Some individuals with limited speech may use AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) speech-generating devices. There are a variety of these devices available for users that produce speech with the push of a button. A great deal of testing, device trialing, and paperwork goes into securing a device for someone. The device serves as the person’s voice, allowing participation and communication that otherwise would not be available.
As a pediatric speech-language pathologist, AAC was not a foreign concept for me. What was foreign to me was the need for one in my home. For roughly 7 years, my own daughter with special needs used a speech-generating device to communicate when she was nonverbal. During that time, I learned how to incorporate a child’s device into a variety of environments and situations. Church was one of those places that provided unique ways to integrate her device.
Here are five ways I used my daughter’s device to aid her spiritual development and increase her participation in our faith.
1. “Amen”
By adding the word “amen” to her AAC device, I encouraged my daughter to say that word at the end of our prayers. That one single word allowed her to participate in daily prayers with us. She had the biggest smile on her face when she added “amen.”
2. Programmed Prayers
After “amen” was mastered, I wanted to expand her ability to contribute prayers. I programmed a simple mealtime prayer that a child may say into her device. Now, she was able to proudly lead the prayer at meals for the family. Periodically, I changed the prayer, so she could learn that prayers do not always sound the same.
Photo credit: pnghut.com.
3. Prayer Requests
Her device originally came with standard words like “Mom” and “Dad” already programmed into it. I added pictures of close family members and their names, too. This allowed her to specifically say who she wanted to pray for during prayer requests. Prior to obtaining her speech-generating device, she could only sign generic words like “cousin.” The device gave her a chance to specifically voice which cousin she wanted to lift up in prayer.
4. Memory Verse
In one of her church classes, rewards were given for memorizing scriptures. Her device allowed her to participate by programming the memory verse (or a shortened version of it) on her device. Throughout the week, I practiced the verse with her, so she was “memorizing” it. Using her speech-generating device, she could recite the verse on Sunday, just like all of her peers.
5. Church Vocabulary
At church, I pulled up a preprogrammed page on her device devoted to religious vocabulary. During the service, I functionally used the vocabulary with her. For example, I pressed “Pastor” when the pastor walked on stage, “offering” during offering time, and “worship” during the songs. I turned down the volume on the device and generally sat in the back, so we could have these teachable moments without bothering anyone around us.
Speech-generating devices provide the opportunities for participation and communication for those with limited speech. It may be easier to integrate the device into school and home life, but church should be another place where the device can be utilized. It is important that these opportunities be provided and taught so the device can be maximized in all settings.
Evana is a wife and mother of two children. She enjoys serving in her church’s special-needs ministry. Evana is also a pediatric speech-language pathologist and serves children with autism, feeding disorders, and other developmental delays. You can connect with Evana on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog, A Special Purposed Life. You can also read more about her family’s story in her book, Badges of Motherhood: One Mother’s Story about Family, Down syndrome, Hospitals, and Faith.
