Maria Chavez Fernandez, 7, using her “voice” to order a smoothie. (Photo by Kim Hilsenbeck)
by KIM HILSENBECK
Imagine carrying your voice around in your hand. For 30 Hays CISD students with autism, Down syndrome, or other intellectual or physical disabilities, whether they were in a wheelchair or sight-impaired, that voice was the one thing they all had in common at the districtwide AAC Talk Fest last week.
An AAC, or Augmentative Alternative Communication, is an electronic device with voice output that people with disabilities use to communicate. AAC users, according to Erin Sivils, a special education teacher for autistic students, often think of these devices as simply the “voice” because they help students say what they themselves cannot, even if the thoughts are well formed.
The fourth annual AAC Talk Fest, held at the Performing Arts Center on Jan. 12, brought together special education and life services students, as well as special education teachers, speech pathologists, and instructional aides from 11 different Hays CISD campuses.
Rebecca Wilkinson-Smith, the assistive technology specialist for the school district, said the event is held only once a year because of logistics and the cost of transportation.
Wilkinson-Smith said the “voice” technology dramatically improves the ability for a student to communicate with teachers, other students and family. That ability, she said, can then improve his or her chances of integrating into society and even the workforce.
“The simple acts many people take for granted, such as ordering lunch at a restaurant or communicating with co-workers and customers at places like H-E-B or Home Depot, make a huge difference in the life of someone with a disability-related communication barrier,” she said. “The AAC devices also give these kids a voice and the opportunity for us to get to know them. Otherwise, we wouldn’t get that chance. We help them find a way to communicate in ways they normally wouldn’t.”
Each device – some about the size of a personal digital assistant, some like a small laptop, others larger – costs the school district anywhere from $2,800 to $7,000, according to Wilkinson-Smith. The software can be word- or picture-based, in English, Spanish or both languages for students living in multilingual households.
With 36 students currently using a device, the cost was about $350,000. That is in addition to money spent for supplies and personnel hired by Hays CISD to coordinate and run the special education program, including the life skills classes. The district spends about $9.5 million annually for special education. However, most of the money for recent purchases of assistive technology came from T.A.R.P. (Troubled Asset Relief Program) stimulus money, which will not be available after this year.
The assistive technology budget, not including stimulus funds, is more than $100,000 annually, up from about $50,000 when Wilkinson-Smith started with the district nine years ago.
A speech language pathologist by training, Wilkinson-Smith coordinates the AAC Talk Fest. At the event last week, two rooms held activities such as bowling, basketball, Jeopardy, Uno, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Music Madness.
Students could also help make their own smoothie, which is one of the activities selected by Maria Chavez Fernandez, 7, a first-grader at Fuentes Elementary in Kyle. Maria has been using a “voice” for three years. She used it to select a banana-flavored smoothie. The sound of the blender was loud, so Fernandez used the device to ask her teacher to press the big red button for her. She then covered her ears.
After two small sips, Fernandez decided she did not like the smoothie and tossed it in the trash, but went back to the table to ask for a banana. Her teacher reminded Maria to phrase her “voice” sentences properly, using “I want” at the beginning and “thank you” after receiving the banana.
“This event is a way for these kids to interact with others who use a ‘voice’ to communicate and to continue to practice using the device,” Wilkinson-Smith said. “We try to make it a fun setting that is both social and educational.”
Students in the special education life skills program at Hays CISD’s campuses are often integrated into mainstream classes, so they may not see other students in the program regularly, she said.
While a “voice” can last five years, Wilkinson-Smith said the technology moves much faster. So far, she said, the district has been able to afford the devices and software without skimping in other areas of the special education program. Money from a recent federal stimulus package helped provide some of the funding for the devices as well as SMART Boards, iPads and other technology used by the district, Wilkinson-Smith said.
By the looks on their faces, it was clear students were enjoying Talk Fest.
