Splendid Mayhem: Aug Comm Training

Welcome To Holland

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Aug Comm Training

WOW! Thats really what I want to scream! Logen's SLP (Jenn) and I completed a 2 day (6 hour) training today for Logen's new aug comm device (PRC's Vantage). It was AMAZING. I really learned alot. I am absolutely amazed at how beneficial the training was and how much the device can actually do. My word of advice is- if your child has or gets a communication device- you MUST attend a training session. You will learn so so so much.

I learned how to upload digital pics to the device, create new pages, change pronunciation, move things around, etc. And, of course- really learned how to speak with the device. I came out of the training knowing how to speak full sentences! And, I can program it! Yay me :) Most of you know, that I was excited to get the device but a little upset (ok, maybe alot upset) that my baby needed it. While I am still sad that he needs it, after attending the training I am much more thrilled about having it. It's going to be a wonderful tool for us all. Best of all, Logen will beable to talk to me!!! (And you!) How great is that?! So, we will begin hitting the device at lightening speed so that we can move up to the next level. There are many levels of the device, it grows along with him. I am telling you, it's too cool!!!

Wish us luck as we embark on yet another journey with Logen! In OT yesterday, he found 'category' then 'toys'. Thats a 2 hit sequence! Go Logen!!!!!!

Jenn~ thank you for hosting the training at your home. And, for taking the time to do the training with me. You are AWESOME! I'm so glad we did it!