When we tried to interput what Frog was trying to tell us with this - he got very upset. When Dad asked Frog if he wanted to learn to say more things with his talker - Frog clapped yes.
Look Out, Dad!!
5 weeks ago
Friday, September 12, 2008
Vantage Post
At bedtime Dad asked Frog if he'd been using his talker. Frog clapped, yes. Dad asked Frog if he wanted us to read what he said on his talker. Frog, clapped, yes.
When we tried to interput what Frog was trying to tell us with this - he got very upset. When Dad asked Frog if he wanted to learn to say more things with his talker - Frog clapped yes.
When we tried to interput what Frog was trying to tell us with this - he got very upset. When Dad asked Frog if he wanted to learn to say more things with his talker - Frog clapped yes.
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5 comments:
Awwwww. Sweet boy. Did he type those words in?
Hi Julie,
I'll have to download the log from the device to know exactly how he got the words there. The screen was on the Keyboard instead of the Icons, and word predict (the words in yellow) was turned on. I suspect he got some of them from the icons and a few from word predict after typing in a letter or two.
When we work with him directly, he doesn't appear to know how to use the device or how to find the letter we ask him to look for on the keyboard without some assistance (holding his hand back with upwards pressure to slow him down and give him time to look and line up his finger).
We find these types of messages on his talker after he has had it to himself all night.
Did you post more on your other blog about how you decided to use that device? I keep thinking that I should do more research on the subject to see if one would help Oliver. We didn't have a lot of success with PECs because Oliver has a hard time making choices. ... Anyway, I'd love to hear more about how this works.
Hi Christine,
I don't think I really posted about our decision to get the Vantage. We didn't have much success with PECS either. I paid my own way and went to another state for the two day PECS training. Then, after hearing that our school district program and staff were no better trained than I was and were not implementing the program for several children, I went into the classroom for 3 weeks and worked with the kids. I found the other kids picking it up rather quickly. Frog, on the other hand, could do two choices - but only after he figured out which was which. I don't think he was actually seeing the picture symbol, he was figuring out which card (the bluer one or the one with the bent corner, etc) was which. When presented with more choices he would just pick any card. When he approached the entire book at home, he would reach his hand up under the cover and come out with a card he never looked at and hand it to you then wait expectantly. He got pretty good at asking for chips with PECS but not much more.
He seemed more interested in the Vantage at his speech therapist's office. We felt that since the pictures never changed positions, it would be easier for him to remember where to go to get what. We bought the device (around $7,000.00) and had high hopes - but they never materialized. He continued to use the device at speech therapy but it was limited to asking for cookies, candy, chips and water, or to go home. He did not want to use it at home and would run away when we tried to direct him to it. The school district was of no help at all - even though they have many kids who use this device.
We backed off at home. We leave the device where he can access it and make sure he has it in his room at night. He likes to experiment and learn things on his own.
He leaves sporadic messages. While he only used it to say "I want chips" etc. when we are with him, he has left us more complex messages when he is alone. The strangest one said "He's going inaccessible." It took me three months just to figure out how to make it say "He is going inaccessible” Neither the speech therapist nor I can figure out how he got the contraction unless he typed it (the log does not show typing). Last night he pushed two icons - the rainbow and the jumping frog. This combination did not produce a word, but it is also not possible to get this combination on his device the way we have it set-up. If he pushes the rainbow icon, it changes the screen to list colors and art terms. The jumping frog icon goes away. He has also used it to say “friends” when I told him that our friends were coming to visit, and to tell his dad “tornado” when his dad asked him what the weather was like outside – it was a very windy day. The message I posted about was unusual in that he did it on his own and he wanted us to see it - requested that we read it. So it seems he has some mastery over the device but is still affected by expressive language delay. We haven't given up on it.
What attracted me to the device, besides Frog's initial enthusiasm, was that it grows with the child and can basically meet all the communication needs one might have for life. There is also a phone option that would allow him to text his message with his icons. And our school district supposedly has staff trained on the device - just not at the autism pre-school level.
This is so interesting- thanks for explaining. Daniel has written things on paper, his DoodlePro, whiteboard and the computer. Sometimes he draws pictures or scripts something from a show and then I know what he's feeling. Maybe these kids can't express themselves like we do, but I'm so excited and fascinated whenever they make an effort!!
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