Hi, my name is Jordan. I am a special education
teacher from the UK. I share my passion for everything
communication, sensory regulation and fun lesson
ideas for my classroom of disabled pupils aged
4 to 11. Each week I am joined by experts in
the field answering your questions and sharing
our knowledge and experience working alongside
our beautiful young people. Let's get started.
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Hello everybody, my name is Jordan and welcome
to the Sensory Classroom podcast. Today I am
joined by Faye, who is AAC Brothers on social
media, a mum of two autistic boys who are huge
advocates for AAC and I was desperate to have
her on here. Hello Faye! Welcome. So first of
all, could you tell us a little bit about your
family setup? Yeah, so there's me, my husband,
Matt, and then our two sons, Sullivan and Tristan.
Tristan's eight and Sullivan is six. And when
did you start sharing your story online? Yeah,
I think it was only a few months ago now, but
I just... With how passionate I am about AAC,
and you see lots of speech and language therapists
on Instagram, which is great, but you don't see
a lot of parents who are big AAC users and advocates.
And I think it's important to show that. Yeah,
that was what completely enamored me with your
account. Actually, you kind of came out of nowhere.
And it was exactly I feel like what the space
is needing a massive advocate for AAC and also
showing parents how it can just integrate fully
into your life in everything you do and the impact
it can have on the family, I suppose. Yeah, definitely.
So let's go back. Because lots of the people
listening here, yes, they're teachers and they
might not have even heard of AAC before. They
might not even know much about autism, but also
lots of parents may be in those early stages
of wondering, you know, if their child has autism
or if... AAC is right for them so let's go it's
important to go back maybe so what was your understanding
of autism before your boys came along next to
nothing honestly I think what most most people
think is it's rain man and things like that people
like that um I did used to see people with special
needs that were what I now know is stimming but
I didn't had no clue that was autism. It wasn't
until Tristan was a baby and was flapping his
hands and I googled it and it said autism and
I was like, what does that mean? And then you
go into a rabbit hole and you're like, this is
autism. I had no clue about this. So were they
the kind of things you were seeing? Was it the
stimming, like flapping hands that you were seeing
initially that gave that clue? Yeah, stiffening
up, the lack of speech, high anxiety, not wanting
to go out. Tristan, bless him, was like an anxious
little bundle when he was a baby and a toddler.
He found it so hard to even just go to the supermarket,
to a park. He hated being around other children.
It was, yeah, it was really tough. I suppose
having that idea in your head of autism was that...
helpful was that comforting was that scary like
what what did that kind of research self -research
do for you and your yeah feelings about what
was to come I suppose I knew after reading that
that he was autistic but in my opinion health
visitors look at you like you're nuts when you
say that um and because he was so young yeah
and I just feel like when you say that everyone
around you looks at you like you're crazy even
though you know that is you know something is
off something isn't going as it should be and
the health visitor I had even said oh he doesn't
look autistic and I was like okay and then she's
like oh everyone's a bit autistic this is a health
visitor saying this to me yeah so I and As well,
she was like, oh, he's watching too much TV.
You need to get him out and socialize him more.
I was then pregnant. So completely parent blaming.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, 100%. And I was pregnant
with Sullivan when Tristan was 18 months old.
And I was taking Tristan out two, three times
a day with hyperemesis, trying to socialize him,
taking him to baby classes. And he was screaming
and crying and melting down. Everyone's looking
at me like. And I just didn't know what to do.
I'm being told that it's my fault that I need
to take him out. By the expert. Yep, exactly.
I need to get him out more, turn off the TV.
And I was doing everything I could. And I just,
I knew that he was different. What do you, now
you know what you know, because you're an expert
in your boys, but you're also an expert in autism,
I have to say. What would you say to the health
visitor now, if you could? Have a conversation
with her. Go and get some training. Yeah, I mean,
that's what it comes down to, doesn't it? It
doesn't come down to she wasn't being cruel.
She genuinely didn't know, I suppose. But that
is, it's wild to me that these professionals
come into our homes and are essentially judging
us, but then they don't have all the tools they
need to be able to guide us on things. Yeah.
