I’m always game for a new challenge, especially if it will improve AAC skills. The conversations I have with Jess are good when we are on the move, however, our day to day life is rather mundane and predictable. The end result is we look at each other knowing what is to be said next. I’m not saying that we read each other’s minds but I find that I repeat myself:
- Please wash your hands & then set the table.
- Please put your things away.
- Please get ready for bed and then we can watch some TV.
Hmm, my examples sound so much more polite in print than when I say them.
To be honest, predictable language has more to do with the husband than it does Jessie. After nearly 28 years of marriage, we’ve fallen into the trap of knowing looks. I hate to admit that as a family unit, we all suffer from “implied conversation”. I think we are in need of a reboot.
Speak for Yourself is doing a social experiment where we maintain a dedicated modeling schedule. We are to carve out 15 minutes a day, for two weeks where we model language on our AAC devices. For us, the best time for uninterrupted modeling is first thing in the morning, from breakfast till Jess’s ride arrives. The next best time to catch conversation is before, during and after dinner when we are all together.
What I’m going to share next really doesn’t have much to do with the “social experiment”, but rather an ah-ha moment. There’s a unique feature on the Speak for Yourself app called Hold that Thought. Its purpose is to save the phrase or sentence you were building so you can stop and answer a question. As we all know, conversations aren’t always linear, we all subject hop. Jess uses this feature more for monologuing than for the intended purpose. I, on the other hand, repeat myself every morning. These aren’t necessarily stock phrases that I want to add to the Talker but for the full effect, I want this spoken quickly, with authority.
On second thought, I could add phrases for the husband?
- How was your day?
- Anything new happen at work?
- Honey, would you please pick up a bottle of wine?
Well, maybe the last one should be a pre-programmed phrase, but you get the idea. There’s more than one way to use Hold that Thought. Actually, it was intended for this use, but I’m realizing it can be handy around the house.
This isn’t modeling language as the experiment intended, but the more I use SFY with Jess, the more she has to say. It’s a matter of finding the right icebreakers.
We have some uninterrupted time right now. “All I have to do” is find something that is interesting to talk about it. Easier said than done. Jess doesn’t care much about my weeding, doing laundry or running errands, but I did take Roxy on a hike. I think I will show Jess the video of Roxy running as fast as she can to get this conversation started and we will just wing it from there.
The last thing Jess wanted to do was endure yet another dinner party. She didn’t have to voice her displeasure, I could read her body language. As far as she is concerned, these events are all the same. Everyone talks, she listens and the topics don’t interest her. However, this time, the tables were turned.
We’ve gone to bed. All is quiet. Moments later we hear a burst of laughter. Then it erupts into a deep belly laugh. She is now hysterical.
Week 8 of the 
