Tag Archives: SGD

Family Donates Speech Generating Device to Jackson Autism Center

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Recently, a local Madison family donated their child’s speech generating device to Jackson Autism Center. Lauren and Greg Watkins explained that the communication device had been helpful to their daughter, but her speech had improved so much that they no longer felt it was necessary for her to use it to be understood. Lauren said Dr. Mullican had assisted them in getting the device and they wanted the opportunity to help other kids find their voice.

It was so exciting to sit down and have a conversation with their daughter, my former student, about her friends and angry birds (of course). I became her teacher when she was 4. When I first met her, she had three words in her vocabulary and lots of babbling. Now, she is 10, boy crazy, writing in a diary, and sharing her own personal thoughts!

What a great present to give someone- the opportunity to communicate! These devices solely dedicated to communication can cost upwards of $2500. To have one accessible at JAC is a dream come true for families. What better way to find out if this will work for your child than to have access to it during intervention sessions. Finding out how your child will respond before making such a large investment or having Medicaid purchase it will be so helpful!

Thank you Watkins family for sharing your communication device as well as the hope for one day not needing it and helping other families!

MS CEC February Conference to include Dr. Rebecca Mullican of Jackson Autism Center

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The fast approaching MS CEC conference will be held at the Golden Moon Casino and Resort in Philadelphia, MS on February 6-8, 2013. Dr. Rebecca Mullican will have two presentations that you will not want to miss during this conference! One will discuss her dissertation topic of children with autism who use speech generating devices to communicate and the other focuses on the connection between behavior and communication. You can review the schedule here and the session topics here. If you would like general information about Mississippi’s Council for Exceptional Children, you can visit here.

Dr. Mullican’s first presentation, Linking Communication and Behavior, will focus on the need for all individuals to have a consistent way to communicate. Individuals are misunderstood because of challenging behavior and a lack of communication. Through a better understanding of the connection between behavior and communication, professionals and parents can assist individuals with special needs in creating a communication system that works.

Dr. Mullican’s second MS CEC presentation, “It Is His Voice” Daily Device Use with Children who Have Autism, will share information from Dr. Mullican’s dissertation which focused on families of children who have autism and use a Speech Generating Device (SGD) to communicate. Six families across the United States participated in two interviews to share their experiences with their child who has autism and communicates with a SGD. Dr. Rebecca Mullican will be presenting with Dr. John Bishop, a CISE professor at the University of Southern Mississippi.

These and many more presentations will make the MS CEC conference one you will not want to miss. A variety of information will be presented, from the DORE program to positive behavior support, Mississippi Alternate Assessment, Common Core for individuals with moderate and severe disabilities, and twice-exceptional children. Hope to see you there.

~I was unable to attend CEC as scheduled for personal reasons. However, I will be participating in other speaking events so stay tuned…

Daddy Shares All About Raising a Daughter with a Disability

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I recently read a book, “Schuyler’s Monster” about a father’s experiences with his daughter, Schuyler, and her disability. Robert Rummel-Hudson refers to his daughter’s disability as a “monster” throughout the book that left her unable to communicate verbally. His honesty regarding what he went through before, during, and after diagnosis offers real understanding for professionals and may allow parents to feel understood or not alone. Although some parents and professionals may not like his opinion about disabilities or religion, I found the book to be inspiring and full of hope. Schuyler’s parents never give up on helping her have her own voice through a speech generating device. “Schuyler’s Monster” is a book for all individuals who work with kids who have disabilities.

And if the book leaves you wondering what is going on now for Schuyler, you can read Robert’s blog to find out more!

http://www.schuylersmonster.com/

Webinar – Family Experiences with Autism and Speech Generating Devices

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For those who want to know more about autism and speech generating devices, I will be doing a webinar next Thursday afternoon, June 7, 2012, 3:30-4:30 EST.  I will be sharing my research where I interviewed families about the use of speech generating devices with their son or daughter who has autism. My presentation will be not only informative, but also entertaining as I share family experiences. Registration is $39 through ATIA. The following is a link to register:
http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=4177

How One Child with Autism Found Her Voice Using a Speech Generating Device

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A friend recently brought a success story to my attention about the use of technology with a child who was considered to have severe autism who is now able to express herself by typing. Carly had no way to communicate until the age of 10 when she began by typing three simple words: help teeth hurt. She has written a book about her experiences that came out on March 27, 2012.

Here is a link to an additional article:
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20080217/favaro_carly_080217/