So judgment without guidance isn't helpful, is
it? No, not at all. Not at all. I do think there
needs to be early years training in AAC, especially
because when you get told your child's flagging
up for autism or something like that, it's all
doom and gloom, you know, and when you're left
with my child might not ever talk or the possibility
of that, you go into a hole. You don't know where
to turn. Whereas I think if they steered it in
the direction of, you know, speech might not
be here yet or might not, but here's an alternative.
I can, you know, point you in the right direction.
Even just a simple, if a health visitor comes
into your home and suspects that your child is
autistic, they have so many leaflets anyway.
Why not pull out a little symbols? simple symbols
cards or something similar I just I just think
it needs to change yeah I agree and there is
so much out there on social media now but you
need to know what words to search for to find
that information there's also a lot of misinformation
out there as well so it's really hard for parents
to navigate this stuff on their own without that
guidance I suppose which is also why I'm so grateful
that your social media account is here now because
it's a safe place for parents to turn to with
realistic expectations because you've been there
you get it and nothing that you say that you're
doing is unrealistic because you're doing it
it's not like and I feel like sometimes my expectation
can be unrealistic for parents because I have
nine teaching assistants in my class and I have
training and all these kind of years of experience
whereas actually you come from a different place
you come from a place of like I get it I've been
literally in your shoes like I've walked this
path and actually you could I've made the mistakes
for you almost so that you don't have to and
kind of come with me i suppose is so helpful
so aac alternative communication has that what
does it look like for your children i suppose
what what does it look like in your home using
aac so now both my boys use vocas um they use
grid um and it has just been so life -changing
for us um i can't even put into words how life
-changing it is but we didn't start off with
bocas um we did start off with tristan we started
off with um objects of reference um photos and
then we moved on to symbols and then can you
explain what objects of reference look like in
your home we would take a photo of his bottle
and print that off laminate it and put it on
the wall and then if he wanted that he would
go up and point at it and same for the object
you might have the actual bottle yeah yeah yeah
exactly yeah We are so lucky because in our town,
we've got a charity run early years called Trax
Autism. And that is where our AAC journey began,
really, because I had no clue about AAC before
then. And we walked in there and visuals everywhere.
They had a brilliant communication lead called
Emma, who now works at my boy's school as well.
So she's been with them. through their whole
journey. And she made Tristan his first communication
book that was full of symbols. This is when he
started to understand symbols because he clocked
onto that quite quickly, actually. I remember
the first time because, you know, in the early
days before AOC, it was really hard. Yeah. What
did that look like, I suppose? Because then I
suppose parents can then understand. where you're
coming from and might be able to relate to their
situation. So what did it look like before AAC?
Well, Tristan couldn't point at that moment in
time. So this is like between two and three years
old, a lot of frustration, a lot of meltdowns.
He could hand lead and pull by clothing, but
still sometimes it wasn't enough to get the message
across of what he needed. And it would just cause
him a lot of frustration. Yeah, I was going to
say, he's incredibly frustrated because he knew
what he wanted and he just couldn't make his
needs known. I mean, God, imagine that frustration
and anxiety as well. You said he was already
an anxious child. That'd only make you more anxious,
wouldn't it? Yeah, exactly. And I was pregnant
at this point as well with Sullivan. So I was
just a ball of anxiety. I just didn't know where
to turn. We visited a mainstream nursery and
I was just like, I cannot see. my child in here
it was just packed full of children and they
were like oh there is an autistic child in here
and they couldn't find him and i was like yeah
so i was like no we can't we can't send him there
and then we heard about tracks autism and we
visited there and they were they were just so
welcoming they weren't shocked by any of his
behaviors or his anxiety and they just got him
straight away and I've never felt more comfortable
leaving my child somewhere than I did with them.
Yeah, I suppose because he was understood and
loved for everything he is and everything that
you love about him. They loved and saw and understood.
And I guess you knew that even if they didn't
understand, they'd do their best just like you
would to try and understand and meet his needs.
