The Small One

An aac user who reads. asks me anything about aac and I’ll be sure to answer.

[theybeanz]

Here’s my intro.

I’m Remus, or Rem, age 31.

I am not a system as far as I know, but I do like to learn about them.

I have.. confirmed.. autism, general anxiety disorder, depression, CPTSD, OCD. I do have adhd, but the autism masked it on my test, and they didn’t catch it. It’s *not* ruled out, though.

I like to learn about anything and everything I come across. If, for whatever reason i post my aac pages, I will credit the artists of the icons. I may not know their tags, but I’ll still credit them.

My special interests are twilight, Harry Potter (F JKR), early human civilization, language, aac.

I am a chaotically unorganized, organized mess.

I have dozens of characters I’ve made up in my life, that I am proud of. They’re *not* alters, but they are a part of me.

I don’t know if there’s a type of disassociation disorder where you’re still fully conscious, aware, fully in control, but yet it feels like you’re dreaming or seeing through someone else’s eyes, and still having all the memories.

I do spend most of my time in my fantasy world, as reality, especially right now, sucks.

I am not a therian, but I am interested in the community. If I *am*, I’m very closeted, and private about it. I like to read, and listen to music. I am obsessed with Twilight and We Three.

I use Proloquo2go, AVAZ, TD snap, ChatterBoards, C Board, Proloquo4text. I’m trying to get either Touchchat or Grid for iPad eventually.

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

[cytochrome-symbolz]

PAW FOLDERS PART TWO

1. small words

2. phrases

3. swears

4. queer

5. therian

BLANK PAW AND BLANK PAW FLAG:

[magiccarpetman]

I’m beginning to develop some militant opinions on AAC use as a one-size fits all band-aid in schools.

If every nonverbal kid in your school is given a tablet and the same AAC app regardless of their personal needs and abilities, every adult who regularly interacts with those kids needs to have spent, at minimum, an hour playing around with the same version of that app so they know what it can and can’t do and how the buttons work.

Especially because I keep seeing scenarios where the communication options a kid uses at home are different than the ones provided and enforced at school. In those cases especially, it is your job as their teacher to understand the technology better than they do so you can teach its use.

If you wouldn’t duct tape someone’s mouth shut for repeatedly making annoying noises with it, you shouldn’t take a kid’s AAC device when they choose to use it in a way that annoys you.

I still believe in the above when other students are distracted. As much as possible, the consequence for that should be the same you’d give to another kid being disruptive and noisy in class.

If you want kids to feel secure using a specific AAC method to ask for help or talk about their feelings, access to that method cannot be contingent on good behavior.

This has been my angry teaching rant, with seven hours left of the school day.

[theybeanz]

[theybeanz]

[theybeanz]

[arlyonit]

When i was 14 i tried using aac around my family for the first time. It was low tech, writing in a notebook, and I didn't know it had a name.

My parents accepted me using it, but my dad said that I couldn't use it forever. That i need to be able to talk to have a job and such.

There was no malicious intent, he didn't know what aac was. He's also just really bad at wording things, what he meant (clarified years later) was "you can use it in safe spaces like at home but outside of that you're gonna need to speak because people won't accept using a notebook". Which is only mildly better tbh.

The thing is, aac was (and still is, though less so) unknown. You don't see aac users out and about, most people don't know what it is, that you can, in-fact, live your life without talking. My dad had no clue. How could he? Where was the indications that you could live a full life not speaking?

I wasn't very social as a kid; still aren't. Talking is fun but not all the time. Sometimes it's too hard, sometimes I can't, sometimes I just don't want to. I think little me would've loved aac. Loved it so so much.

I think about it a lot now. People who think disability aids are only for those "who really need it". Why can't it also be for those that "need it"? Why the "really"? Why can't they be for those "who benefit from it"?

I think this is a reason why we need more representation, for disabilities of all kinds. To show that it's ok to ease your suffering a little in ways that harm no-one. So that a little kid can ask for something that helps them, and so that an adult can feel no guilt for using something they "don't need" but benefit from.

So that people know that if it helps instead of hinders it's for them.

[cytochrome-symbolz]

PAW FOLDERS PART TWO

1. small words

2. phrases

3. swears

4. queer

5. therian

BLANK PAW AND BLANK PAW FLAG:

[thecouncil-aac]

Consent to steal the paw folder template?? /no pressure, genuine question

[cytochrome-symbolz]

you can print them out and burn them for all i care and im honored that u want to steal them <3

real answer: yall can do whatever you like with my symbols/ideas.

[theybeanz]

[theybeanz]

[theybeanz]

[theybeanz]

My Bluey communication cards (this is just a template)

[theybeanz]

I made communication cards. There are some already filled, and some that are not. #communicationcards #lowtechaac i do plan to print them when I get a chance. You may use, but please credit me.

[ashthething-deactivated20251217]

Why tf is AAC so complicated? 😭

I just want to customize the images behind the words but seeing the amount overwhelmed me. Then I decided to just give up lol.

Then I saw I had to pay a fucking subscription for a majority, damn near ALL, of the words! Why tf do I have to pay $13 to be able to tell someone I want fries? 😭

Thankfully, I figured out a loophole to get every word for free but the amount of time that would take is time I rather not spare so I thought, “Why can’t I just have simple words in home and just type out the complex sentences?” I look in the app for some text to speech thing. IT COMES WITH THE SUBSCRIPTION

I’m gonna implode istg-

Give me money or have a pen and paper with you at all times

[theybeanz]

What app are you trying to use, if I may ask?”

[ashthething-deactivated20251217]

Fast AAC

[theybeanz]

Weavechat has the text to speech function for free. It is both android and Apple.

[ashthething-deactivated20251217]

Why tf is AAC so complicated? 😭

I just want to customize the images behind the words but seeing the amount overwhelmed me. Then I decided to just give up lol.

Then I saw I had to pay a fucking subscription for a majority, damn near ALL, of the words! Why tf do I have to pay $13 to be able to tell someone I want fries? 😭

Thankfully, I figured out a loophole to get every word for free but the amount of time that would take is time I rather not spare so I thought, “Why can’t I just have simple words in home and just type out the complex sentences?” I look in the app for some text to speech thing. IT COMES WITH THE SUBSCRIPTION

I’m gonna implode istg-

Give me money or have a pen and paper with you at all times

[theybeanz]

What app are you trying to use, if I may ask?”

[theybeanz]

Day 31 : What's something you want new AAC users to know?

Do not be ashamed to use aac. Make the board how *you* want it. If you see one that catches your attention, mimic it to your liking. Use the aac. Practice by yourself. Practice with others. Your voice matters, whether it comes from your mouth or a screen, or a piece of paper. Make self advocacy buttons. Make ICE buttons. Make the screen as big or as small as *you* want. If you don’t like the way your aac looks, start a new pageset abd retry.

[theybeanz]

Day 30 : What's something you want non-AAC users to know?

One, presume competence when teaching your child aac. Two, do not delete words., 3, do not take the aac at all. Ever. 4. Model without expectation. 5. AAC is a voice. Do not use it as a chore. Do not force it on the student. 6. Keep the device charged at all times

7. Do not talk over aac users. We deserve to be a part of the conversation too. Listen to us, and learn to wait. N