Short Description

This is a light technology kit of communication resources, designed to assist communication at home for teenagers and adults who require visual communication aids to help with comprehension and/or expression.

Method Of Use

A pamphlet is supplied that provides instructions for each of the resources.

An example is the Chores Chart, which is a way to represent the daily or weekly routine tasks that occur around the home. Photos of individuals need to be provided.

Another example to assist with communication in the community are the Community Request Cards. Laminated community request cards are provided to assist making a request to buy something. A whiteboard marker is supplied to add in specific information about a person's request.

Models

One model is available

More Details

Communicate Around the Home has 6 ready made communication aids, designed for supporting communication at home and in the community:
* Chores Chart - with over 18 household activities to choose from. This has an A3 Chart, an A4 sized folding storage folder and 18 picture communication symbols of everyday chores 50mm x 50mm
* Shopping book - with over 100 individual items to select from including a Velcro compatible shopping list. This is made up in an A4 ring folder, with laminated A4 pages for storage.
* 4 communication placemats - designed for instant chat during a meal. These are A3 size
* Who's here today board - a laminated A3 size board is provided with laminated cards for days of the week and some useful messages. Photos need to be provided by individuals who purchase this resource. This helps people to see who is away and why and who is going to be there in the morning, afternoon and evening
* Community request cards - 6 laminated cards (60mm x 110mm) are provided to assist with purchasing things in the community - individuals or their assistants using this resource can fill in the blank with a whiteboard pen
* AFL Footy tipping chart, A3 size with pictures for 18 football teams. This is designed so that everyone has the chance to select which team they think will win. An A4 folder is supplied with copies of small laminated logo pictures for the footy teams, which are about 40mm x 27mm. This resource would need to be adapted if used in NSW

Factors To Consider

Communicate Around the Home has application to group homes and family homes where these professionally made resources could provide a good starting point for creating a communication accessible environment.

Additional communication resources would need to be developed to meet an individual's needs for everyday communication, where an individual was finding it difficult to communicate using speech and was requiring augmentative and alternative communication, also known as AAC

Communicate Around the Home has been made in Victoria, Australia. Most of this resource is suitable for use in any state, however the Footy Tipping Chart has been designed for AFL in Victoria.

When ordering this resource from another state, you may want to arrange to have some specific vocabulary for football made up for your needs by the Communication Resource Centre. This would be an additional expense when ordering.

Otherwise, you could adapt this resource by making up laminated pictures yourself, using logos from local football clubs, and around 40mm x 27mm in size. This would require access to a computer and a coloured printer.

This resource has application to group homes and family homes where these professionally made resources could provide a good starting point for creating a communication accessible environment.

Additional communication resources would need to be developed to meet an individual's needs for everyday communication, where they were relying on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

Place Of Manufacture

Victoria, Australia