That must be so comforting for a parent having
not had that experience before. Definitely. And
I think as well, communicate like you're communicating
with them, whether that is gestures or something.
And you see that and you're like, there are other
children like my child. It's like stepping into
a new world. And it's a world of positivity,
I would say, when you find a tribe of people
that are just living the same life as you understand
your child. Yeah, I completely agree. I see that
with parents. When children start my provision,
actually, they might have been in mainstream
for five years or more. the children are benefiting
because they're finding peers and having their
needs met and finding a safe environment but
the parents are benefiting too because finally
at the gate they're not being judged or shamed
or stared at they're being welcomed in and comforted
and with amazing advice from people and people
that just get it and you can just see their whole
body just relaxes because they haven't got to
hold all of this and it's quite isolating otherwise
isn't it and they're not on their own they will
be invited to birthday parties or whatever it
is you know all of a sudden they can just let
all go because they're in this safe space how
old was he when he went to tracks three tristan
was three sally started at two and a half because
we we knew straight away with sally Sully's lucky
because Tristan was the learning curve for us.
And then Sully, we were just expecting him to
be autistic. So we were just like, yeah, we know
what to do now. Have you noticed a difference
in them or in their progress because of that?
Or has it made no difference at all? Yeah, 100%.
Because from when Sully was born, he has had
AAC around him. Yeah, of course. He has like
that. just he he's watched Tristan using it and
he was like oh that's how I get what I need and
then he he was using the symbols we made him
a communication bucket too um and he was using
it and then um when Tristan got his AOC device
Sully was like oh and he was using it I was like
said to Matt we're gonna have to get him one
like look at him he's nailing it How did you
get access to those focus or those AAC, those
high tech devices? Because I think that's a real
barrier for parents often. So Tristan, his communication
team at school, they'd been sort of trialling
him for, you know, a few years on. But he was
he was very set in his ways about his communication
book because that is what he'd had from. It's
his safety, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And
then his. communication lead at school she made
a grid set that reflected his communication book
on a school vocer and that's when he started
using it and then she was like right let's trial
it at home over the Easter and we brought it
home and I think when you take it home start
using it at home like any AAC whether it's symbols
whether it's vocers when you implement that in
your everyday life at home they're like mummy's
doing it now so and then it gets the ball rolling
and then they start using it more and more and
more um yeah because I suppose people with autism
can become so rigid in their patterns it doesn't
mean they don't know how to use it or it doesn't
mean they don't want to use it but they it might
not even occur to them they could even could
use it at home You know, it's so rigid in their
patterns that this is what I do at school and
this is what I do at home. So if it doesn't come
out of the bag at home or at school, you know,
let's not blame either one. You know, if it doesn't
come out of the bag in a certain setting, then
it might not even occur to them that they even
could. So we need to be modelling that, don't
we? And I know you're a huge advocate in modelling.
This is what I love about you and your account.
What does modelling look like in your home? Where
does the vocal go? How do you, you know, how
does it look? So the Vocas, we have the Vocas
out all the time and the boys use them for requesting
like breakfast, what they want for lunch, what
they want for dinner. But what we try to do is
we try to sort of intrude. So if we're, if you've
ever done more than words intruding. So what
we do is if we're playing with toys or so you'll
probably see a video on my account of Sully doing
Goldilocks and the Three Bears. So we add. the
characters are Goldilocks and the three bears
and all that all too hot too cold for the porridge
and he loves it when we do things like that he
just loves it and we model it and then we're
playing with the toys and then he he just does
it on his own now yeah yeah so you're so not
only are you using in everyday life like for
food or where you're going in the day or answering
questions and all those kind of things but you're
also purposefully facilitating opportunities
really rich opportunities in order to model and
use that, like setting up a play setting or putting
their favorite characters when you're watching
a TV program, for example, you make sure the
characters are on their device or you have symbols
for them to facilitate you being able to model
in all the contexts. Yeah, definitely. And I
think it's important for parents to learn how
to edit the vocals and personalize it because
that is where you see them using it more in everyday
life. And it takes the pressure off of them because
sometimes my boys don't want to use their vocal.
