CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — Have you heard of augmentative and alternative communication or AAC? It refers to all types of communication other than speech that people use to express their thoughts, needs, desires, and ideas.
Marissa Ackerman, a Corpus Christi mom of two, wrote "This Is My Voice," a short story in which she explains what augmentative and alternative communication is.
"It's basically communication that is non-verbal speech. It could be sign language, a form of AAC. But it also incorporates programs using devices like iPads. My son uses Speak for Yourself", said Marissa Ackerman.
It is a method that her six-year-old son Jacob recently started using with the help of an iPad.
"Essentially, it has pictures, so he could click on an icon for it will say eat if he's hungry. It will say the word as if he was speaking basically", said Ackerman.
Jacob was diagnosed with non-verbal autism in 2020, and since then, Marissa and her husband David have been looking for ways to improve their son's quality of life.
"We started out really focusing on trying to get speech and do what they call motor planning. So, he did speech therapy in that respect for about a year or two before we moved on to what he uses now. And it was mostly because he was frustrated he couldn't communicate at all," said Ackerman.
Jacob has been using AAC for a few months now, taking his iPad with him to his speech therapy sessions and to school. And Marissa says they have noticed some changes, with not as much frustration as he showed before.
Although the process has not been easy, Marissa hopes that with this resource, Jacob can be better understood. She also encourages people, including the youth, to ask questions.
"The majority of us parents that have children that are non-verbal want you to try to understand our situations. Even if you feel like it may come off as offensive, we won't take it as that. We rather people ask questions", said Ackerman.
If you are interested in learning more about augmentative and alternative communication and if it is a good option for your child, there are several resources online — one of them is Autism Speaks.
Marissa is also working on creating a non-profit group called "Inclusion Solutions of the Coastal Bend." It will be dedicated to supporting the inclusion of children with non-verbal autism and related disorders.
