#aac tools

[dreamdropsystem]

pt 1 inspo by @/gateway_autist_mobile Shane did this AAC drawing and we had some thought we had on AAC tools, users, and usage. these should be obvious, but as AAC users it's important

[officialrailscales]

1 can per host? ❌ Multiple cans per host? ✔️

Ampule RDS Tool

- RS

[stupidwittlebaby]

Hey, autistic people in my computer that use multiple languages and/or methods of communication!

I think it's neat, it's like... I feel like I have an easier time expressing myself when I can flip back and forth between methods of communicating. A particular thought will feel difficult and taxing to express in spoken English, so I'll use AAC emojis or ASL instead. But then, a different annoying and complicated thought might feel easier if I say it in Japanese, even though I'm not fluent.

Does anyone else get that?

[multiplicity-positivity]

hi! not really sure if this is the place to ask but i'll give it a shot. do you have any tips on helping alters who dont speak to communicate better? at the moment theyre only communicating using emotions/feelings if that makes sense? but when they front it gets a bit tricky since they feel uncomfortable using words at all, including writing. we have another alter cofront with them to help "translate" but we dont really want to be doing this long-term since we want them to be able to do things for themselves too

Hi! We have a few alters in our system who are nonspeaking or who experience speech loss. Some of these alters are still struggling to express themselves, but we can share the tools we’ve been using to make it easier, and others we’ve heard about!

1) AAC

We use a combination of SoundingBoard and Visuals2Go, both downloaded from the iPhone AppStore! They’re free and easy to use, but they have a limited vocabulary. We’d suggest maybe getting some free apps for your headmates to try out, and keeping what works! If they like using AAC, it may be worth it to buy a paid app that has better options and a more user-friendly UI.

With AAC, you can string together words (with pictures) to form sentences, that your device will then speak aloud. No writing required, and reading isn’t essential for many of the available words and phrases! We’ve heard there is AAC that you can use to write and make posts as well, but we don’t know the name of any programs like this - sorry!

2) Communication Cards

We’re at work now or else I would include a picture of our communication cards. We have a bunch of index cards we’ve written words and statements on and grouped them together for easy access.

One group has common starter statements. “I want…” “Let’s go…” “Can I…” “Where is…” “How many…” “I can’t…” “I can…” “I don’t want…” and all sorts of little phrases. Another has verbs like “eat” “drink” “talk” “play” “sleep” “leave” “call” “walk” “sit” “stay” “look” and “go”. There is one with nouns, sorted by category (places, people, items, foods, weather, pronouns, and animals). And one with names of different alters, our POSIC hoarde, and our support team! It’s taken us a while to put it together, but we have one alter in particular who really benefits from using the cards to communicate.

3) Sign Language

None of our alters have learned any sign language, but if it sounds like it could help your headmates, perhaps your system could attempt learning some basic signs. This way you can help them sign to answer questions and express themself!

4) Drawing

If words and language in general is difficult, maybe getting them a little sketchpad or white board and encouraging them to draw out what they’re thinking may help! They don’t have to be great artists in order to express simple ideas, and this can allow them to connect with others even if both reading and writing are challenging.

5) Accessories

It may be a good idea to get some bracelets, rings, or other accessories that can express a few basic, essential ideas. We have three bracelets that we keep on us. The green one means “I’m happy and feeling comfortable!” the yellow means, “I’m okay but I’m a bit anxious and need some space.” and the red means “I am having a meltdown/doing poorly. I need to get somewhere calm and safe.” Maybe your system can get some sort of accessories and determine beforehand what sort of messages they convey. This way, your headmates will be able to express some basic or essential ideas quickly and effectively.

We hope that one of these options can help your headmates learn to communicate and express themselves better. Be sure to use ideas in your own way to make sure your accessibility tools will be useful for your headmates in particular! Thanks for reaching out, and take care!

Followers, if you have any ideas about communication tools or how to help alters/headmates express themselves, feel free to share!