Sometimes they don't want me intruding. And I
listen to that. You don't want to do it. That's
fine. We can just play with the toy. But editing
them so that. It's got things they enjoy on it.
It just promotes it so much. And then you're
getting different types of communication. Recently,
we had a situation at school where Tristan's
been a bit uncomfortable with another child at
school, and he's been able to communicate that.
And that, you know, as sad as it is that he's
got a situation at school where he's not feeling
comfortable, the fact that he can now communicate
that and navigate his VOCA is just, it's incredible.
Yeah, when people are saying that it's changed
our life, AAC has changed our life, that's what
they're talking about, isn't it? They're talking
about it being, it validating what the student
is going through. It helps you understand what
they know, what they're going through, their
feelings. So rather than guessing all the time,
which can be so much confusion for parents and
so much frustration for children because you're
getting it wrong, actually by having that. device
or low -tech, high -tech, whatever it is, by
having that access for them to be able to be
understood is life -changing. That is not an
overused word. It is literally life -changing
for relationship building, lessening dysregulation,
all of it, isn't it? It really is. And that's
why it's so frustrating that it's proving so
difficult for parents to be able to get these
high -tech devices and they're having to meet
certain criteria. to get these devices because
because we know that there are you know low -tech
like symbols and stuff but we have to be honest
not all of that relates to all children some
children just they're not motivated by that but
they're motivated by tablets they're motivated
by ipads so if they're given the opportunity
to trial one of them and then be able to have
it to communicate with That would be life -changing,
but there's so many barriers at the moment. Yeah,
there's so many. Expense and time and, yeah,
like you say, having to prove that you can do
certain things are all such huge barriers that
absolutely shouldn't be in the way at all. Yeah,
there's so many benefits to a higher -tech version
in comparison to low -tech. Also, even things
like losing symbols, you know. We're constantly
losing symbols in my class. I mean, it's so frustrating.
You know, they get posted somewhere or eaten
or ripped or lost behind a cupboard or whatever.
constantly getting lost or wet or whatever. And
actually that doesn't happen with a high -tech
device. It's instant. It's always there. It's
consistent. It's always in the same place. You
can always find it in the same place. And I think
that no wonder they prefer that. And also things
are instant as well. I mean, even if you're really
fast, it could take an hour from needing a symbol
to making it, laminating it, getting the Velcro
on and putting it in the book. That's fast as
well, an hour. That's like if you're fully committed
to doing it there and then with no distractions.
So much can happen in that hour. It's not quick
enough. It's not enough. Whereas on AAC, what?
It's five seconds, 10 seconds max, and you've
got it there. It's ready to use and it's permanent
and it's permanently there. Again, such a huge
benefit for parents. teachers and the student
as well it's a no -brainer of course that's better
which is why it's so frustrating to me that children
have to often prove that they can use paper -based
systems first because there are so many flaws
in that system that don't exist in AAC high -tech
AAC so they may not get as frustrated or they
may be able to access that a little bit better
yeah it's incredibly frustrating yeah definitely
what what helped you to decide what system to
use or was it just that you know it was offered
to you and that they they took to it or was there
some kind of trial and error thought process
around which system to choose um so our school
is a smart box school so that's where um tristan
first trialed the voca and that was with grid
yeah so it makes sense that if that's what he
already knows he already knows that kind of symbol
system he already uses widget it just makes sense
that that it would all match with school okay
yeah um and then obviously sullivan has grown
up with widget symbols and grid so he just instantly
took to that as well yeah because they're all
much of a match isn't there so And they're all
similar in expense and all those kind of things.
There's lots of things to navigate. But yeah,
that's often what I say. What symbols do they
already know? Or what systems are they already
using? Well, then go for that. What are the school
using? Or what do homes feel comfortable with?
What do they already know? Because ultimately,
then it's going to be used more and then it's
going to be successful, isn't it? If they already
know a whole language of symbols, why choose
a different language of symbols? Just stick with
what they already know. Yeah, exactly. And you
might trial one system and think, oh, do you
know what, they're not understanding this or
whatever. And then you can trial another one.
