Neurotypical looking to be educated on wrongplanet

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Is this ok or is this frowned upon here? I wasn't sure. I don't want to cause any tension by posting questions for my own educational benefit.

I've recently been looking to understand more about the use of the communicator device. My friend's son is starting to learn, but it's going very slowly.

Is it widely called a VOCA? Or is there another term for it?

Is it considered kind of revolutionary for severe autism? Because it provides a way for many severely autistic people to now communicate?

Should my friend try more to teach her son to communicate by speech?

Never! Don't force the kid to do something which makes him anxious! He probably feels very comfortable with the communicating device Make Your friend try some visual games - the kid may not speak but be highly fixated over language and words - he just prefers to exprese the words in different way. May Your friend try picture boards that have words identifying the objects pictured above them, typing, writting, sign language...

Lack of spoken language isn't connected with malfunction of the brain. There are various reasons for the cases of muteness in autistic people; anxiety, being too overwhelmed with emotions associated with speech, confusion... Communication in autism is not failure. It is not non-existent. It's simply different.

I think Your friend should read this book called "Through the eyes of aliens" - as for parent it would be extremely educating. The book is written by muted, severely autistic woman. She explains what's it like to have autism from the inside-out.

VOCA="Voice Output Communication Aid". A speech synthesizer, IIRC.

I wouldn't say "never" teach verbal language; I mean, if he starts to show signs of being ready to learn speech, why not? But don't force it on him, ever, because that just makes communication harder; you could even end up with non-communicative echolalia... If they're using a speech synthesizer, though, I have a feeling they already have determined that speaking is difficult; so they're finding ways around that by getting a device to say what he selects on the device.

What kind of a communication device is it? Symbol? Text? Picture?

I don't know that it's particularly revolutionary; it's just that lately, with electronics becoming less expensive, it's becoming more practical. Alternative communication has been around for thousands of years, in the form of sign and writing; ever since ASL and Braille, it's been expanding; but now with computers, it's possible to create a lot more flexibility. Carrying around a binder of photos, just to have a hundred concepts to communicate, is a great deal less flexible than having a computerized device that'll let you pick the picture you want from menus; and you'll probably have a couple thousand pictures, too, if you can figure out how to use them. And if you can type... well, you may be slower than speech; but you've got just about infinite variety of meaning.

The problem with typing is that obviously you've got to have literacy first; so unless your kid is hyperlexic and understands that words connect to ideas--some non-verbal kids are--you have to start with teaching the concept of symbolic communication. Often times you start out with things like picture-exchange, where the kid can give Mom a picture of a cookie and get a cookie. Sounds simple, but it's a big important concept--A symbol, like a picture, can represent an object. From there you can move to a computerized picture, or to more abstract symbols, or else label the picture with the written word and make the connection that way.

But if you can get to written words, then you can probably start teaching written grammar from there... Some people, of course, find that jump hard; and stay with abstract symbols or pictures; and then there's always the possibility of teaching sign language instead, which has the benefit of not needing any extra device but the drawback of not being universally known. Actually, if you can teach a few "emergency" signs, I would recommend it because if you're ever without the communication device, it could be really important to tell somebody that something's wrong.

It seems whatever helps understanding helps us all. All the better if your questions engender increased communication and sharing between NTs <--> Aspies.

I come here looking for perspectives and discoveries and education from both sides.

I'm an Aspie addicted to learning.

Seconded what Callista said,forcing speech doesnt work and makes it worse for the autist to cope with.
use ST,but make sure it is not putting pressure on child to speak,as it does not feel good being speech impaired-yet feel everyone is expecting something to happen that isnt there,like expecting someone from another country to start speaking english as soon as they get into the country.

Skie_Cossar,
am would recommend seeing what friend thinks of makaton signing as their son may find physical communication easier,the signs are not as overloading and difficult to learn as BSL/ASL is because there are not as many steps to them,they are actions so other people are more likely to understand them without learning them themselves.

also think it would be good for child to eventually have several forms of communication-such as makaton,
using a speech device,and PECS or less-there is nothing worse than when an aid fails and needs fixing or replacing and other forms of communication are limited-am did it in november and had to go back to speaking with a bad PDA for backup till laptop was fixed.