🥹 🩷 💛

I couldn’t fit the exclamation mark in, but here you go lol!

people use AAC for from intellectual & developmental disorders to neurocognitive disorders to neurological to physical disorders. people use AAC for disorders from birth & acquired disorders. progressive & non progressive disorders.

some AAC users have mouth speech, motor, and/or sound clarity related difficulties, others use for language and/or cogntive difficulties, some for combo of reasons.

those with…

intellectual disability

genetic & chromosomal disorders like down syndrome, rett syndrome, angelman syndrome, williams syndrome, etc.

cerebral palsy

speech language disorders like aphasia & dysarthria

schizophrenia & schizoaffective & schizo-spec

brain injury

dementia

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), huntington’s, frederick’s ataxia, etc.

tracheotomy

locked in syndrome

1. Grandparent

2. Parent

3. Auncle

4. Sibling

5. Nibling

I made something!

It’s a banner to label my posts made with AAC

The symbol on there is made by @petrichoremojis

your device pronounces a word wrong. laughter. its fine, just go with it. but thats not what you meant. the meaning is changed. you type it differently, hoping to trick the program into saying it right. it doesnt.

your device bugs. you have to use a voice that does not match how you feel inside. you feel dysphoric like you did before you went on t. laughter from others. its fine because it has to be.

someone makes a bigoted remark to another person. you are typing as fast as you can - "that's not okay, you need to apologize" - your hands are shaking with the effort to be fast. the conversation moves on before you can hit "play". harm has been done and you have no control over it.

you navigate through a few folders. you want the word "sun". you keep hitting the button next to it, cloud. you hit delete. try again. you hit cloud. delete. try again. you hit cloud. over and over again. your body seems to have a mind of its own. it is frustrating. it is so so easy for everyone else.

your tablet is in the other room and you are trying to fingerspell. you want to sign "d". you see the shape your hand needs to be in in your mind. you keep signing "f". your hand will not make the correct finger go up and the rest go down.

the other person is trying to be patient. but theyre not. theyre frustrated. theyre trying not to show it. theyre frustrated. theyre frustrated. it radiates out from their body and makes your blood run cold. you're nauseous. you are always waiting for someone to lose their patience. it has happened before. it will happen again.

i made this instagram post !!! there isn't as big of a community of AAC users on instagram so I thought I would share this on my instagram (@cytochromesea).

EDIT: i got an ask that states that not everyone knows what AAC is which is an oversight on my part, it stands for alternative and augmentative communication!

Image ID:

A light blue background with a rainbow and a cloud and some stars. There is a blue border collie with wings holding an aac tablet that says I love you! Text reads: AAC etiquette. Do’s, Don’ts, and other stuff. By cytochrome sea.

The same background appears in every following slide. Text reads:

AAC is my voice! It is not a toy or accessory

Don’t touch my AAC without my permission

Don’t take my AAC away from me, for any reason (joke, punishment, etc)

Don’t press buttons randomly or flip through my communication cards without permission

How would you like it if I randomly poked you on the mouth and throat (or on your hands if you sign)? It would be unpleasant, so don’t do that to me

Some AAC users can speak sometimes. It is not your business why someone can or cannot talk

Don’t ask questions about why an AAC user cannot speak. 

Do let us communicate however is best for us in that moment

Don’t ask us if or when we will be able to speak verbally. It’s not your business 

Do not value verbal speech more highly than AAC. Any communication is good communication

Some of us never talk, either, and that’s ok! Those of us who can talk sometimes are not better than those of us who can’t. None of us owe you an explanation for our use of AAC.

Don’t look at my screen until I show you. It feels really invasive!

It feels like when someone is looking at your phone screen over your shoulder, so please don’t do this

This applies to low tech AAC as well, don’t look at someone’s cards or letter board until they show you

You have the dignity of forming your thoughts in your head before you say them, whereas my thoughts are all on display. Please afford me the same dignity that you get automatically.

