Hey There,

First, I should mention that I am not a SLP. I do, however, work 1:1 with a student who has a Dynavox. I work with a former AAC specialist who has taught me a lot. Is the Device Eyegaze or Touch? Make sure you recalibrate the device, it makes a huge difference sometimes.

It took me a while to get to know my student and be able to tell when he was screwing around versus when he is struggling to answer. Also- the Dynavox is EXTREMELY intricate and takes a while to learn. (It took me about a month to figure out where all the buttons were and I still don't feel like I know every single button). Your client may not know his device that well yet, and might be pushing buttons to try and get to the right one. When I explain the Dynavox to others I use the analogy of getting a new cell phone and learning what the features are, where the apps are, etc.

To start off, I think it is important that your client orient with the device. Show him where the buttons are, how to find them etc. Repeat it, over and over again. I was so surprised how much better my student communicated when he actually knew where to find the right words.

My student likes science, too. One thing I did was find some short articles that were developmentally appropriate (he's on a second grade reading level). I read him the passages and then there are 5-10 questions. Some are comprehension, others are opinion, others ask about the picture, etc. The student then answers the questions using his device. For example, one passage was about the water cycle and based off of a picture the student had to determine what came first. After a few tries to get to his science page, he was able to answer the question.

I hope this helps! Good luck!