#what is SLP

[betweenblackberrybranches]

Some Redlight Greenlight au shenenigans set after Y/N and Sun & Moon have been neighbours for a while

Y/N is already way too invested in their new neighbours and coworkers

For the record Y/N panicked a little, rain is not detremental to robots but if it gets into the circuits, which is still unlikely because most of them are waterproof, it could do some major damage

I listened to the new studio killer song on loop while drawing this! give it a listen

[ariellestudies]

𝟎𝟔.𝟎𝟗.𝟐𝟒 - 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟎! 💗

🎧 - pray, tommy heavenly6 📖 - faebound, saara el-arifi (p. 19)

i rested a lot today, which was needed since i feel pretty much back to normal now! my migraine 'hangovers' don't normally last more than a day or two, so i guess this was a particularly nasty one. hard to not feel like this weekend was a 'waste' because of it--i still did things i needed to get done, but the pain in my head and behind my eyes was very...limiting and i don't feel like i made the most of my time. but then again, it's the summer and i only have one class to worry about and also i'm gonna have to hustle next summer so i should really just enjoy this one the best i can so i should let myself take it easy sometimes. well, between naps i did get most of my classwork done, so i'm all good for tomorrow's lab and to do my hw for wednesday. i also started another new book! i'm excited to be whittling down my tbr list finally lol

-a

tomorrow's goals:

finish up physics notes, homework, draft lab report review language development notes review ttmik - lvl1; le3-4

[the-qalankhais-sweetheart]

Behold, the most cursed BSD edit my SLP ass could have ever made.

I'm so, so, SO sorry, y'all.

(based on THIS accursed thing I have to use on a weekly basis)

[flamingostalker]

working in special education will have you thinking about the prior written notice at ungodly hours💀

[ejzah]

Finally heard from my supervisor, got access to most of my caseload, and I think finalized my schedule (for now), so it’s been a productive day.

[darlinguistics]

future thoughts !

i dont talk about too far in the future on this blog that much and thats bc my view of the future beyond the present semester has always been so inconstant butttt i think i can kinda see what im gonna do.

i should be graduating next fall, and i kinda always assumed i would be applying for grad schools then, take advantage of getting spring off and the summer, and start grad school the next fall. but then i realized.. oh my god wait what. grad school already? what the fuck? nah no way.

so ive decided on a gap year actually possibly several lol, which i feel kinda silly taking this long to come to that decision, cuz now that i have im like.. yeah duh why would i ever not take a gap year, who do i think i am going straight to grad school tbh lol

but i have more than a few friends who are also grad school bound and theyre mostly on like fast tracks to get there right out of undergrad or just very passionate about going right to it yknow, and so even though i knew gap years were super common and typical i guess i kinda forgot it was an option. im pretty easily influenced i guess

my rough plan is to graduate, and then work on getting certified as a speech-language pathology assistant! which is another option i always knew about but for some reason never really considered! i think its a good option for me because i have a lot of i guess imposter syndrome about the clinical side of things. i know that im smart and capable in theory, but im not as confident about my abilities to actually think on my feet, recognize and apply things irl, all that good stuff all the hands on tangible stuff yknow. which is ironically what im most passionate about, actually working with real people, but its also what i feel least qualified for lol. i think getting that experience before studying in grad school as opposed to during and after grad school is the most effective path for me in terms of making sure i learn and become the professional i wanna be. cuz i think if i just jumped into studies with the lingering work anxiety in the back of my head and making me too nervous and anxious most of the time then i wont be of the right mind to properly take things in and retain things or even think well and put my best foot forward yknow? i just know myself and my process and i know i need time to settle like that

i know i love learning and i know im very capable, but i kinda need a lot to get there, and ive been learning to come to terms with that and work with it instead of against it lately. when i think of going right to grad school with little or no break before and all this anxiety i still have, if im being honest i can only see myself burning out and both hurting myself while also not becoming who i even want to be. ik grad school will be stressful enough just in its own right, i want to have as much of a handle over my mental health as i can before i start instead of setting myself up for failure and two more years of feeling like im barely surviving my education. but taking a year or two or three to explore the field just as an assistant and learn things by immersion and idk just let my nervous system get used to the experience of it, so that i go through grad school relatively calmly and learning all the things i want to learn without my own worries or self sabotage ruining the experience and then come out of it as the competent professional i dream to be, that feels a lot better to me, that feels right and hopeful to me instead of intimidating and dreadful.