🌸 Margo and 💫 Parker

[pileofpawns]

south park studios please give timmy some kind of AAC tool please. i'm begging. he deserves it.

[elasmobranch-enthusiast]

about me 🦈

my name is jess and i’m 19. you can use any pronouns for me.

i love animals, especially elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), manatees, cats, snails, and dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. i collect lots of things, including pokémon cards, fossils, crystals, toys, and sensory tools. some of these things are also special interests. i post about all of these things and more.

i am a student, and i’m majoring in marine biology, which is also my special interest. when i’m not studying, i like reading, writing, being in nature, putting together lego sets, playing minecraft (which i am not very good at lol) and crocheting 🧶

while i am a semispeaking aac user with mid support needs autism and a plethora of mental health conditions, i don’t consider this a disability/mental health/autism blog. i just post about my life and things i like or agree with, and sometimes that’s related to disability. i also have a service dog who i might talk about on occasion.

oh and i use the puzzle piece to represent my autism. it’s okay if you don’t like that but don’t bother lecturing me about it. yes, i know it’s history. no, i don’t support autism speaks. i have redefined the puzzle piece in a way that makes sense for me personally.

feel free to message me or send asks if you want to. social interaction (even through social media) can be hard for me, so i may take a long time to reply. despite that, i do enjoy talking to people on here.

i have a few other blogs but i use this as my main one. i follow from my mcr blog, @sp1keinmyheart.

@sp1keinmyheart, my chemical romance posting

@sillystimzone, visual stim archive

@sillystuffies, specifically plushie and toy posting

that’s all, enjoy my blog :) 🐌🌱

[nagahissteria]

Tfw you’ve had habits or yours that are actively harmful to your mental health brought to light but those things are safety mechanisms you’ve consciously or unconsciously adopted to hide the fact you aren’t like everybody else and you’re just now processing how much it hurts.

[wheelie-sick]

I wanted to make a very blunt post about hearing people using sign languages for speech loss episodes because I think a lot of people really need to hear this.

..... I really do not know what you guys are expecting to get out of sign language as an alternative to speech

let's start with some facts:

sign languages are their own distinct and separate languages from spoken language. ASL is not English with your hands, ISL is not Irish with your hands, and so on and so forth.

sign languages have their own unique vocabularies, grammar, and syntax

learning a sign language is exactly as hard as learning a spoken language. the idea that learning a sign language is easier is a myth. it is a second language and will be as difficult to learn as every other second language

sign languages rely on a complex system of facial expressions for grammatical reasons. facial expressions are not optional. [PT: facial expressions are not optional.] you will not be understood without facial expressions

from my understanding the majority of people who experience speech loss episodes lose their ability to speak because they are overwhelmed, overstimulated, upset, tired, or otherwise in a state that's upsetting or overwhelming. from my understanding, the majority of people who experience speech loss episodes are losing their ability to use language, they are not losing their ability to use their mouth.

if you are not losing speech in a way that exclusively affects your mouth then a sign language will not help you. full stop.

[PT: if you are not losing speech in a way that exclusively affects your mouth then a sign language will not help you. full stop.]

as I mentioned above a sign language is a second language for you* unless you have grown up signing you will be stuck translating your thoughts into a second language. if you're struggling to use language you will only struggle more to use a second language. it's like if you were monolingual English speaker and you lost speech and decided the solution would be to try speaking Spanish instead.

*okay, there are hearing people who learned sign as a first language**, but that is not the majority of you

**baby sign is not sign as a first language

I also feel like a lot of people seem to forget the experiences of Deaf autistic people when they're trying to figure out using sign language as an alternative to speech during speech loss episodes. Deaf people lose speech too. [PT: Deaf people lose speech too.] as it turns out the complexities of sign language can become too overwhelming and difficult when we are overwhelmed too, and sign language is often our native and/or primary language. if you are not someone using a sign language as your native and/or primary language then what makes you think you'll be able to communicate with it during a speech loss episode better than us?

you are going to find it very difficult to communicate in a second language when you're losing speech.