And I think that's why it's so important to be
able to get these devices on the NHS, because
you've got a team of people on the NHS that are
experts in this. And if something's not working,
they can come in and go, right, let's have a
look here. What can we change? And they can do
these things pretty. fast whereas yeah that's
really great advice that is such great advice
i've got 50 50 in my class actually 50 of them
parents have not wanted to wait not wanted to
um uh go through the barriers of paper -based
systems improving and all of those kind of things
because it isn't often a long way and they've
just bought it which On the surface is wonderful.
How wonderful that parents can purchase these
things. But yeah, you're absolutely right. When
it gets broken, it's them then that has to fix
it or it has to go through their insurance. Or
when they need an updated system, it's them that
has to do it. Or when they don't get offered
training. So often it's not really modelled in
the official ways or not edited efficiently how
it should be or whatever. And yeah, there's not
somebody checking in and checking how it's going,
how the progress is, you know, if they need anything.
added to it whereas if you do go through the
nhs or and through speech and language often
then via through the nhs then yes okay you might
have to wait a little bit longer yes okay you
might have to go through more barriers but then
for life i believe yeah they have got training
support replacements updated systems you know
when aac naturally update grade their system
more every three years you get the new app you
know When an iPad gets thrown and smashed or
left in the rain, as we always get, or dropped
in the bath we've had, it gets replaced. If they
need a new case, it gets replaced. So there are
so many financial, but also just time and just
quality assurance by doing it that way. And I'm
really pleased to hear that you find the same
actually. Yeah. So we have bought Sully an iPad
because we're still waiting for his referral
on the NHS. But obviously that's because we've
got a lot of experience with Grid and we knew
that he, that is the system for him. But Tristan
has a device on the NHS and we've had where his
VOCA got, I think trodden on or something and
the screen broke. The turnaround to get a new
one sent out, it was within the same week. So
he like within a few days, like they came and
got the old one, sent him out a new one. And,
you know, iPads are pricey and replacing them
all the time. I mean, you can get these covers.
We've got one for Sully on Amazon and things.
you know our children are strong so if they're
going to break something they're going to do
it properly yeah and sometimes it's accidental
as i like i say we've had one that was too near
the water tray table you know we want these ipads
out as well we don't want them safe in a bag
that are tucked away and too precious to break
you know actually that's something i find with
parents that have bought their own is they're
so precious about not breaking them that actually
it means that they're too scared to use them
and have them out but we had this aac device
right near the water table because we were using
it because that's what we wanted to do and of
course you can imagine what happened it got absolutely
soaked and and you know the screw went all wibbly
and it didn't work and then they had to pay to
replace it and I felt awful but also we need
it out it's gonna get used you know we want it
to be as used as their speaking voice would be
which is 100 % of the time when they're awake
and they become you know tech gets vulnerable
when it gets old and it gets damaged and it It
gets, yeah, it needs updating and all of those
things. And we're so lucky to have the NHS. So
many countries don't have that option. So we
have to take advantage of that. In fact, I was
speaking to some AAC organizations, asking them,
why are your apps so expensive? It's so inaccessible
to parents. You know, some of these apps were
like 800 pounds and then plus the iPad, plus
the case, plus, you know, it's just. crazy and
it is going down I've noticed in the last even
the last year they've kind of halved their prices
they're usually around three or four hundred
pounds for the app now it just still seems insane
and and they could justify it by their American
-based systems for the most part and in America
they go through all the children have health
insurance and they go through health insurance
to get their AAC device so it wasn't the parents
paying but the problem is with that is the price
is the same in the UK and we don't have that
system we don't have the health insurance and
we have the nhs so we need to be utilizing the
systems that we have which is the nhs you know
and children are yeah able to access that then
i feel like we should be taking advantage but
what you say about getting your ipad first whilst
you're waiting i think is actually that's the
idea if you can you putting the app on a device
that you've got whilst you're waiting because
it often is 18 months uh to wait for what i think
is helpful is when schools have the ipads that
the children can trial like it's the school's
ipad but you know like with tristan he had the
school ipad for months before they were like
right let's refer but i know not all specialist
schools do that they don't i i think that every
classroom should have a device sat there and
if You know, the teacher can do modelling or
if a child's interested in it, then they can
maybe discuss that with the parent and say, oh,
you know, your child's really interested in AAC.