so coming to those decisions has lifted a lot of my anxiety lately and makes me kinda even excited instead of scared of graduation approaching. but theres still uncertain things, i have to figure out housing after graduation because while i do hypothetically have a home to go back to, it would be me sleeping on the couch and my mental health is godawful at home sooo, thats gonna be a stressor for a bit but itll get figured out. the slp-a certification is kinda new-ish and part of it includes 100 hours of clinical work and passing an exam, so those parts make me worry about how long the whole thing might take but i dont think it should take too long the whole process?? but i still need to research things more. also what else would i be doing with the time anyway yknow? idk why i feel the need to rush myself and like things need to happen so fast. its fine if things are uncertain and in progress for a while im in my 20s man yknow thats kinda just life. my biggest actual worry is i just want to be able to get housing and im pretty optimistic about that im kinda planning to look into it more over winter break with my mom.

but yeah thats where im at!! i love love love being a student but i also cannot fucking wait to not be one and just be working. i need a break from the echo chamber of my abstract thoughts, i want to interact with people and learn things hands on and intuitively with less pressure, pls let me out of my enclosure i want to see the WORLDDD

[the-qalankhais-sweetheart]

Oh, HELL NO.

This is going to screw HIPAA royal for teletherapy.

Need a better breakdown? Tiktok attached below that explains Zoom's new Terms of Service:

What about folks who have therapy via Zoom? Court hearings? The list goes on. If you've got any Zoom alternatives, or maybe preference for one of the ones we listed with why, reblog please!

Image Description Below.

[ID: Screenshot of a tweet by Ted Gioia @/tedgioia from 1 day ago. They write, "Zoom terms of service now require you to allow AI to train on ALL your data--audio, facial recognition, private conversations--unconditionally and irrevocably, with no opt out. Don't try to negotiate with our new overlords." Gioia then has as a screenshot attached highlighting different lines from Zoom's new Terms of Services. The text in the image is small but can be read to say:

10.2 Service Generated Data; Consent to Use. Customer Content does not include any telemetry data, product usage data, diagnostic data, and similar content or data that Zoom collects or generates in connection with your or your End Users’ use of the Services or Software (“Service Generated Data”). As between you and Zoom, all right, title, and interest in and to Service Generated Data, and all Proprietary Rights therein, belong to and are retained solely by Zoom. You agree that Zoom compiles and may compile Service Generated Data based on Customer Content and use of the Services and Software. You consent to Zoom’s access, use, collection, creation, modification, distribution, processing, sharing, maintenance, and storage of Service Generated Data for any purpose, to the extent and in the manner permitted under applicable Law, including for the purpose of product and service development, marketing, analytics, quality assurance, machine learning or artificial intelligence (including for the purposes of training and tuning of algorithms and models), training, testing, improvement of the Services, Software, or Zoom’s other products, services, and software, or any combination thereof, and as otherwise provided in this Agreement. In furtherance of the foregoing, if, for any reason, there are any rights in such Service Generated Data which do not accrue to Zoom under this Section 10.2 or as otherwise provided in this Agreement, you hereby unconditionally and irrevocably assign and agree to assign to Zoom on your behalf, and you shall cause your End Users to unconditionally and irrevocably assign and agree to assign to Zoom, all right, title, and interest in and to the Service Generated Data, including all Proprietary Rights relating thereto.

A tweet by John Rogers @/jonrog1 replies, "I ... don't think @/Zoom understands every single TV company and movie studio now has to drop them. Never mind the HIPAA issues. Yikes."

