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- Carrie
- Balick
- No
- 140 Mayhew Way, Building D, Suite 700
Pleasant Hill
California
94523
United States - The ProAACtive SLP
Pleasant Hill
California
94523
United States
Building your child's confidence and motivation by establishing trust and making activities fun and engaging is the critical first step to my service. Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) is used during assessment and treatment to provide the necessary levels and types of cues that are necessary for the child to be successful. A multi-modal communication environment, using visuals and AAC equipment, supports communication success and reduces/eliminates breakdowns. Collaboration with parents is key. We create a meaningful target list of words and phrases that are organized according to the child's treatment plan. I sit at, or just below, eye level and limit distractions so the child can focus on the shape of words on the mouth. The treatment plan is backed by research in that a high amount of practice has a bigger impact on your child's progress and outcomes. Data collection at set intervals instead of at every session keeps the focus on the treatment and the maintaining the positive relationship.
I share the latest CAS research with my colleagues and families. In the near future, I plan to bring CAS awareness and accurate information to professionals and parents in my community by organizing an Apraxia Awareness Fundraiser Walk in the San Francisco East Bay area. Next, my plan is to provide CAS training to related professionals/service providers (e.g., pediatricians, PTs, OTs, etc) and family members while emphasizing the importance of, and creating opportunities for, transdisciplinary collaborative service provision. I will raise awareness throughout the year by sharing online resources including Apraxia-kids FB Live videos with colleagues and parents as well as disseminating the Apraxia postcards each May during Apraxia Awareness Month. Furthermore, on social media, l will include information that provides accurate and up-to-date info about CAS.
During treatment sessions, active parent involvement is critical to understand rationale behind approaches and be able to carryover strategies during homework. I coach parents and demonstrate the skills so they can practice, and give feedback so parents can confidently and accurately carryover the skills with their child between sessions.
As an AAC Specialist for over 15 years, I've well versed in the importance of providing a multi-modal communication environment which includes low-tech, light-tech, and high-tech communication tools/equipment to support communication during treatment. First and foremost, realistic expectations regarding the child's immediate use of the AAC tool is imperative. It's important for parents and the child's other service providers to understand that it takes time for a child to learn the AAC symbolic language receptively before being able to use it expressively. By beginning with this dialogue and providing ample training related to AAC learning and evidence based partner strategies, parents feel more open-minded about using augmentative tools while working toward their child's speech goals.