now for those of you whose speech loss episodes exclusively affect their mouth:

you are treading in dangerous waters. let's start with: sign languages are not AAC. Deaf people, who ultimately control the sign languages and were the people to create them, do not have a communication disorder. we are speakers of a non-dominant language. sign languages are more than just a communication tool for us, they are also endangered languages and cultural languages. they should be treated with respect in regards to those facts. if you treat sign languages as AAC (which therefore treats them as tools for your use as a hearing person) or outright call them AAC you are disrespecting the language and its cultural significance. if you would not call English "AAC for Americans" do not call sign languages AAC.

if you decide to use sign language to assist you during speech loss you should also be using your knowledge of sign language to protect and preserve this language. hearing people can be part of the Deaf world if they sign. you shouldn't shy away from communicating with Deaf people.

If you decide to use sign language to assist you during speech loss you have to [PT: have to] understand the culture behind the language and treat the language with respect to that culture. Deaf culture is a closed, minority culture. it is not free to take from and use as you please. us allowing you to use sign language is a gift, it is not something to take for granted. if you view sign languages as a tool for your use as a hearing person you are stealing.

but back to practicality, I'd encourage you to use AAC over a sign language. you don't tread the same dangerous waters by using AAC and it will also allow you to be understood by more people. most people do not know any sign language, and most people who do know sign language are unwilling to use it.

if you want to commit to learning a second language in its entirety and want to commit to doing so with respect I will not stop you but you should consider whether your motivations are yourself or whether your motivations align with and protect the Deaf community. your motivations should not be selfish.

[ID 1: a userbox saying "this user is deaf"

ID 2: a userbox saying "this user has autism"

ID 3: a userbox saying "this user communicates via sign language]

[pixierainbows]

“ If you use augmentative or alternative technology to communicate and have equipment lost or damaged due to a national disaster, we can help!

Who We Are

USSAAC's Disaster Relief Committee responds to nationally declared disasters on behalf of USSAAC members, people who use AAC, their families, and other AAC stakeholders. We work collaboratively with other organizations to replace AAC tools and devices that are lost or damaged.

How We Can Help

I Have a Need

If your AAC equipment has been lost or damaged, we can help with a replacement at no cost. Use the ‘I Have a Need’ button at https://aacdisasterrelief.recovers.org

I Want to Donate

To support USSAAC's efforts with monetary donations, communication devices, AAC app codes, or other AAC-related items, use the ‘I Want to Give’ button at https://aacdisasterrelief.recovers.org

I Want to Volunteer

Enter your skills and location using the 'I Want to Volunteer' button at https://aacdisasterrelief.recovers.org

FAQs

What equipment IS covered?

*Speech-generating devices

*Access switches

*Device mounting systems

*Communication boards and books

*AAC device batteries and chargers

What Happens Next?

Requests - we will contact you to get more detailed information about your AAC needs.

Donations - we will contact you when there is a need that matches your offer.

Volunteers - we will contact you when there is a need that matches your skills, time, and location.

Contact Us “

https://aacdisasterrelief.recovers.org

[unboundprompts]

Hello!!! I hope you don't mind doing this one,

Can you help me write a traumatized person who's having trouble talking because of past trauma? (They can still interact with people, but only with signs and movements, not voice) and also a little anxious

Tell me if you need more details =)

How to Write a Mute / Non-Speaking Character

-> healthline.com

-> verywellhealth.com

-> descriptionary.wordpress.com

Types of Mutism:

selective mutism: having the ability to speak but feeling unable to.

organic mutism: mutism caused by brain injury, such as with drug use or after a stroke.

cerebellar mutism: mutism caused by the removal of a brain tumor from a part of the skull surrounding the cerebellum, which controls coordination and balance.

aphasia: when people find it difficult to speak because of stroke, brain tumor, or head injury.

