Today we welcome Kristine Millard, a new blogger joining us with periodic posts for you. She is currently working on her MLIS at UW-Madison as well as managing a lab that studies early language development in toddlers with autism. She shares resources relating to developmental disabilities that you might find useful
Image by Eduardo RS from Pixabay
Recently, I saw a post about casting for a Disney Movie made from Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. Disney made an effort to choose a leading actress who has the same diagnosis as the main character. I have tried searching for information about whether she uses adaptive communication tools like the one that gives Melody her voice, and have yet to find that information published.
Though the main character in the book and upcoming movie is non-speaking because of Cerebral Palsy, it got me thinking about a video I recently saw during a Waisman Center event which shows real users of Adaptive and Augmentative Communication (AAC) tools. This video was made by and about non-speaking autistic people and shows their perspective on being included in society. While autism and cerebral palsy are very different, the communication tools used by non-speaking individuals in both groups are similar. I talked to staff at the Waisman Center about using AAC in libraries and was informed that most are highly personalized for each user. Even still, it can be helpful for library staff to know which tools exist, and how to interact with people who use them.
There is an increasing push toward training staff to build
empathy. Last month, a non-speaking woman who showcased her intelligence
used AAC in this valedictorian's speech from Florida
last month. Valedictorian, Elizabeth Bonker said, "if you can see the
worth in me, then you can see the worth in everyone you meet."
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