number.
  19. Um, it just
  20. um shows how important a ce devices are for people that cannot communicate using
  21. natural speech.
  22. So what is the problem?
  23. The problem is that there is insufficient inclusion of
  24. hobby specific vocabulary for a A C users.
  25. I am basing this
  26. partly upon personal experience.
  27. I worked with adults
  28. with developmental disabilities for
  29. six years
  30. at a long term care facility.
  31. Okay,
  32. A number of these individuals had severe autism
  33. or progressive severe
  34. cerebral palsy
  35. and could not
  36. communicate using natural speech
  37. and you and
  38. used
  39. a A C devices to communicate.
  40. The problem is
  41. when it comes to a specific a hobby,
  42. such as building model airplanes,
  43. there are pieces and parts
  44. that are so specific
  45. that they wouldn't
  46. would never
  47. be programmed into an A. C device
  48. um, just because they are so specific to the individual
  49. and their
  50. specific hobby.
  51. Mhm.
  52. Let's go to the next slide, which is with a little bit of data,
  53. Which is an estimated 1.3% of Americans or
  54. 4% cannot meet communication needs using natural speech.
  55. Um that is
  56. That is not to say that all 4% are using a a. c. devices.
  57. Um some are using other forms of communication such as
  58. A. S. L.
  59. Um but that is still
  60. high number of adults that cannot communicate using
  61. um natural speech.
  62. So
  63. how can I give an example to my audience
  64. of why
  65. um
  66. advocating for hobby
  67. specific vocabulary should be included
  68. A A. C. Devices.
  69. So I am seeing
  70. a little boy in early intervention,
  71. he has moderate
  72. um autism.
  73. His older brother
  74. has severe autism.
  75. He mom just told us that he received a
  76. scholarship to join a special recreation league over this summer
  77. but he has no A A. C. Device.
  78. He has severe behavioral outbursts.
  79. Mom wants him to be able to participate in these recreational activities
  80. but he needs a means to communicate
  81. in order to
  82. um
  83. help with these outbursts.
  84. one of those ways asides from obviously
  85. advocating for him to first receive an A A. C. Device would be
  86. to include
  87. more specific vocabulary.
  88. Especially hobby specific vocabulary for him as he is about to.
  89. Or over the summer will be joining
  90. this special week.
  91. Mm hmm.
  92. And then the problem continued um is that he does not have an A. A. C. Device.
  93. So there are two things in this example we need
  94. to advocate for first then you get the A.
  95. C. Device
  96. and second that um
  97. we have specific hobby specific vocabulary included in
  98. the device.
  99. Um
  100. So this would help him participate
  101. and communicate effectively.
  102. Um I mean it wouldn't solve all of the behavioral outbursts but
  103. it would certainly help for him to have that method of communication.
  104. So
  105. let's we've talked a lot, I've talked a lot about
  106. um a. C. And hobby hobby specific vocabulary.
  107. Um Let me talk about the benefits of hobbies.
  108. Why am I advocating so strongly for hobby specific specific vocabulary?
  109. Well hobbies they lead to increased self esteem.
  110. They helped
  111. individuals
  112. form connections with others that they normally
  113. may not form,
  114. they
  115. improve the quality of life.
  116. They teach individuals new skills
  117. and
  118. contribute to better health and you know less sickness.
  119. Um Hobbies are important for everybody regardless
  120. of disability but especially for people with
  121. disabilities and diagnosis is
  122. um
  123. Hobbies are a way for them to connect and interact in ways that they normally
  124. um would be unable to.
  125. Mhm.
  126. So what is my ask?
  127. My ask is to advocate for the inclusion of hobby specific vocabulary on a. C.
  128. Devices.
  129. Um
  130. Not everybody is trained
  131. to
  132. program and a device.
  133. Um If you work with someone that has an A. A. C.
  134. Device, if you know someone that works with an individual with an A. A. C.
  135. Device if you know a parent who has a child with an A a. C. Device,
  136. advocate for the inclusion of hobbies specific vocabulary
  137. if you need to go to the school
  138. district if you need to go um to the speech pathologist that is in charge of
  139. programming
  140. the child's device do so
  141. because we are advocating for the um
  142. inclusion of
  143. of hobbies for for people to connect and
  144. um improve their quality of life through these hobbies
  145. using their alternative and argumentative communication devices.
  146. Thank you for your.