Something Cute That you Might Find Helpful

Post Reply New Topic

Hey friends, so I was perusing Etsy a couple of nights ago (a dangerous place, I can tell you; my bank account hates me since I discovered it last month!) and I found a very cute idea which struck a chord with me.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/160809033/ ... =hp_mod_rf

Essentially it's a tiny whiteboard in a box on a carabiner, with a clip-in dry erase pen. I love the idea, and think it would be very helpful for nonverbal episodes. I have a couple of phone apps for this purpose, but I'm always forgetting to bring my phone out with me, and my battery is unreliable at best, so I can't always count on having access to the apps when I need them.

My nonverbal episodes come in two forms; the first, when I can't talk because I'm in the middle of a meltdown or shutdown and just can't function at all, and the second, in which I'm calm and in control, but the act of making words with my voice feels like too big an effort, and my mouth refuses to open. I think this product would be helpful for me during instances of the second type (if I'm melting down or shutting down around people who don't know me, which has yet to happen, then I just show them my autism medical ID tag.)

Because it comes in a box, I've also decided to make some self-help cards to keep there, which I can use for prompting when needed. I have one outlining strategies to use when I'm overwhelmed, another for when I'm angry, ways to say "no" (something I'm really bad at), a handful of conversation starters, and one card with a large stop sign on it that reads, "Shutdown in progress; do not disturb", that I can pull out to nonverbally communicate to others when it's a bad time to try and interact with me.

Do any of you use a device like this, and those who don't, do you think you'd find it helpful? I got a purple one, and I'm going to clip it to a long necklace chain so I always have access to it just in case.

Hello,

I use a few different tools when I don't have speech (Most of the time at the moment).

1: whiteboard

We write out a schedule for my day / evening in a whiteboard then take a photo. This helps me to remember what to do, a white board lives in my bathroom with a guide to having a bath etc on it. Step by step guides written on cards are all over my home.

2: app

I use the speech apps proloquo4text and auto verbal. They are very useful for communicating more complex things.

3: Sign language.

My friends learnt finger spelling and some basic signs, we can communicate most things this way although it is a bit slow.

4: routines

Although the it sounds old, routines are a form of communication. The best message is the one that is avoided because it is not needed If I have a good routine it's the best as I don't have to communicate again, it's already been done. For example I eat pasta for dinner every night I am at home. I don't have to ask for it because it's established that pasta is my routine. In this way routines act as a form of front loading communication.

Etay is dangerous for my wallet too. I brought some custom clothing on there and it's became my favourite shirt, however with postage and customs charges if cost me almost 3 times the asking price I will have to be careful in the future.