Unlocking Communication

Today I used Proloquo2Go for the first time and I LOVED IT! Other than the brief introduction to  Proloquo2Go that Mrs. Welsford gave us last Friday, I had never heard of this software. To be perfectly honest I have somehow taught for 23 years and not had the opportunity to work with non-verbal students. This weekend, I watched the instructional videos provided on the AssistiveWare web site and diligently took notes.  As it turns out, taking notes and using the software are two very different things! When I first started creating my communication board for the purposes of this assignment today, I had forgotten most of what I had heard in the videos. Fortunately, it did not take long to get the hang of things. In the end, I found that using the software was not overly difficult. It was easy to create boards, add new buttons, hide buttons, change colours, sizes, voice etc. What I found to be the most challenging part was deciding what vocabulary to use. It is EXTREMELY difficult to decide which words and phrases will be needed for a particular activity. All I can say is thanks goodness for the templates! Way to go Proloquo2Go! Here is a picture of the board that I created. 

I created this board for Ruby. She is a 6 year old girl in mainstream school. She is diagnosed with autism and a speech disability. Ruby has good motor coordination and uses her thumb to select the buttons. She catches on to instruction quickly and doesn’t need a lot of guidance when using the iPad. Ruby uses Proloquo2Go on both the iPad and the iPod touch. Since using the iPad, the iPad touch and the software, Ruby has been assessed and is working at grade level. Ruby has no visual impairments. For the purposes of this assignment (To create an activity board using Proloquo2Go) I took on the role of Ruby’s mother and therefore created an activity board for an activity that Ruby would participate in at home. I decided to create a board for baking a cake. I tried to include all of the vocabulary that would provide Ruby with the means for authentic conversation. As I mentioned previously in my Blog, I found choosing the vocabulary the hardest part. Have a look at my activity board. If you see something that could be added, I would love for you to let me know. 

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As I watched the various user videos on the  web site AssistiveWare I was amazed at the independence that this software provided in people’s lives. It gives people a voice! Being able to communicate in society is crucial and this software provides that opportunity. The videos speak of parents who were advocates for their children but now that their children are using Proloquo2Go, they are advocates for themselves. This is truly fantastic! One video that was particularity touching  to me was the video about Lisa that I have included above. Lisa is a single mother who lost her voice at a young age. Her son is 6 years old and up until her son was two, she did not have the software to communicate with him. Now, thanks to the use of Proloquo2Go, she communicates with him and others in an authentic and reciprocal manner. As she states, “Being non-verbal is a challenge, but when people understand how I communicate they realize I have a brain, and something to contribute.” I think that this says it all!