Book Description:
This book is a collection of personal stories of people I have come in contact with over my life but mostly over the last 23 years of my career as a speech therapist who specializes in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). For those that don’t know that vocabulary, I usually explain my job by saying “think Stephen Hawking.” I work with those that have an intelligent mind but are trapped in a complicated body. When matched with the proper technology and access method, my clients are able to express themselves reliably. They are able to communicate wants and needs, but more importantly, they are able to make human connections. The real “medical necessity” is human connection. Every human being is here on purpose and for a purpose. Through communication, we get to learn from each and every one of us – including those that are not functionally verbal.
This book is a collection of personal stories of people I have come in contact with over my life but mostly over the last 23 years of my career as a speech therapist who specializes in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). For those that don’t know that vocabulary, I usually explain my job by saying “think Stephen Hawking.” I work with those that have an intelligent mind but are trapped in a complicated body. When matched with the proper technology and access method, my clients are able to express themselves reliably. They are able to communicate wants and needs, but more importantly, they are able to make human connections. The real “medical necessity” is human connection. Every human being is here on purpose and for a purpose. Through communication, we get to learn from each and every one of us – including those that are not functionally verbal.