P.O. Box 50030 London, ON N6A 6H8 info@rett.ca (519) 474-6877

Communication Workshop

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Rett Syndrome Communication Workshop

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]In November, the Ontario Rett Syndrome Association was proud to offer this educational opportunity, focused on communication strategies for individuals with Rett syndrome. Having an effective communication system for a child or adult with Rett syndrome can be challenging. In recent years, there have been exciting advancements in communication technology. It was wonderful to gather together with clinicians, educators, care givers, and family members to discuss the latest ideas and strategies for literacy and communication!

 

WORKSHOP COMPONENTS

 

Judy Lariviere provided unique private consultation sessions for current O.R.S.A. family members. The sessions provided a time to discuss current communication challenges and to obtain strategies directly related to the specific child.

 

Karen Congram discussed the role of literacy to empower every person to tell us what she’s thinking. She demonstrated several strategies to ensure every person can access the literacy experiences that bring joy, enhance friendships, and give her power to speak her authentic thoughts.

 

Judy Lariviere showed how significant improvements in communication have been observed and documented over a relatively short period of time when apraxia, sensory regulation, and ease of access are taken into account. She showed various strategies for building on each individual’s unique natural gestures and best “yes” responses, including videos of people with Rett syndrome engaging in conversations and literacy learning experiences on their eye gaze systems.

 

Day Two was an advanced hands-on workshop in which participants learned several functions and features of Tobii Communicator, the communication-based software that runs on Tobii C series, I series, and Windows-compatible tablets. Learning to program these eye-gaze devices has become a new and important skill for supporting individuals with Rett syndrome.

 

Download the complete brochure with all the details.

 

Download slides from Literacy Presentation.

 

We are grateful to the Edwards Charitable Foundation for the funding to make these workshops possible.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]