What Causes Selective Mutism in Adults?

having another anxiety condition, like separation anxiety or social anxiety

experiencing physical, emotional, or sexual abuse

having a family history of selective mutism or social anxiety

having fewer opportunities for social contact

having an extremely shy personality

having a speech or language disorder, learning disability, or sensory processing disorder

parent-child enmeshment, or lack of clear boundaries in the relationship

traumatic experiences

Traumatic Mutism vs Trauma-Induced Selective Mutism

if you have traumatic mutism, you may be unable to talk in all situations following a trauma.

with trauma-induced selective mutism, you may find it impossible to talk only in certain situations-- for example, in front of the person who hurt you or in a setting that resembles the circumstances of your trauma.

Different Ways Individuals with Mutism May Choose to Communicate:

Nonverbal Communication: they may rely on facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, and body language to convey their thoughts, emotions, and intentions.

Writing or Typing: they may use a pen and paper, digital devices, or communication apps to write messages, notes, or responses.

Sign Language: they can convey meaning, emotions, and engage in complex conversations through hand signs, facial expressions, and body movements.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Devices: these devices provide individuals with a range of tools and technologies to support their communication needs. They can include speech-generating devices, picture boards, apps, or software that allows users to select words, phrases, or symbols to generate spoken or written output.

Communication Boards and Visual Aids: Communication boards or charts with pictures, symbols, or words can assist individuals in conveying their messages.

Assistive Technology: various assistive technologies, such as speech-to-text apps, text-to-speech programs, or eye-tracking devices that aid individuals with communication.

Tips on Writing a Mute / Non-Speaking Character:

Explore the vast array of nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, gestures, and eye contact. Use descriptions to convey their intentions and reactions.

Utilize internal dialogue. Offer readers a window into their internal thought process, and turn their internal dialogue into a narrative that reveals their inner struggles, triumphs, and complexities so that reader can connect with the character.

Establish a communication system that is unique to your character (Sign language, written notes, telepathy in a fantasy setting, etc.). Having a communication system allows your character to interact with other characters and contribute to the narrative.

Surround them with Understanding Characters that can aid in communcation and fostering meaningful relationships.

Establish the Barriers/Conflicts They'll Experience. Don't forget to be realistic.

Your character is not defined by their inability to speak. Make sure you do not write stereotypes and cliches. Being mute is only one aspect of their identity rather than their defining trait.

Do your research! Seek out firsthand accounts, experiences, and perspectives. Check out online forums and resources to gain insights into their unique challenges, adaptations, and strengths.

If you like what I do and want to support me, please consider buying me a coffee! I also offer editing services and other writing advice on my Ko-fi! Become a member to receive exclusive content, early access, and prioritized writing prompt requests.

[uncommon-alterhuman]

Disabled alterhumans I love you

Bed bound alterhumans I love you

(Ambulatory) mobility aid user alterhumans I love you

AAC user alterhumans I love you

Non human (alter) alterhumans I love you

Delusional alterhumans I love you

Alterhumans with PD’s I love you

Goblinkin I love you

Hell houndkin I love you

Fictionkins with problematic sources I love you

Alterhumans with DA’s I love you

“Scary” Alterhumans I love you

Tool objectkin I love you

Plushkin I love you

Any vehicle objectkin I love you

waterkin I love you

firekin I love you

breezekin I love you

snakekin I love you

insectkin I love you

arachnidkin I love you

sea urchin kin I love you

clownfishkin I love you

squidkin I love you

young alterhumans I love you

old alterhumans I love you

nymphkin I love you

musickin I love you

Squirrelkin I love you

hedgehogkin I love you

alterhumans I love you

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

"gestures & sounds & nonverbal communication is (no tech) AAC. (AAC = augmentative & alternative communication. nonverbal communication = communication without words/language, not communication from nonverbal people)

"texting, writing, posting on social media, all actually accepted versions of AAC."

or thjs very old post from 2023 by assistiveware, an AAC company, creator of proloquo series:

[ID: screenshot of @ AssistiveWare instagram post. post itself is light purple background with dark purple text. bold text read “Social media, texting and tweeting are basically large scale socially accepted AAC systems." below that not bold text say " - Saoirse Tilton, AAC user." at very bottom have AssistiveWare contacts and logo. end ID]

are all things have heard people say when try explain to people who have no idea what AAC is.

