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Tom, aged 16, has recently been in a car crash. He has suffered brain damage as a result of the accident and has just returned to school after spending a lot of time in hospital and rehabilitation. Tom’s injury has affected the left hemisphere of his brain. Some of the major functions of the left hemisphere include speech and control of the right side of the body. This has caused some paralysis of the right side of the body (right hemiplegia), significant problems with speech, and some short-term memory loss. Prior to the accident Tom was actively involved in several sports, had an extroverted personality and enjoyed interacting with friends.

1.Who might staff work in collaboration with to identify Tom’s current communication abilities and needs?

2.Give an example of a tool that might be used to identify the level of Tom’s current communication ability.

3.Give an example of a communication strategy and device that might be used to meet Tom’s needs and level of communication. Keep in mind that Tom is very hard to understand when he speaks and has difficulty “getting his words out”.

4.Why is it important for staff to take into account Tom’s history and preferences when developing AAC strategies?

5. Explain how the principle of the participation model might be utilised as a communication strategy by staff when supporting Tom.

6.How might staff organise Tom’s environment to optimise communication opportunities?

7.How could staff reinforce Tom when he used his AAC device or other communication strategies?

8.If Tom is becoming frustrated with the limited number of phrases included in his AAC device, how might staff respond to this difficulty within their own work role and responsibilities?

9.How should staff maintain records regarding Tom’s communication strategies and progress?

10.Develop an observation sheet that could be used to monitor Tom’s progress against one of his communication objectives (you may set any suitable objective).

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Assume you have observed Tom over a period of time. Attach your completed observation sheet.

10b. Based on your hypothetical observations, what adjustments might be made to Tom’s AAC strategies/devices?