The youth volunteers of Better Future Program @/bfpnola write under these screenshots via Instagram, "We've been talking about this in our Discord server as of last night since we host our meetings in Zoom and we've been researching alternatives, especially ones that are end-to-end encrypted and we know other activists use, like Jitsi, Disroot, Matrix, and ofc Signal. Got any other ones?"

Finally there is an Instagram question sticker asking for Zoom alternatives. /End ID.]

[esperantoauthor]

today in being a school slp

-admin wants us to do things we already did three years ago

-students disappointed group had to end because were having fun together

-whole class confused and getting very hung up on when -ion is a morpheme and when -tion is a morpheme when I literally don’t think it matters please just know that either way the suffix means THIS and syllables aren’t same as morphemes

-student absent but no one told me

-student refuses to come to speech but won’t respond to questions about why so I spend five minutes prying out that she needs five minutes to finish something

[propertyofkylar]

man, as a kid i watched so many weird ass movies no one’s ever heard of. like the 2006 3d animated movie about british pigeons joining ww2 to fight against nazi falcons. or another 3d german movie about worms getting into disco. one i really liked was the movie 9 released on the 9th of september of 2009, that takes place in a post apocalyptic world where humanity has fallen because of the robot uprising and the protagonist is a living doll-thing? shit gets fucking scary as hell, but i was a weird kid and loved watching creepy movies (still do hsdhdh)

-slp

slp…bestie…is the first movie you’re talking about valiant. because when i was little my mom had a minivan with a dvd player in it. and we kept certain movies in the car to watch on our frequent drives (me and my brothers did lots of activities and mom was a stay at home mom, so we always went shopping with her too) and one of those movies we kept in there was valiant. we watched it all the fucking time. all i remember was it was about a pigeon and there was war so im assuming it was the same thing. my mom probably got it from the dollar movie bin at walmart. but no one else ive spoken to has ever heard of it. is this fate?

[theobot]

man as a speech therapist i sure am having trouble making sports decisions and getting my patients players ready for the big game thank god for this email

[seokshinedk]

Today was a bit of a rough day, but the most important part is that it is over & it’s time to move on

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

on tumblr lot more people know about it which great! that improve life of all AAC users. but pretty much with anything disability/developmental disability space on social media (which need certain amount of cognitive/intellectual & language abilities be on even if have support), good majority you see be teen & adult people who already literate learn language via speech n write *first* n then *independently* learn AAC base on it *later*.

especially symbol based AAC, but all AAC, is new system n hard n take long time learn even when you literate & not moderately severely cognitively disabled. but also, “literate teen/adult independent learn AAC” not at all full face of AAC user community.

as in like. experience of theirs. not universal. independently motivated & able to look up different AAC options different AAC apps, compare n contrast. download app n immediately know how to use, or able figure out by self. first time use app n may be clunky n slow, but make sentence on first try. need learn AAC, but most of that learning is for where words are (if button based), how exist as AAC user in public with confidence, etc. those all valid but not true for everyone who need AAC, especially not developmentally disabled children (& some adults) with complex communication needs.

most developmentally disabled children (n some adults) w complex communication needs who need AAC, can’t just hand them tablet with symbol based AAC app or text to speech AAC app n then wait for magic. many of them developmentally delayed in way, not taught in way that fit them (e.g. gestalt language processors), n their language abilities behind peers, so they can’t read, can’t spell, can’t grammar, etc.

some of them need learn where word is not by read word, sometimes not even by understand symbol, instead is by other people press button n hear sound n associate that with meaning n location on AAC n symbol associate with it. in other words, they learning language alongside AAC.

for some their learn process look like, learn how use AAC say one word. n then much later, try make two word message, “want food” “go school.” “two word message” incredibly common goal for many these developmentally disabled children, teens, n even adults, that is something rare n truly extraordinary for that person that need be celebrated.

for others it look like learn by phrase (gestalt), then slowly break it down into smaller phrase n chunks n finally single words.