I think this might be a go -to for them. And
then, yeah, discuss it as a whole. But only some
schools do that. Like, I'm grateful that our
school has done that because I don't know if
my boys would have been as far with AAC if they
hadn't have trialled it. No, I completely agree.
Our school didn't provide it. They provide lots
of iPads. We've got eight iPads in our room,
but wouldn't provide the app. So I fundraised
for one app for it and then put the same license
on all the devices. So we've got eight devices
now with ASE. And yeah, my students have come
on leaps and bounds. It's actually proved then
to the NHS and speech language that they can
do it. That's been the hurdle. We know we've
skipped through so many hurdles because they've
proven that they can do it. And then they're
on the pathway now. And without that, we wouldn't
have been able to do it. And that's a specialist
provision with EHCPs. Teachers shouldn't have
to be paying for this stuff on their own. It's
crazy. And so many teachers are. It just shouldn't
be the case. It just really shouldn't be the
case. It's so backwards and it's so unfair. In
mainstream, we would never tape up a child's
voice. It would be completely seen as... Oh,
my God. Can you imagine? It would be in the news,
wouldn't it? The teacher would go to prison.
It just wouldn't happen. But ultimately, that
is what we're doing by not offering total communication.
So whether it's high -tech device symbols, photos,
objects of reference, sound buttons, you know,
all those beautiful things that you mentioned
in the beginning. If we're not giving them access
to that, we are literally putting our hands over
their mouth and then wondering why we're seeing
behavior, frustration, anxiety, school refusal,
you know. Yeah. It's mad to me. I think as well
with the way things are going with EHCPs in the
government, we're going to have a lot of higher
needs children in mainstream settings for longer
now because they're making it impossible to get
EHCPs in place quick enough in order for these
children to move to a specialist setting. So
I think that teachers in mainstream schools need
training on AAC as well and implementing that
in the classroom. Because if you want... to make
an environment inclusive like the government
keep going on about then you've got to use different
forms of communication and you've got to start
training the teachers that are in these mainstream
settings yeah and that starts from teacher training
doesn't it i totally agree teacher training is
so poor for a special education just in general
and you're absolutely right all teachers special
education teachers whether they're in a specialist
setting or not And also visuals help all children.
Like I remember being in year six and one looking
at, you know, the teacher would write in words,
but would write what we were doing that day.
And I needed that visual to feel less anxious
and to know what to expect. It's predictable.
And I like that. I remember really liking it,
looking through the window before we were even
in school, because I wanted to know what I was
doing that day. And yeah, visuals don't hurt.
Autism practice is just good practice, whether
that's AAC or movement breaks or using fidget
resources or tools. You know, it's all just good
practice. You will notice that it will help all
children. There is absolutely no reason why we
shouldn't have that in all classes. And it starts
with teacher training and that can either be
a... the degree level you know when you're actually
training to be a teacher or schools like come
on SENCOs like what are you using your training
for you know safeguarding safeguarding safeguarding
yes that's so important but so is this and that
has to be alongside it I think because like I
say oh god in my mainstream class I would say
five out of every 30 minimum have special educational
needs and could be Maybe one in every class could
be in a classroom like mine, which is incredibly
high needs. And these guys are in mainstream.
They're in mainstream until year six. Some of
them even end up going into secondary school.
It's crazy. I mean, Cornwall is particularly
bad. We've got one special needs school in the
whole of the county. It's particularly poor,
I have to say, but it is happening nationwide.