is this true? are these AAC? are people who use these thus AAC users?

other AAC users may feel differently, n by no means am dictator of AAC, but as someone who nonverbal full time AAC user, personally really hate this, disagree - or at least disagree w this unnuanced explanation, especially when use with beginners or people who never in their life heard acronym AAC. find it counter productive, even more harm than good.

or, say different, personally: gestures, body language, mouth sounds, drawing, texting, writing, social media, these not AAC by default. in certain situations/context, AAC users may use these as AAC or AAC-adjacent (context-dependent, user-dependent). but saying “all these AAC” without more explain & nuance, false & irresponsible.

because, again, AAC, stand for augmentative and alternative communication. or, put into sentence, typically seen as "non-oral/mouth speech communication that augment (add to) and/or use as alternative to (replace) oral/mouth speech."

(* say "typically" because there people who can't spell thus can't type, who use button-based AAC to replace that. but this typically not what people mainly mean when say "AAC")

but, include & on top of all that, in current world AAC have extra layer of connotation (idea/ feeling/association on top of what it literally mean) of... it not standard. it not typical. it not the norm. it transgressive. people/norm expect something. u giving them another.

for better—me be nonverbal AAC user do make me different than verbal people, do give me different access needs, in world not designed for me. it make me different (unique). n want that difference acknowledged, instead of toxic positivity assimilation "you just the same" out of pity only

or for worse—be treat as second class citizens. oral speech be seen as better than AAC. have communication AAC not listened to or thrown out, which some AAC users have experienced in legal/law/police/abuse report situations. we treated differently (worse).

people whose mouth speak works won't use AAC. AAC is what come next when that not work or may not work.

different (positive). different (neutral). different (negative).

transgressive.

.

people w complex communication needs, n by extension AAC users, we treated horribly by society & by people in society. we get teased, bullied, ignored, abused, abused & not able communicate it, but we not just get mistreated on individual-level. often we denied right to communicate, right to education, n other human rights. many of us forced to live in silence, because we not given communication tools, or support for develop communication. sometimes police, testimonies, & official legal records not see our AAC communication as real communication.

our non-oral speech communication get seen as less legit than oral speech. other people’s oral speech get automatic listened to before our own. we denied communication tools that may help us thrive because people around us want us to speak orally & think any other tool will take away our hypothetical chance to talk fluently reliably via mouth.

everyone communicate in variety of ways. body language on purpose, body language not on purpose, gestures, pointing, vocal sounds, drawing, writing, texting, via showing pictures. for most verbal people, these communication are normalized. no one bat an eye when person giving speech use body language persuade audience, or when you show friend picture of your lunch when you struggling explain it. but us, who can’t fully rely on oral speech, we need rely on these more. heavier. more intentionally. more on purpose. but ours gets dismissed. gets ignored on purpose.

so, really do understand trying to reframe AAC to people who not know what it is, or people resistant to it. that we all use it. that they use it. that they listen to other verbal people who using it. so ours should be listened to, too.

but that’s the thing: everyone communicate in variety of ways. n for most verbal people, those are normalized.

make text post in social media where expect text post norm is text post suppose to write text (may even not have audio option), and, use non-mouth speak communication (or not use mouth speak) in person when all people mouth talk all expect you mouth talk. fundamentally different.

second thing get you ableism. get make fun & mock at best, in conversation get ignored at best. at worst, get hate crimed, get killed, get wrong convicted, or in medical situation see as justify for not need consent or reason ignore what you say or reason declare incompetent.

first thing. well, who get be on social media full of privilege & discrimination, who get heard on social media full of that, who get bully & make fun of for writing "wrong" for content full of that (race, class, dis/ability, etc). but, struggle think of time where act of make text post on social media where expect post text post is.. that.

there difference between writing text post in tumblr or any text-based social media, or text fun friend group where you all miles apart n all texting, vs texting in group chat when sit irl with friend group who all orally talking, different, or person using letter board to spell out everything they want to say.