many of them babble (click random/seemingly random buttons on high tech device, stim with it, etc). but ultimately, won’t be able learn all by self. need be taught, see you accidentally spill water n crying, maybe you “feel” “sad”, n when that happen you “need” “help” from adult. need learn AAC by adults around them constantly model with it, constantly use it in conversation, show them how use. because they learning language along side it.

but also some of them don’t know what this thing in front of them (AAC… device, low tech boards or picture cards, etc) is. don’t know what communication is or you should do that. don’t know people exist who you should communicate to & with. heard many parents n SLP say they try model all time, try all kind of stuff, but child just not seem interested in it, don’t look at it, don’t touch it, don’t use it.

people who use AAC, not all them struggle with only speech. some them struggle with language, with intellectual/cognitive. some of them very developmentally delayed.

n some people, too disabled learn or use AAC. yeah, they exist.

for people who cannot use / cannot only use speech to be understood, AAC can be life changing. but is so much more complex thing. AAC still not as widely used n accepted n properly taught n supported as should, some parents n professionals n schools still many pushback n refuse. but sometimes answer to “have you tried AAC for them” is “yes, but they need long time n lots help to learn n we not very far yet even though spent long time on it” or “yes, but they simply not show interest even after constant model” or “god, wish can, but insurance only cover if show some amount of communication competence n ability use AAC, while only give 1 month trial, which simply not enough time” (wide spread thing that happen) or “yes. many types. it not work.”

for many AAC users & AAC user-to-be, it not as simple as “be handed AAC n check back in while they figure out by self”

[autball]

Part 5 of a 5 part series about the ways harmful practices are being made to sound more appealing and how to spot the differences between helpful and harmful approaches.

Communication support is a desperately needed thing for so many autistic people and their families. So unlike some of the other things I’ve posted about this week, this is 100% a worthy goal. Unfortunately, many places that claim they can offer it are not delivering. 

In some cases, they simply don’t have the education to properly support communication needs (I’m looking at you, ABA). Other times they do have the proper education (ie Speech Language Pathologists) but they will gatekeep certain methods of communication, either because they believe harmful myths about them or they haven’t been trained in that particular method. Also, not every SLP knows about Gestalt Language Processing, so even an otherwise great therapist could be missing some information.

So here are some questions to ask when trying to figure out if someone is truly capable of offering well-rounded, neuro-affirming communication support:

Are they more concerned with making the client easier to deal with for others, or are they focused on the client’s rights, needs, and wishes? (We’re looking for the second one.)

Do they address the client directly, or do they speak as if the client isn’t even in the room? (We’re looking for the first one.)

Do they see speech and language as a behavioral thing? (Verbal Behavior and PECS are dead giveaways - and we want a NO.) 

Do they understand that an inability to produce speech has no bearing on a person’s ability to think and feel? (YES✅)

Do they only push for speech, see speech as the end goal, or value speech above all other methods of communication? (NO✅)

Do they honor things like echolalia, pointing to objects, and bringing an adult over to something they want as valid communication? (YES✅)

Do they honor things like refusal to participate, crying, and meltdowns as valid communication? (YES✅)

Do they believe that things like pacifiers, AAC, or responding to “non-functional communication” discourages speech/“functional” communication? (NO✅)

Do they know about Gestalt Language Processing and believe it is a thing? (YES✅)

Do they require “pre-requisites” before they will try alternative communication methods? (NO✅)

Do they require the client to earn time on their AAC device or remove the device when they deem it a distraction, essentially taking away their voice? (NO✅)

Do they know who to send you to if they aren’t personally trained in an approach they think would be more helpful? (YES✅)

Obviously, trying to find someone local to you with all the green flags and no red ones is kind of like trying to find a unicorn for most people. But if you have a choice between two or more therapists, you can at least go with the one who has more right answers and be ready to advocate/educate when needed. 

