Robin Hurd

Parents of kids who use AAC:
making a difference around the world

It’s easy to think that all the talk about making the world a better place is just rhetoric for graduation ceremonies and politicians in an election year.

However, for many parents of children who use AAC around the world, having an impact is a reality. I met some of those people at the ISAAC (International Society of AAC) conference this summer. And I’d like to share some stories you may not have heard.

Monika Grasshoff, mother of an eight year old boy in Germany who uses AAC, has developed teaching materials for her son, which are also used in several schools in Germany for other children who use AAC. She is a teacher by trade, and has used her unique skills and knowledge, combined with her passion for her son’s success, to make the world a better place to learn for other children. Her materials can be seen at www.moni-grasshoff.de.

Hagit Bodankin, a mother from Isreal, has written a play, Alon’s Smile, that shares the encounters with medical professionals, the fears, joys and hopes, the complexity and intensity that is life with a special needs child. She has captured the essence of what it is to be the parent of a child who uses AAC, and shares it with the world. I saw this play at ISAAC, and tears were running down my face and I was laughing at the same time as I re-lived those first encounters with medical specialists, as well as that magic moment when the boys smiled at me and I knew there was an awesome personality in there, waiting to come out. www.alons-smile.com is the site to go for more information on this wonderful play.

Terry Gibson, a mom from the UK, is another parent who is doing a lot to help her child and others get the AAC system integrated into the schools. Terry has a web site full of information about her son and other children accessing AAC. This site includes information on language activity monitoring and ways to teach AAC, as well as photos and videos. http://michael-reed.me.uk/ is the site to go to find this information.

While at the ISAAC conference, I picked up a cute AAC comic book. And guess what? The author is the mother of a child who uses AAC. The characters in the comics came from the communication materials she had drawn for her son. The title of this book is Henri and his Friends, by Kirsten Ehrhardt. It is published by Von Loeper Publishers, and is available in English and German. See www.vonloeper.de for more information.

The passion to see children who use AAC become successful communicators is world-wide. Parents whose names you may have never heard are making a difference all over the world by showing what happens when AAC technology combines with a parent’s training, support and love.

I always value your feedback. parents@aacinstitute.org