CASE STUDY PRACTICE Try out being a detective, asking what need is being met, and whether it is being met effectively, with this example client. Think how you might meet the needs that are not met, whether through providing a script, single words, or changing the environment. • Vida recites whole episodes of her favorite television shows loudly when it is noisy. People who know her well know they should quiet down the room and back off, because this warms of a meltdown. • Vida smiles and laughs when others join her in reciting fa- vorite TV lines. • After years of non-GLP customized therapy, Vida uses single words to tell others where she’s going or to request specific things. • Vida has not been offered an AAC device, but really likes computer and iPad games Positive attitudes towards neurodiversity have been growing in the past few years. It’s wonderful to see more people acknowl- edge the value in having a diversity of minds in our world. The process of learning to be neurodiversity-affirming in your work means questioning your assumptions about what your goals should be. With any client, take a step back and work with them to picture their ideal future for themself. The goals will follow. Language throughout this article follows the preferences ex- pressed by AAC community members in research conducted by my- self and my research partner Alyssa Hillary Zisk at AssistiveWare. You can read more about this research here: (https://www.assistiveware. com/blog/how-to-talk-about-aac).
10
www.closingthegap.com/membership | October / November, 2024 Closing The Gap © 2024 Closing The Gap, Inc. All rights reserved.
BACK TO CONTENTS
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator