Day 2

I'm so amazed by how much technology has advanced over the years! The exciting part is that there will be much more to come. The iPad has to be the best invention so far in my eyes. It's made such a difference in people's lives. My friend's little girl has autism and the iPad has made such a different in her life. It allows her to be more expressive and let others know what she wants.

My top 3 take aways from today's video are:

• There are lots of opportunities and services for students with various abilities in some school boards. The SSRSB is such a lead in this area. The organization I work for have considered visiting South Queens. We heard wonderful stories! I especially want to go now that I have seen the video about Tyler.
• This video creates an awareness of how a support network of friends, family, teachers, specialists (OT, AT), school community etc can contribute to student success. Seeing how happy Tyler is throughout his journey shows the support around him.
• Regardless of abilities/disabilities, students can be independent and learn...when provided with the resources. Tyler's journey through school shows that there is hope for all students.

In order to communicate effectively, we need to have a partner to communicate, common language, and both must be attentive. It's when one of these factors is missing that we have to look for other means to communicate. A lot of times, we take the ability to communicate for granted. It's only when it is brought to our attention that we think about those who may not be able to.

There are lots of different ways to communicate. Here are just a few:

texting, speaking, writing words, visuals- pointing at objects, pictures etc., eye movement, facial expression, body movement, advertisements, emails, presentations, tapping or making sounds, touch, sign language, lip reading, and music.

Some can come under the same category. We have to be open to many forms of communication because of different abilities. 

"Just because people are non-verbal, doesn't mean that they don't have a lot to say". How true is this? There are ways we can unlock that communication with tools such as iPads. With all of the technology around, there really should be no one in this world unable to express themselves in some way.

I really liked this statement in Barb's presentation: "Traditional curricula has the disability because it is only designed for certain learners".  It isn't a "one size fits all" world!