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| Hallie using PCS instead of the device since Aliyah was more interested in the velcro behind the symbols. It is nice to have back up material to keep Aliyah focused! (Accent700 is behind Aliyah) |
"Friday, August 30, 2013
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter on behalf of a young client of mine, Aliyah Hoffman, and her family. Aliyah has a chronic form of epilepsy and has recently experience a return of her myoclonic seizures. Despite the fact that Aliyah has a chronic form of epilepsy she has demonstrated the ability to learn, particularly in the areas of receptive and expressive language. That said, Aliyah has limited verbal output. This is why it is imperative that we start using her Speech Output Device, the Accent 700 in our therapy sessions.
In the time that I have been working with Aliyah, I have been able to document her progress on her current goals, which all center around providing her with a total communication system to allow her to communicate her basic wants and needs. A total communication system allows Aliyah to use approximations of signs/gestures, picture communication symbols, vocalizations, verbalizations, and/or her device, the Accent 700. We have introduced Aliyah to all of these forms of communication and she will use at least one to communicate when highly motivated.
On Friday, August 30, 2013 Aliyah demonstrated that she knows more vocabulary than she uses expressively. In a field of four pictured items, Aliyah isolated a pictured object and pointed to it to show that she knew the object that went with the said label. On a trial she was able to do this with 16/30 pictured items. The items identified surprised Mrs. Hoffman and I. We were not aware that Aliyah had some of the vocabulary that she demonstrated she knew during this task. Aliyah is not able to communicate that she knows these labels through her vocal or verbalizations without assistance (e.g., the Accent 700). As a result, it is crucial that Aliyah begin to learn how to use her device during our therapy sessions.
It is also imperative that Aliyah learn to use her device as she needs to get her basic needs and wants met. If she is hungry, thirsty, in pain, and/or wants to communicate more than a single word to a communication partner, she will need to learn how to do this via the Accent 700.
Additionally, Aliyah does not understand safety and rules of safety. The device is a means of communication that will allow us to teach her basic safety rules and the verbiage that accompanies those rules. She will be able to communicate to someone if she is lost, only if she learns how to do so on her device. It can be as simple as programming one key that states, “I am lost. Please help me…” and teaching Aliyah to use that key if she is ever to be stray from a familiar adult. The device can also be used for Aliyah to share information related to her safe. For example, if another child or person has hurt her she can share that she has been hurt including where, how, etc. While these are just a few examples, it should help to demonstrate why it is a very crucial area to teach Aliyah. Based on our total communication approach that we have implemented thus far it will be most effectively done and generalized to real life situations if taught via her Accent 700 device.
Aliyah has shown the ability to learn the buttons and meaning of the buttons on her device. As a result, I feel very strongly that this is the primary means of communication that can help Aliyah gain access to her current preschool curriculum and her school curriculum in the upcoming years.
With Aliyah’s chronic seizure disorder, speech and language will be a lifelong challenge. Teaching her to use the Accent 700 will allow her to communicate with her parents, teachers and peers. It will help her get her needs and wants met. It will help keep her safe and give her access to her school curriculum. It is imperative that her Accent 700 device be used in her Speech & Language sessions as she needs the device to achieve successful communication.
If you have any questions about Aliyah and her needs, I can be reached at XXX-XXX-XXXX. Please do not hesitate to call.
Thank you for your time,
Hallie Freedman, MA CCC-SLP"
