COMMUNICATION

My sister had never been able to walk and talk. However, ever since she was very young, she has always managed to find ways to connect with us without speech. (For example, if she wants something, she will motion towards it with her hand or hit it. If she is hungry, she will make long, loud moaning noises that signal to us that she is hungry.)

A couple of years ago, my sister was given a Tobii to trial. Personally, I think that this electronic eye-gaze system is the best way to communicate with my sister, as the messages that she signals to us are more accurate on the Tobii.
More recently my sister uses laminated communication cards with basic answers to questions, such as “Yes” and “No.” However, I don’t believe that these cards are as effective as the Tobii, though they do help with basic day-to-day decision making.

My sister is now on a short trial to see if the Tobii would be beneficial for her. I really hope that we get one, because not only is it a very accurate and useful device, but it also has the potential to really expand my sister’s communication skills and vocabulary.

Sometimes I feel like my sister may feel left out. She normally goes to bed much earlier than my parents or me and my other sister, and even when she is with us, she understandably struggles to join in with the conversation. There are times when my sister will be so quiet that I almost forget she is there. I can imagine that the inability to speak is both frustrating and upsetting for her, even though she has never been able to experience talking. This is why I think that the Tobii is so helpful in daily life, because she is able to join in the conversation with her eye-gaze without us having to prompt her by holding up communication cards.

Even with these new ideas of communication, I do feel that I prefer my sister’s basic signals that she has been using for years. As a family, we have come to understand basic commands through my sister’s own version of sign language and noises. Though my sister may sometimes feel left out, as a family we try to engage with her at all times. Even though she doesn’t have a voice, she has her own way of being heard.

Until next time…

Leah