there difference between showing your friend picture of your dinner when it too complicated to explain n clearer in picture when you bump into eachother n start mouth chatting, vs using symbol based communication in high tech speech generating device or low tech picture cards, or even AAC user having unique relationship with art n see that as way of communicate.

maybe in another world or in future, second group get as normalized as first. but we not there. and AAC users who use most basic, fundamental, narrowest definition of AAC, we exist right now in real life, we not theory or theoretical.

in average face to face situation, even verbal person use more nonverbal communication than verbal ones.

are all communication that not oral speech, AAC?

trying to normalize AAC, but end up erasing our differences (differences can be factual. neutral.), assimilating us, turning a word that have specific meanings for us into something so wide, it useless to those of us who most impacted, those of us who need it.

there better way to explain we all use things other than oral/mouth speech to communicate than “they *are* AAC” for everyone, in every situation. (n yes, people DO say that)

if anyone with similar feelings with simpler way put it, please do. it too complex n abstract in brain, n not have scripts or “table of contents” in brain that already exist for it, so feel like wrote bunch of confusing nothing.

[rewrite of old post for AAC awareness month. so parts that sound bit different, that why (copy paste).]

[a-sound-sol]

MHA Guys x Autistic!Reader Headcanons

ft. Bakugou, Midoriya, Kaminari, Kirishima, Sero, Monoma, and Shinsou!

Katsuki Bakugou

always has all your sensory tools on him!

will shut anyone up who tries to talk to you during a meltdown or when you’re overstimulated

gives you space when u need it but always keeps an eye on you anyways

when you’re ready for affection he is ON IT!!! Cuddles, kisses, doesn’t matter. But he waits for the signals first.

keeps an AAC app for your nonspeaking moments, it’s on his phone.

he actually has a whole section of apps just for you, sensory stuff, soothing music, you name it

he will protect you from yourself if you start to try and hurt yourself. he will hold you so tightly while you cry.

Izuku Midoriya

now he’s one to notice the MINUTE you get overstimulated! And he will make up any excuse to get you out of wherever you guys are!!

he talks to you when you want to be distracted! And he’ll infodump about anything

on that note, he LOVES when you infodump. He thinks it’s the cutest thing you do, especially when you start to lose track of time as you go on.

he will comfort you when you need it! He has a hard time sitting in silence, so he brings fidgets for himself too!

knows where all your sensory tools are in your room, brings his own noise cancelling headphones (he bought you yours! He has the same ones)

Denki Kaminari

oh he’s HORRIBLE at silence! But he will literally zip his mouth shut if he sees you need quiet

he owns a lot of fidgets already and all kinds of flexible seating options (his favorite is one of those exercise balls)

he will play with your hair and draw circles over your skin to meet your physical sensory needs! He’ll also do yoga with you without asking (:

has all your doctors’ names and numbers memorized just in case you have a really bad meltdown

will go dummy mode as a distraction so you can slip away if you get overwhelmed :’)

never gets mad if you snap on accident, will hold you while you cry about how you feel bad you snapped :((

Eijirou Kirishima

LOVES comforting you no matter what happened, but especially if you’ve had a meltdown that you got embarrassed about so you didn’t tell him :/

he loves to touch you, to hug you, and gives you the pressure you need to regulate

he reads books about autism to try and understand your needs better

always wants to make sure you’re okay at parties or gatherings, checks in frequently

defends you ALWAYS especially if someone is talking about how you’ve shut down. He makes it personal.

forehead kisses and back rubs when you’ve had a hard day. He will often tuck you in with your weighted blanket that he bought you for your birthday.

Hanta Sero

oh if you need a place to relax he’s got you! He knows how to set an atmosphere fr

he makes sure to only ever use scents that don’t overwhelm you when he cleans his room or lights incense

tells you you’re perfect the way you are and reassures you CONSTANTLY without you asking.

plays games with you because you love them and you said nobody ever wanted to play them with you growing up (he’d never let you feel alone)

genuinely asks how you are, but especially after a hard day. He goes out of his way constantly to check in

makes sure that you’re regulated before bed and as soon as you wake up too! Always meets those sensory needs, but doesn’t realize he’s doing it. It just comes naturally to him.