Don’t shame someone for not being able to speak verbally. It makes us feel horrible

We are real people with thoughts and feelings. Please treat us with kindness. 

We are trying our best

Don’t shame someone if their device mispronounces a word. It’s quite literally out of our control.

Other Don’ts. Don’t

Don't Treat an AAC user as childish or stupid for not being able to speak. Our ability to speak does not define our worth

Don't Show frustration at the way someone communicates

Don't Make comments about how fast or slow we communicate

Also don’t…

don't Act surprised when we swear or talk about adult topics like sex, drugs, or violence. We are not pure uwu precious smol beans, we are normal fucking people

don't Assume what is “wrong” with us. There are about a hundred reasons for someone to use AAC and you probably aren’t the expert in any of them.

“OK, so what CAN i do?” im glad you asked! When interacting with an AAC user, DO…

Ask us how we prefer to communicate and support us as you are able

Assume that we are competent

Talk to us with the same respect, tone and vocabulary that you would for any one else

Give us money (this one is a joke)

Understand that AAC grammar isn’t perfect and we are doing our best

Is it rude if…

I can’t understand your device? Not rude! Misunderstandings happen all the time in any conversation, just be patient as you would normally. 

I want to complement your AAC? Not rude!

I ask to see your AAC and understand how it works? This isn’t rude if you are already talking about AAC, but don’t ask random strangers this. They don’t owe you an AAC tour. 

AAC stands for Augmentative and alternative communication. This essentially is an umbrella term including all* the ways you can communicate besides talking. *(This excludes formal sign language, as sign language is an actual language with its own grammar and culture.)

AAC is for everyone who benefits from it, including but not limited to, nonspeaking people, people whose speech can’t be understood, those with verbal shutdowns, and people whose cant speak due to physical disabilities. Even if you don’t fit into any one of those categories, AAC is for everyone who would benefit from using it!

Since AAC is an umbrella term, there are lots of different kinds of AAC. The 4 main types are no tech, low tech, mid tech, and high tech.

No-tech AAC is a form of communication using no other materials other than your body. This includes makaton, pointing, blinking, looking up or down, turning head left or right, nodding or shaking head, and so much more! Body movements can represent different words or letters. For instance a very simple communication system could look like having the person turn their head, with right meaning yes, and left meaning no.

Low-tech AAC is AAC that uses non electronic equipment to communicate. This includes S2C (spelling to communicate) letter boards, communication cards, PODD books, PEC cards, pen and paper, printed communication board, and more!

Mid-tech AAC tools are generally battery operated electronic devices with simpler functions than high-tech AAC. Examples of mid-tech include a single button, programmed so speak a simple message, or a device like a GoTalk, with a limited number of pre-programmed messages.

High-tech AAC are customizable electronic devices with advanced processors, and wider vocabulary. Examples of this include iPads or tablets with downloaded symbol based AAC apps, dedicated devices like a Tobii Dynavox, or an eye tracking system connected to a computer with proloquo4text, and so, so much more.

like. you can't literally take away words from speaking people. you can't erase them from their vocabulary, you can't erase them from their mind, you can't physically shut their mouth when they use words that you dislike. no matter what the reason is and how based your dislike is. you can't take away an opportunity to say a slur from speaking people who can't reclaim it. you can't take away an opportunity to say a curse word from a child you think shouldn't say it. etc.

when people say things they shouldn't, other people communicate with them about it. i know these communications often take a wrong way (like children are just scolded off and prohibited to use some words without explanations). but these communications at least happen. (and i wish they to be meaningful and fight for it). same with AAC users. if AAC user says something that they shouldn't (like slur they can't reclaim), people should communicate with them about why it isn't appropriate and not just take away the very possibility to say this word.

I guess God wanted the little robot to enjoy some sushi 🍣 🥲

If you are explicitly pro-endo or an endo system, please comment or reblog with your emoji/AAC blog so I can follow you

I do not want anti-endo/sysmeds to interact

Not even endo "safe" anti-endos or endo-neutrals