If you literally have only one option available to you and it’s not a good one, you can either be ready to advocate at every turn or just choose not to use their services. Yeah, that’s allowed! Not every autistic person needs speech therapy, and not all communication support has to be directly administered by a professional. You as the parent or caregiver will play a huge role in supporting your person with their communication needs, and luckily there are online resources and virtual trainings that can help you do that.

P.S. What’s the difference between PECS and picture cards, you ask? PECS is a whole ABA-based program that uses a limited set of picture cards and should be avoided for several reasons. Meanwhile, plain old picture cards are something that can be made and used by anyone without any specific program.

P.P.S. Zero debates about the legitimacy of Spelling to Communicate (S2C) or Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) will be entertained (translation - it will be deleted so don’t waste your time).

[vivianseda]

Thank you Em from NeuroWild

“We talk a lot about Masking and Unmasking.

Masking is when we hide our neurodivergent traits. We might change the way we communicate, our behaviour, our interests, our personality- to suit the people we are with.

It’s sort of living a pretend life.

And we pay for it with our mental health and wellbeing.

I’m done with the mask.

Here are some examples of what unmasking might look like.

This is not an exhaustive list, and not every AuDHD person will choose to unmask in these ways. Unmasking is not straightforward.

Also, for many people, unmasking may not be/feel safe.

Often, unmasking is a privilege.

If and when we do unmask, it can suddenly seem like we have become ‘more autistic’. That might be a shock to some people, especially if they have known us a long time.

It’s important to know that we are exactly the same as we have always been- but now we have stopped repressing all our authentic traits. We are starting to figure out who we are underneath.

If Unmasking is something you are trying to work on, start small. Do some partial unmasking, in small, safe situations. See how you feel.

While we talk about Masking costing mental energy, it’s important to recognise that unmasking can do the same. Because it’s new, it can be really stressful, and it takes planning.

It gets easier.

Em ❤️🌈🌻

AuDHD SLP”

[yournecessaryevil]

Imagine...

...Chris and Ricky trying to get you to finally fall asleep after a long day while on tour...

• fluff; language; very light NSFW (if you squint)

"But I don't want to go to bed yet!"

You let out a quiet huff, clutching the pillow tighter against your chest as you cast a pleading look at the two men in front of you. Both gave you a raised eyebrow, neither one of them seeming to be impressed by your whining.

"Babygirl, you look so fucking tired-" Ricky began. "Yeah, you need sleep," Chris cut in, nodding in agreement. You stuck out your bottom lip in a slight pout as you continued to give them your best pleading look.

"Do I have to?" you asked, earning an immediate synchronized response of "Yes!" from both of the guys.

Ricky reached up to adjust his beanie before shaking his head at you, a smile playing at his lips. "It's been a long day for all of us, but especially you," he pointed out.

Chris grinned, the piercings in his bottom lip briefly catching the light from the dim interior of the bus. "Yeah, you're not used to the tour life like we are," he teased you.

This earned an eyeroll from his bandmate, who lightly elbowed him in the side. "It's been years, dude, and I'm still not used to it," he retorted, though his former smile still remained in place.

Chris shrugged, before winking at you. "I'm telling you, sleep's gonna be your best friend while you're with us."

You buried your face in the pillow, grumbling to yourself. "Slp fckng sks..."

"What was that?" Chris laughed.

You raised your head, scowling at him.

"I said, sleep fucking sucks."

"True, but-" Ricky began, before casting a sideways glance towards Chris, who returned the gesture. A smirk slowly appeared on both men's faces before Chris turned to look at you, leaning forward until his face was a foot away from yours.

"-If you be a good girl for us and go to sleep like you're supposed to-"

"-Like we want you to-" Ricky cut in.

"-Then we'll make sure to reward you for it," Chris finished, his smirk growing a little.

This caught your attention.

It was no secret (especially to the rest of the band) how much of a certain... fondness... you'd developed for Chris and Ricky.

Although at this point, anyone would say it had become a little bit more than that...

You sat there in silence, contemplating the idea Chris had now planted in your mind.

