Hello banana. Meaningful Communication
The lack of a meaningful communication means that Jack has an incredibly limited life. He does not have any physical differences to identify that he has a speech language disorder.
People often comment on how cute or handsome he is. In the first seconds they see him; they can imagine his whole life flash before their eyes. That first impression comes to a grinding halt when they hear him vocalize. The fictional life they imagined becomes shattered into distortion as they piece together a new picture. They may not be able to recognize the whole image anymore, just shards and gaps. That shift that I can see in their eyes is when I search for my little advocate battle helmet and put my sadness into the compartment it needs to go into so I can function.
People often confuse verbal or written communication with intelligence. I think that the two are not necessarily linked. I think it is more of a language/ meaning association disconnect. Returning an appropriate response is reasonable, but not always possible. Support for both parties is needed to be able to assure both interact successfully and appropriately. So, if you overhear someone say, “hello” and the other person says “banana” the second person either needs modeling to understand an appropriate greeting response or is a comedian. The first person may also need symbol writing cards to support “hello” and “banana” to connect or reinforce the meaning. Symbol writing can help give a baseline to the meaning. A cup could be a glass or mug. If you have only heard the word glass, you will not pass the cup when asked to. When I hear banana to my hello, I don’t let an awkward silence bother me. I try to find another word or use a physical gesture to pair with the meaning to try to connect. I adapt.
Many people ask me what a “Meaningful Communication System is”. The below are results of individual word searches using an online dictionary. You must decide what a “Meaningful Communication System” is because all three words together do not produce a result.
· Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.
· Meaningful is having an assigned function in a language system.
· System: an organized set of doctrines, ideas, or principles usually intended to explain the arrangement or working of a systematic whole.
Meaningful Communication systems are all around us. Texting with emojis is a current example. You do not have to write out the full message, “I am happy!” You can just put in a smiley face. Meaningful communication systems are also part of disability accessibility. Visually impaired students may have braille books, text to read programs, high color contrast visuals and apps to access education.
Hearing impaired students could have an American Sign Language Interpreter so they can understand the verbal auditory world around them.
Dyslexic students have “read to me” and “talk to text” options thanks to technology. Educational materials have been translated to many languages for students to access. Parents and guardians have option for translators so they may participate in their child’s education.
The current gold standard for low verbal students are tablet/ phone programs that use 60 symbol icons per page and is 3 pages deep. One hundred and eighty symbol icons may help convey wants and needs, but we aren’t raising Little Lord Fauntleroy over here. He deserves access to education as well. Typical students within our school district have “guaranteed and viable curriculum”. To access education, symbol writing needs to correlate with curriculum and education materials. Without access, school can be reduced to childcare.
A meaningful communication system would use consistent symbols within a single symbol library paired with the functional and intended written word to build new knowledge. A meaningful communication system opens access to peers, education, and community.
When you see that someone has a difference, please take a second to empathize and adjust. Do your best to find a “same” and not give in to the “different”. Find something you have in common, like enjoying the day, an animal you see in the clouds... You can always find something. In that moment. You have an opportunity to offer support and be the bright point in their day. You have a chance to relate and connect. That relatable connection may be what they need that day to settle their storm, see their stars, and find their constellations to navigate back home.
The moment you see a “difference” you can also find a “same”. Something beautiful can be made when you juxtaposition expectation and reality. …Humanity.
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