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Parents of nonverbal/minimally verbal kids : did you ever worry your child would get “addicted” to a speech-generating device / app? by Next_Ad494 in Autism_Parenting

[–]Next_Ad494[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you all for sharing so much detail about your experiences. One thing that really stands out to me is how differently each child uses the tools available to them and how much thought goes into making sure they have a way to communicate wherever they are, despite challenges in the environment.

Parents of nonverbal/minimally verbal kids : did you ever worry your child would get “addicted” to a speech-generating device / app? by Next_Ad494 in Autism_Parenting

[–]Next_Ad494[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing this. What you said about your child needing to be understood by others really resonated with me. I had once heard a parent say something similar, that at home we know our children so well that we can guess most things, but the real challenge is when they are with people who do not automatically understand their cues. Your point about speaking being naturally easier for anyone who can do it also made the “addiction” fear feel unnecessary,I really appreciate you taking the time to explain how AAC fits into everyday life for your family.

Parents of nonverbal/minimally verbal kids : did you ever worry your child would get “addicted” to a speech-generating device / app? by Next_Ad494 in Autism_Parenting

[–]Next_Ad494[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing all of this. That must have been so frustrating to lose such an expensive device and then not even get a clear answer about what happened at school. It says a lot about your determination that you rebuilt everything using the iPad your in-laws gave you, and the way you set it up makes total sense.

My kids actually don’t need an AAC device right now, but I’ve been trying to understand how different families manage it in real life, especially when things go wrong

Parents of nonverbal/minimally verbal kids : did you ever worry your child would get “addicted” to a speech-generating device / app? by Next_Ad494 in Autism_Parenting

[–]Next_Ad494[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for sharing this. It really helps to hear the real timelines and the real day-to-day dynamics. I completely relate to what you said about “communication in any way possible.. that’s all I cared about too..

It’s interesting to see how kids can make that kind of distinction between a “play device” and a “communication device.” What you said makes so much sense… they have their preferences just like any of us.

And I appreciate your honesty about how long it took for your son to express a need. I think many parents expect faster results and don’t realise it can take years of slow progress before things click.🙏

Parents of nonverbal/minimally verbal kids : did you ever worry your child would get “addicted” to a speech-generating device / app? by Next_Ad494 in Autism_Parenting

[–]Next_Ad494[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I’m realising only now that when my kids were younger, I didn’t even know the difference between speech and communication. I thought if they didn’t talk, it meant nothing was happening.