Neito Monoma

he has no problem being a distraction from any and everything you need, he kinda thrives that way actually!

he would entirely kidnap the moon for you. you told him once that the moon helped you feel grounded and less alone, and he almost went on that impossible mission (he didn't because he wouldn't get to see your face if things went south)

always has your favorite movies ready along with favorite snacks!

will never ever make you feel bad for having a harder day than usual. in fact, he will fight you if you even try to apologize

has no problem telling off anyone who tries to give you a hard time when you're already feeling anxious or overstimulated

Hitoshi Shinsou

you are his most important person and he will not let you ever think otherwise

if you even think of apologizing for being too much, he will immediately put his hand over your mouth and hug you

he rubs your shoulders and gives you pressure when you need it, without even asking. he just knows you that well

he IS the human fidget! If you don't have any sensory tools, he's quick to guide your hand to his fingers, his hair, even his face if you really need to ground.

his voice stays low and he guides you through meltdowns, always holding you when you need that, and giving you space when you don't. but he always stays with you.

Hope you enjoyed!!! I think I'm gonna do another headcanon part with other characters too! thoughts?

[zebulontheplanet]

most of the autism stuff i encounter (as a low-support autistic person) revolves pretty much exclusively around ppl with low-support needs, who can easily pass for non-autistic, who don't get diagnosed until well into adulthood bc they look "normal," which maps pretty well onto my own experience (except i was diagnosed very young) but it only represents a fraction of the autistic community. so your blog was a really nice find.

a few questions:

when your aac device runs out of battery, what are your alternatives? are you able to write stuff down instead?

what's the purpose of plaintext? who does it accommodate?

i know when it comes to individuals, you're supposed to ask them whether they prefer to be called nonspeaking or nonverbal, but which do i use as an umbrella term? how do i refer to them as a group? (maybe this is a pointless question bc you're only one person but i'm still curious)

sorry if i misspoke or said anything offensive, like i said i've been inundated with mostly low-support perspectives and today was basically my first time finding anything else

Hello anon! Glad to see you here. I’ll try my best to answer your questions.

If my AAC battery runs out, then I can use my phone. I have my apps on my phone as well for backup. But let’s say my phone and AAC are out of battery, I’d use my partners/caregivers phone, which they have a AAC app downloaded on and the notes app, which I could use to communicate. But let’s say my AAC is dead, my phones dead, and I’m not with my caregiver or my caregivers phone is dead. I’d be shit out on luck. Unless we had a pen and paper with us, I wouldn’t be able to communicate at all besides grunts, pointing, and leading. So yeah, those are very important. It’s very important to have things charged at all times.

Plaintext is important for those with cognitive and intellectual disability. Why? Because some of us can’t understand complicated text. I am one of those people. Some of it I can understand? But a lot of it I can’t. Plaintext is very important and is an accessibility tool. This just doesn’t stop at cognitive and intellectually disabled folk. Many people benefit from plaintext.

This is a hard one, and one I cannot not fully answer because each person will say something different. If someone was to use an umbrella term around me personally, I’d prefer them to use nonverbal. But some people prefer that people use nonspeaking. Again, it all depends and it’s a hard question. Just go with the flow and see what those around you prefer.

Anyways, I hope this helps! If you have any further questions then let me know. Have a lovely day anon!