"I think we've got her," Ricky laughed, exchanging a conspiratorial look with his bandmate, who nodded in agreement.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Chris get up from his spot on the couch, moving to sit behind you. You glanced down to see tattooed arms and hands grabbing the pillow out from between your fingers, placing it behind you on Chris's lap, before those same arms were pulling you closer to the man himself.

"Come on, Y/N," you heard Chris purr softly in your ear, "be a good girl for us, for me. Stop fighting it and just give in, go to sleep for me."

His words were accompanied by a gentle kiss on the soft spot behind your ear, followed by another a little further down, along the side of your neck, and yet another on the back of your shoulder.

Chris's hands slowly moved down to splay flat against your lower belly, his thumbs tracing soothing little circles along the inch or so of skin that lay exposed there, due to your sleep shirt riding up a bit.

The way his hands moved, the gentle seduction of his words in your ear, all of it was much too nice, and you felt your blinks slowly getting longer, almost against your will.

"Oh, Chris, man, she's dozing off," Ricky observed in a soft whisper, a grin playing at his lips. His bandmate gave a soft hum of agreement, gently tugging you down so you were now lying in his lap, your head resting on the pillow.

His hands moved up, grazing lightly over your stomach, your breasts, stopping at your shoulders. Again, his thumbs were tracing little circles along the skin there, slowly coaxing you off into sleep.

But wait, sleep- you didn't want to sleep-

You struggled to keep your eyes open, fighting back a yawn. "But I don't wanna go to sleep-" you mumbled.

Chris softly shushed you, leaning down to place a kiss against your forehead. "Shh, don't fight it, Y/N. Be our good girl and go to sleep."

"Yeah, we'll still be here tomorrow, I promise," you heard Ricky agree, his voice getting closer. Out of the corner of one half-open eye, you saw the guitarist reach down, pulling a blanket over you and tucking the edges in around you. "Get some sleep, babygirl. We're not going anywhere," he murmured.

You watched as he took a seat on the floor next to you, leaning back against the couch, his head resting against your thigh.

"Ricky's right, we're not going anywhere. Get some sleep for us, baby, please?" Chris said softly. You let out a soft grumble in response.

You really didn't want to fall asleep, but fuck, Chris's lap was so comfortable, and ugh, the way Ricky smelled right now-! Everything was so nice, too nice...

Maybe an hour or two wouldn't hurt...

You yawned, before allowing yourself to relax and sink further into Chris's lap, pulling the blanket closer around you.

As your eyes fell closed, you could've sworn you heard Chris murmur, "That's our good girl..."

And as sleep finally claimed you, your mind drifted back to his and Ricky's earlier words, a smile gracing your face.

They better live up to their promise and reward you good for this tomorrow...

🎃 TAGLIST: @synthetic-wasp-570 @circle-with-me @thesazzb @tearfallpixie @beaker1636 @motionlessindoubt @motionlessomens @nixwolfe @bobateaandchocolatepudding @annateagan @kingdxmxfcxrds @talialovesmiw @bxrnthyfears @nerdraging4point0

[pixierainbows]

From NWACS ( nwacs.info )

The NWACS blog is a vital part of our AAC community. We want to take a moment to thank everyone who has contributed to the NWACS blog this year! Thank you for sharing your ideas, experiences, and knowledge with our AAC community. We love having your perspectives represented on our blog. What an amazing gift!

Are you an AAC user, parent/guardian or caregiver of an AAC user, SLP, OT, PT, teacher, educational assistant, or someone else interested in AAC? We would love to amplify your ideas, experiences, and thoughts on our blog.

Reach out to us with your questions or to let us know you are interested in contributing to the NWACS blog!

#NWACSblog #NWACS #AAC #gratitude

[Image 1 text: Thank you, blog authors!

Image 2 text: Contribute to the NWACS blog! The NWACS blog is a vital part of our community. You can help by sharing your experience, perspective, and knowledge. We want to elevate more voices! If you, or someone you know, have a unique perspective or want a platform for sharing your experience with AAC, we would love to support that effort.]