Last weekend Ashley participated in a workshop that culminated in a play for children and young adults with ‘Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Devices. One of the local TV news stations came out and filmed them while they were practicing. The link to that is in the right column of the blog under ‘Ashley on Broadway… Almost’ Within the link is a button to view the video that played on the news.
It was a fun weekend. There were five boys/guys and Ashley. Mary and I, along with the other parents painted the stage backdrops while a class of senior IPFW speech therapy students worked with Ashley and the others programming their lines into their communication devices.
The play was called “Imogene’s Antlers” by David Smith. A girl (Ashley) wakes up to find she has grown antlers. She takes it all in stride, but her family and the school principal are not as accommodating.
It was fun to watch. Ashley had a dozen lines that were programmed into her PC. She did a great job of selecting the correct line which was then heard throughout the auditorium.
Prior to getting involved we didn’t know what to expect from the play. As they rehearsed we realized that this was going to be an interesting show. Between family, friends and therapists we invited we probably accounted for a bulk of the audience when they performed on Sunday.
Another benefit was meeting and talking with other families that are dealing with alternative means of communication with a child. It is always helpful to talk with others that have, ‘been there; done that’.
Ashley is continuing with the serial casting on her right leg only. This is helping her posture and making it easier for her to walk. Her left foot is to the point that it does not need the extra help of a cast. She still wears her Ankle, Foot Orthosis (AFO) during the day and at night. Her right foot has made major progress. She is now able to ‘reach neutral’ which means she is able to stand flat on her foot at a ninety degree angle. She will continue doing the castings (replaced each Tuesday and Friday) through October 27th. No doubt this has helped Ashley reach the significant milestone of being able to stand and balance on her own.
Next weekend we plan to drive over to St. Mary’s and Notre Dame to visit with her classmates prior to the Boston College game. This would be Ashley’s senior year. She has a great group of friends there that have been very supportive.
We are still waiting on those first words. Ashley continues to increase her vocalization. She is getting more control of her diaphragm. We have every confidence that her voice will return.
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