How I use AAC as an MSN autistic teenboy with level 1 in the area of communication
My verbal ability
I'm fully verbal, and I don't have verbal shutdowns but I have situations where I want to tell something to someone but I'm scared of their reaction and then my mouth blocks if I want to speak out this specific thing but I still can talk about other topics. In some stressful situations my mouth also blocks some words randomly but other words not or I can't call a caretaker when he isn't with me but I can't say his name if he is with me.
Textbased AAC on my phone
On my phone, I have a widget with Quick access to multiple notes. These notes are basically disability aids in my daily life, like my to-do list. One of these notes is a note I use for AAC. In this note the text size is automatically on big. I use this for short texts like one to a few sentences or if my Ipad isn't with me.
Textbased AAC on my Ipad
I have an Ipad. I use it for longer texts about issues I have. Sometimes, I just write text to analyze my issues but mostly to explain the issue to caretakers. For texts, which are for problem explanation, I use word. I often have issues speaking out my issues verbally or explaining my issues verbally in such a way that they are easy to understand. It isn't that I don't know the words it's that I need more time to think which words explain it the best than I have when I talk. My Ipad is good because due to the big keyboard, it's easier to write longer texts, especially when I have fine motor issues because of stress or in a meltdown.
Buttonbased AAC on my phone
As I said, I sometimes have situations where my mouth chooses randomly, which words it blocks and which not, and it also randomly can switch or switch due to conditions in the situation. So it can be this way that I can't call the name of a caretaker or can't go to him but can tell him he should come to me when I talk with him on my phone.
Sometimes, I call caretakers but can't reach them. I had such a situation in November or December 2024. Of this situation happen when I'm around other disableds who live at the care home or go to the special workplace/day center I could tell them to bring caretakers to me but I can't speak out the words for it often.
Because of this, I have created a mode and downloaded an app.
This mode button is on my home screen. It opens the AAC mode on my phone. In this mode, my Bluetooth eardefenders automatically get disconnected, and a app opens.
The app is called speaking buttons. In it, I have 2 buttons. One says I need help, and the other says that someone please should bring a caretaker to me.
But this specific situation is such seldom that I never needed this mode until yet.