It's just, it's crazy to say inclusion when you've
got high -needs children going into classes of
29. That cannot be inclusive. I'm luckily and
fortunate enough that my children have never
been in a mainstream setting, but I've got friends
who have had to fight for years to get their
children into a specialist setting. And the mainstream
teachers, just, they're not equipped. They have
no idea about... these children some of them
some some do some you know have some training
but for the most part um they're out of their
depth it's trying and i i get it it's trying
to juggle 29 children and maybe one or two with
high needs i mean hats off to them i honestly
wouldn't know i wouldn't know how to do that
and I've got lots of experience because yeah
you're dealing so many different needs oh my
god the differentiation between the two is massive
especially when you get to the upper school it's
a massive I suppose I what I do want to see is
more training but also belonging you know you
can it can look completely inclusion yes but
belonging is I think is even more important than
being included almost is is you know even if
the one child in your class and they are 29 are
doing completely separate things but this one
child in your class is doing a completely separate
thing because that's what they need but they
feel belong like they feel loved and seen and
safe and heard and the other children are encouraged
to include them wherever they can even if it's
just with love and understanding that's the first
step i think and then it's sensory curriculums
you know and all of those things which i i'm
so passionate about i know you know i am but
actually it starts with just belonging seeing
them wanting them in your class that that is
the first step and lots of teachers do that really
well even though they they are very aware that
their class is not meeting this child's needs
but my god do they love them and want to do the
best for them buying all this stuff and researching
all these things and are in my DMs. I see it.
They're in my DM saying, I've got this child.
He's clearly not coping. What can I do? What
can I do? And they're the teachers that we just
want to hold on to because even if you're not
feeling supported or trained or anything, just
the fact that you are wanting the best for this
child and even though you know that you're not
meeting their needs and you're trying your best
is the start, I would say. Definitely. What advice
would you give to, I suppose let's start, maybe
teachers and parents maybe, for a new AAC youth
family, you know, they've just got access to
this system. What advice would you give them?
It's not going to happen overnight. It's a long...
Long -term thing, you might not see results straight
away, but that doesn't mean that it's not going
to work. Keep modeling where you can. Follow
your child's lead, I would say. So when they're
open to being a little bit more, you know, with
the iPad, then lean into that. If they're like,
then lean away. I would just say that speaking
isn't everything. And I think when you let that
go, you're going to be much happier. Because
I used to be like that. I used to be like, when's
he going to talk? When's he going to talk? I
used to be sitting in front of him going, mum,
mum, mum, dad, dad, dad. And he used to get so
frustrated because he wants to be able to say
those things, but he can't. So finding an alternative
has just, for us, has been life changing. They
can say what they want. Okay, it's not in the
usual way. But when you take that pressure off
of not only your shoulders, but their shoulders
and give them alternatives, they're just going
to flourish. It's incredible advice. It's a question
I get often in real life, actually, with the
parents in my class. Will they ever be able to
talk? And it's a question I can't answer. Yeah.
I say, I've worked with lots of children. Some
do, some don't. I think ultimately what they're
asking isn't if they're going to talk, but it's.
Am I going to be able to connect with my child
or am I going to understand my child and have
a relationship with my child? That's really what
they're asking. And AAC could give that. Definitely.
And I think it's important to remember as well
that some children do have words and their parents
do hear their voices. But sometimes that is echolalia
or something. That's not like they're not. communicating
to get um requests or anything like that so even
some talking children need extra supports as
well so um you know if we can get that understanding
going no matter what form that comes in whether
that is speech or symbols or aac device that's
that's the important thing Absolutely. That total
communication approach, accepting all as equal.
It's interesting you mentioned that, actually.
It reflects the podcast episode that came out
last week, actually. So it'll be the week before
this one. And yeah, it's all about the total
communication approach. So if you're hearing
this and reflecting on this, then maybe go back
and listen to that last week's one as well. Thank
you so much, Faye. This has been so helpful and
I think so encouraging. for those parents to
take those first steps and even know where to
go you know they might have heard these buzzwords
flying around and not really know where to turn
and you've given some real great wisdom and advice
so thank you so much thank you for having me
where can people follow you for to see your story
and hear a little bit more about your family
so i'm on instagram aac brothers Thank you so
much. And I highly recommend you follow Faye
over there because it's just gorgeous. Thank
you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Bye.