I am glad that Maya and her family discovered a way to have Maya communicate. It's disappointing that Maya's family didn't have support in Maya's communication. Being able to communicate is so important for us to be able to do, regardless of the method that's being used to communicate. Communicating can be done verbally, through AT or AAC.
Sometimes, unfortuantely a parent really has to advocate for their child to receive the supports that they needed. This is what Maya's family had to do in order for her to communicate as best as she can, in the way that she can. Can you imagine if Maya never received the support from her family?
The creation and implemtation of devices and apps was crucial for people to communicate with. When somebody who can't speak verbally is properly taught how to use a device to communicate, they're able to communicate in so many ways than they could before. Although a device and app is not for everybody, it's amazing to see that it was perfect for Josh.In my classroom, only two students use an iPad for communicating (although one student doesn't bring it to school). All of the other students use picture books to communicate, although unfortunately, they don't use it to communicate.
Communicating is something that everybody does and has to do, regardless of how that communication looks like. Without communicating, nobody would know what we think or what we want to say. The title of the video Only God Could Hear Me is truly what it must feel like if you weren't able to communicate.
While it may take a lot of time for somebody to learn how to communicate with AT or AAC, helping that person learn how to communicate is what everybody should try to do. Communication is the backbone of society, and everybody deserves a chance to communicate.