Communication 15
Teaching Your Visually Impaired Child Sign Language
Jennie writes about how she taught her son, Max, to sign. Max is totally blind and does have a few verbal words, but using signs to augment his early communication has really improved his language skills.
Switch Play: Using a switch for communication and play!
For children who are non-verbal or have low motor coordination, switches can be a great way to augment their play. If you're just getting started with a switch you may be looking for some ideas on how to use this device with your child. Here are some things we've tried with our switches.
You Can Say That Again! Echolalia in Visually Impaired Children
Learn why children who are visually impaired repeat back what they hear, and how parents can help minimize repetition in a constructive way.
Adapting Signs App for Children with Vision Impairment
This app gives tips on how to adapt signs for blind children including videos and written information. It also allows you to create your own dictionary of signs.
The ProxTalker Communication Board with Real Objects
The ProxTalker is a communications device that gives nonverbal kids a voice. Tags can be customized for your child's specific situation, and added and revised as necessary.
Sign to Speech to Text – The Next Big Thing for the Deaf Community
New technology translates sign language to speech and speech into text, making communication between those who sign and those who don't much more seamless.
Talkitt® Makes Unintelligible Speech Understandable
Talkitt translates unintelligible speech from any language into understandable speech through smart phones, tablets or computers. Works for people with speech disorders or diseases or syndromes that affect speech.
STACS: Standardized Tactile Augmentative Communication Symbols Kit
Tactile symbol systems are valuable tools that aid learners with conversations about people, places, events, and ideas.
Looking Deeper to Find the Person Within
Lesley Potgieter writes about reaching a child who cannot speak. Our ability to communicate via speech is the way the world accepts and interprets us, but Lesley argues that we need be more open minded when interacting with nonverbal people.
LessonPix Online Materials: Symbols & Visuals
Large pictures can be a great way to introduce concepts to children with low vision and can really help kids who need help with communication.
American Sign Language (ASL) Browser
The American Sign Language Browser allows you to choose any word starting with any letter and watch a short Quick Time video demonstration of that word being signed.
Planning the Day with Object Calendars
Creating a plan and a tangible system of communication is the best way to help your child deal with transitions. Using an object calendar or a schedule box can ease your child's discomfort and get you through those challenging days (like during summer vacation) when you have no real routine.
Sign Language for Blind Babies
Can sign language work for blind babies? Signs are made to be very visual, can blind babies really pick them up? We're here to tell you first hand, YES! We'll tell you why you should teach your baby signs and give you some tips to make the lessons fun and easy.
Say it With Symbols
Say it with Symbols! is the first stop resource for families, caregivers and educators looking for easy-to-use, functional augmentative communication aids that help people with severe speech disorders actively participate in daily living by communicating using pictures and symbols.
Using Tangible Symbols for Communication with Blind Children
In this video Elizabeth Torrey, Speech and Language Pathologist in the Early Learning Center at Perkins School for the Blind, talks about the use of tangible symbols in helping children with multiple disabilities, including blindness and deafblindness, to develop and achieve communication skills.
