My silent afternoon

I'm currently studying for my Masters in Special Education, and this semester I'm taking a class on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Strategies.  Since Bugsy got an AAC device over the summer, I thought this class would be beneficial not only professionally but also personally as well.

One of our first assignments is a non-speaking experience, where we had to spend the afternoon not talking in an effort to gain a personal understanding of an individual’s inability to communicate orally in the community.  While the use of a communication board, communication book, notepad, or technology tool was permitted, I chose to undertake this experience by simply not speaking to garner a more authentic experience that most nonverbal students have, especially younger children who may not have access to assisted communication yet because they are deemed “too young” or “too impaired” or “developmentally not ready”.

ASHA issued a statement that “no individuals should be denied the right [to augmentative and alternative communication], irrespective of the type and/or severity of disability(ies) they may present”.  Similarly, the National Joint Committee for Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities stated that “eligibility for communication services and supports should be based on communication needs alone, rather than on criteria…[or] prerequisites”.  However, in reality, many young children are still overlooked for AAC assessments, often leaving them with no outlet for communication. 

I also made the decision to not announce the fact that I was not speaking for the afternoon.  I wanted my experience to be as authentic as possible, and most nonverbal students do not have a method of telling others that they cannot speak. 

During my afternoon as a nonverbal individual, I went to our local grocery store to grab some things we needed.  However, I couldn’t find this particular type of sausages that I wanted, and they were out of the type of rolls that I wanted.  I also realized I would like some meat from the deli for sandwiches the next day.  In a normal situation, I would find the nearest helpful clerk and inquire about the location of the sausages, and also if they had more of the bread.  Then I would trot over to the deli, get my meat, and go on my merry way.

However, since I was not speaking and had no other way of communication, I had to settle without my sausages, bread, or meat.  I thought about going to the deli to try and indicate what I wanted and how much I wanted with pointing, but I had an inkling it was going to be a fruitless exercise in frustration.  With this particular store, I had enough trouble getting my deli order correctly when I was speaking; I basically had no hope when I could only point and gesture.  So I took the easy way out and went to pay for the few things I could find.  Or I thought it was the easy way until I was asked “paper or plastic” and I had to vaguely gesture to the paper bags I wanted – the poor clerk had no idea what I was doing.  I ended up walking over to the bagging area and physically picking up a bag to indicate my preference, then paid for my purchases and went home.

The most memorable aspect of my experience was my personal preference to take the easy way out and just defer any attempts at communication before even an attempt.  I have to wonder how many nonverbal individuals just let things go. 

I was also made aware of how much attention a potential communication partner has to pay to the communicator.  The checkout clerk wasn’t looking at me the first time I pointed, and the second time she misunderstood where I was pointing.  I didn’t even bother trying a third time, and walked over to the bagging area to physically show the checkout clerk what I wanted.  I was fortunate enough to have the physical mobility to physically show what I desired, but this is not an option for some individuals. 

This experience reinforces my belief that every attempt at communication, verbal or otherwise, needs to be immediately recognized and heavily reinforced, especially in young children, in order to avoid an apathy to making future communication attempts.

Have you ever tried something similar or had a non-speaking experience?