#maes aac

[maes-aac]

Video length: 5:42

Slow typing day. Have to still familiarize myself with my pageset, with where all words are (especially understanding which categories they are in; descriptions vs actions, etc.). Some days I am better at searching than others. Also was pausing to check how I truly want to express my thoughts

Am so used to using Proloquo4Text instead of TD Snap because ever since I started using AAC with everyone around me, I have relied on Proloquo4Text because of it being convenient, and I would only sometimes practice with TD Snap (symbol based AAC) by myself. Especially since I am fluent in speech/language and am so used to doing my best to be precise

But a core part of being semiverbal, for me, is that the process of communicating through verbal speech or written/typed words is exhausting, unnatural, difficult. It is a manual process for me, not automatic.

The gathering of thoughts, organizing them, making sure I have everything I want to say and how I want to say it, then having to cross the barrier of thoughts to external expression, where everything becomes wonky anyway...is just mentally draining. It's too much

Only recently I have started to slowly use symbol based more alongside text to speech, and it is such a breather. Actually much more efficient and convenient for me to use symbol based AAC, and symbol based feels like me

🌸Credit: using pageset "Petrichor Pageset - Public v2" created by @transoccuine with some of my own personalization added to it

[maes-aac]

Thought I would show my communication cards (the only video I have of them). The card that says "I am close to a breakdown" was a mistake and I was sent the right one for free and it's "I am close to a meltdown" now

There are some cards I would change and add now too:

💜My pronouns are She/They -> She/Mae

💜I am semi-verbal. I struggle to speak sometimes -> I am semiverbal, speaking is exhausting and difficult for me

💜I am semi-verbal. I cannot speak right now -> I am semiverbal, it is easier for me not to speak

💜And then I'd add -> I am semiverbal and I use AAC to help me communicate (or I am autistic and I use AAC to help me communicate)

And more~

Anyway, wanted to share this as I still love my communication cards even though I don't use them and I thought it might help or give inspiration 💜✨

[maes-aac]

Guess whose AAC device has been approved by insurance yesterday????!!!!!!!!!

It's mine!!!!!!!!!!! ♡♡♡

Oh gosh! I am soooooo beyond excited. I wanted to share this yesterday but I was processing it (and I still am!). Oh gosh, I am sooooooo excited!!!

All I am waiting for now is an "Explanation of Benefits (EOB)" from my insurance provider and I am sooooo hoping that there truly is NO balance for me to pay (especially because right now, "no additional balance is expected"!)

At the beginning, before I officially started the trial (with having and using the device), I was told how my insurance is able to cover the full price of everything and so I hope this remains true!

Anyways, I am going to make myself some s'mores today to celebrate ☺️💐✨ (am so happy & excited!!! 😆)

[maes-aac]

Showing how much my home page has changed 💐 I am still, of course, going to be changing things but I have finally settled on something stable enough for now. I continue to feel drawn to using a lighter background behind all of the buttons, but the darker colored backgrounds help me to fully see and be able to pay attention to the buttons and images

[maes-aac]

Showing the changes of my AAC homepage

Video length: 6:04

Message from AAC: "These days I have been changing and trying to figure out the colour theme of my AAC home page, and it has been so difficult and confusing, but I have finally settled on this home page and I love it so very much! My AAC is finally starting to feel like mine, and the voice too, which I changed as well."

I first tried to create a whole new pageset from a blank one that TD Snap offers, but it was too overwhelming throughout the process and overall that I simply gave up and decided to figure out how to make my current pageset feel more like me

The pageset I gave up on:

I really did want to have a burst of different colors and especially saturated colors but it was too overstimulating. I can't handle light backgrounds or darker yet brighter colors for all of the buttons. I can only handle shades of black, dark blues, dark purples, and dark browns for the background and lighter colors for the buttons (but still can't have too many colors for the buttons)

Below, this was how I thought my homepage would remain for a very long time, but eventually it didn't feel personalized enough:

I then went through changes with it:

In the end, all of the pastel colors of the toolbox (on the left side) and message box buttons (on the top) were also too overstimulating for me, so I had to settle on something more calm which leads to me what my I finally settled on with my current homepage and it feels right:

These were some of my thoughts throughout all of this that I spoke with myself

This below is the Motor Plan 66 pageset that is from TD Snap itself:

Back to my original pageset:

🌸Credit: using pageset "Petrichor Pageset - Public v2" created by @transoccuine with some of my own personalization added to it

[maes-aac]

Yesterday, I created a page to help me be prepared to communicate at my doctor's appointment within my "Personal" folder, and I love how it turned out. It really has helped me feel less anxious. (Blocked out some of the too personal information)

I am currently waiting to be called for my doctor's appointment; I am sitting in the waiting lobby, and I might be seated here for a while. I used my AAC only here so far and I feel proud but I also still feel anxious, however, experience so far hasn't been bad.

Though, the woman I spoke to at the window (where I had to sign in), had to chuckle a little bit first, perhaps from disbelief or astonishment, before she got serious/professional and then asked me, "I have some questions to ask, will you be able to answer?", showing her that I can.

Then, as I went to find a seat, a woman already seated smiled nicely at me and pointed me to a seat, which was actually kind and felt good to my body. Now I just have to continue to communicate with my AAC 💐

Clarification on the "Cancel visit" button — it is a button where, if clicked first before clicking any other button, it keeps me remaining on the page instead of jumping back to the previous page. Though, I found out that the "Cancel visit" button is not actually needed for this page, however, I love how it fits in so I left it

[maes-aac]

💐 Hi~ welcome to my AAC sideblog~

♡ My name is Aurelia Mae

♡ I am 25 years old

♡ My pronouns are She/Mae (I love being referred to as mainly Mae)

♡ I am semiverbal and an AAC user

♡ I mainly use high tech AAC though I do have customized Kuromi based communication cards

♡ I use AAC most times (I am still unlearning reliance on forced speech)

♡ I am autistic Level 2/MSN (Medium Support Needs), ADHD, have OCD, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and C-PTSD

♡ I am asexual and agender, (on the alloromantic spectrum, complex feelings and thoughts with what is understood as romantic attraction. I also tend to be very repulsed by and averse to what is deemed as romance)

♡ Currently I am in the process of having my loaned AAC device become officially and permanently mine (with the help of my speech therapist)

Update: AAC device was accepted by insurance 💐✨

♡ My special interests: Tarot, visual art (especially abstract art), AAC, autism, trees, my asexuality, Sephiroth (FFVII)

♡ My passions: Creating visual art (especially abstract), poetry, creative writing overall

♡ My tags:

#maes aac — pictures of my AAC, videos of me using and speaking with AAC, practicing with AAC

#maes aac user — (no pictures or videos) posts about being an AAC user and using AAC; my experiences, feelings, thoughts

#maes semiverbal — posts about me being semiverbal; my experiences, feelings, thoughts

♡ My post: "My extensive list about what being semiverbal/semi-speaking is like for me"

♡ My mainblog: for art, poetry, autism, disability, and being faekin: @wombofthevoid

✿ Credit for userboxes: @theautisticschizo (uses AAC/Level 2) @dustbunnyaac (TD Snap) @chronicallyleggless (disabled)

[maes-aac]

My feelings and thoughts about AAC lately — Part 2/2

Video length: 6:27

Message from AAC: "I am not in college but was able to have a SLP for free from the college, and it is already set up that I am going to work with the same SLP for autumn semester, but I have to get a new SLP for myself until then, and I am so tired of how much help I need to get for myself, on my own. I am hoping that I can get and have someone to help me with all of this."

Additional thoughts:

I believe the tiredness I have been feeling is labeled and known as "access fatigue" for disabled people; with how much we have to advocate for ourselves and try to gain all of the support and accommodations we need (I did not know about this being an actual thing until yesterday).

There is just overall too much to learn and figure out about the kind of support I need and how to get it that I really just need a social worker (I believe). It is so immensely easy for me to become overwhelmed and confused, and I often don't remember things long enough for it to truly stick.

I can write things down, which I have done for other things, but I always have to rewrite things out several times, like I am remembering it all over again and it's mentally exhausting to do all of that only to still be left questioning if things are truly correct *sigh*

Link: My feelings and thoughts about AAC lately — Part 1/2

🌸Credit: using pageset "Petrichor Pageset - Public v2" created by @transoccuine with some of my own personalization added to it