[beatingtheouijaboardallegations]

forever tired of our voices being turned into commodity.

forever tired of thorough medaocrity in the AAC business. how that is rewarded. How it fails us as users. how not robust and only robust by small small amount communication systems always chosen by speech therapists and funded by insurance.

forever tired of profit over people.

forever tired of how companies collect data on every word we’ve ever said and sell to people.

forever tired of paying to communicate. of how uninsured disabled people just don’t get a voice many of the time. or have to rely on how AAC is brought into classrooms — which usually is managed to do in every possible wrong way.

forever tired of the branding and rebranding of how we communicate. Of this being amazing revealation over and over that nonspeakers are “in there” and should be able to say things. of how every single time this revelation comes with pre condition of leaving the rest behind, who can’t spell or type their way out of the cage of ableist oppression. or are not given chance & resources to. Of the branding being seen as revolution so many times and of these companies & practitioners making money off this “revolution.” of immersion weeks and CRP trainings that are thousands of dollars and wildly overpriced letterboards, and of that one nightmare Facebook group g-d damm it. How this all is put in language of communication freedom. 26 letters is infinite possibilities they say - but only for the richest of families and disabled people. The rest of us will have to live with fewer possibilities.

forever tired of engineer dads of AAC users who think they can revolutionize whole field of AAC with new terrible designed apps that you can’t say anything with them. of minimally useful AI features that invade every AAC app to cash in on the new moment and not as tool that if used ethically could actually help us, but as way of fixing our grammar our language our cultural syntax we built up to sound “proper” to sound normal. for a machine, a large language model to model a small language for us, turn our inhuman voices human enough.

forever tired of how that brand and marketing is never for us, never for the people who actually use it to communicate. it is always for everyone around us, our parents and teachers paras and SLPs and BCBAs and practitioners and doctors and everyone except the person who ends up stuck stuck with a bad organized bad implemented bad taught profit motivated way to talk. of it being called behavior problems low ability incompetence noncompliance when we don’t use these systems.

you all need to do better. We need to democritize our communication, put it in our own hands. (My friend & communication partner who was in Occupy Wall Street suggested phrase “Occupy AAC” and think that is perfect.) And not talking about badly made non-robust open source apps either. Yes a robust system needs money and recources to make it well. One person or community alone cannot turn a robotic voice into a human one. But our human voice should not be in hands of companies at all.

(this is about the Tobii Dynavox subscription thing. But also exploitive and capitalism practices and just lazy practices in AAC world overall. Both in high tech “ mainstream “ AAC and methods that are like ones I use in sense that are both super stigmatized and also super branded and marketed, Like RPM and S2C and spellers method. )

[alazyparallelworld]

okay guys lets be honest with ourselves here though. like, for a moment,

to viewed & treated as an adult with "moderate/severe intellectual/developmental disabilities" you have to walk across a very thin line.

if you're too eloquent, your means of operation (ADLs, walking, talking, transportation, self-care) are assumed to be good. there is no true Passing, as an ablebodied/ableminded person online. IRL there are tics; there are deformations in the face, hands, that cue people into. "oh, you are not cognitively All There. got it."

if you are comprehensible, then it isn't that bad. you're basically an ableminded (read: normal) person. you're held to impossible standards of behavior, intellect, and motor skills - when you eventually fail their expectations, they react to it as a failure of you, as a person. that you did it on purpose. worse-case scenario, it'll spread that you're faking. your story of difficulty is just a ploy.

and this is if you're perceived and treated as an adult.

if there's visible, evident in text, that There Is Something Wrong with you on a neuron level? you become a kid. people are fascinated that you're online at all (and doubtful of your independence at this, another bell ring of are you faking?)

people mind their words around you. "fragile, like glass," is an understatement. i've had experiences IRL where strangers worriedly stood beside me, wondering where my parents/caregiver was. one woman got into my face, ignored my jolting away and stuttering, and moved my bangs out of my eyes. because it was Bad for me. (don't you know that?)

and that's, in person, when i have an adult's stature and appearance. where my drivers license has my 90s birthdate.

if your speech is broken - either in grammar or illogical - or you use assistive tools like an AAC board, speech to text, people assume that talking is hard for you. you need to be monitored by someone who knows better - you need to do as little as possible. you need to be away from everyone else; it's disturbing to see someone out of the SPED classroom, outside of the assisted living facilities.

and most of the time - even around the most sensitive, kind people and friends - i still fall into one or other binary of functional/nonfunctional. independent/dependent.