For many people, technology is so appealing (and such an integral part of our daily lives) that we find it easy to focus on high-tech AAC and pretty much forget about other options. Going low-tech -- paper communication boards or books -- is of course an option. But what about no-tech?
By no-tech, I mean non-speech communication that doesn't require any equipment. Gestures, eye-gaze, and body language are something we all depend on a lot more than we probably realize. Whenever I'm supporting an AAC learner, I try my best to make sure not to neglect their use of body language when expanding their expressive abilities.
But wait, there's more!
To be completely honest here, this is something I had never thought of in this way before. I had realized that stimming is often an attempt to regulate emotions or bio-behavioral states. I had also realized that autistic individuals often don't use the same kinds of expressive body language as those without autism. Thanks to the above image, these dots are now connected for me.