Language, Learning, Living
… and Laughing!
By David Weatherburn and Kumba Koroma
Question: What do you get when you give two young boys a couple of communication aids, loaded with a 128 location Minspeak language system?
Answer: non-stop chat and loads of laughs!
Like all good double acts, Reece and Paul's routine started as soon as they entered the room - jokes, songs and a name guessing competition (all within the first five minutes!) were just the start of a riotous afternoon of non-stop chat and laughter, fuelled by the friendly rivalry between these two remarkable boys and their wonderfully infectious personalities.
We
met Reece and Paul at Sandall Wood School in Doncaster, which has had a strong
track record with the LLL Minspeak language system since it was developed around
twelve years ago. Janet Hinchcliffe, Communication Teacher at the school, told
us that when the boys came to Sandall Wood two years ago she quickly recognised
that they were bright and was keen to get them talking. Initially Reece and
Paul shared a TouchTalker with a 128 location Minspeak programme. However, they
could only use this while they were at school and, after their early success
with Minspeak, Paul was moved on to a DeltaTalker and Reece to the then-new
Pathfinder. The difference this has made to the lives of these two boys has
been incredible.
Throughout our visit, Reece (recently turned 6) and Paul (aged 5) were determined to impress us with their communication skills. They told us a lot about themselves and their school. For example, Reece, a Ferrari fanatic, was quick to tell us that he had wanted a new bike, Spiderman and a green goblin for his birthday. Paul also impressed us with his knowledge of Minspeak as he thanked us for the picture of a Ferrari that we had taken for each of them.
Start young with Minspeak
Janet attributes a large part of Reece and Paul's success with Minspeak
to the fact that they started so young - two years on, both boys have a sound
understanding of Minspeak concepts and the main functions of their devices,
and are very effective communicators. Janet believes the friendly rivalry between
them has also helped - as we spoke with Janet we were able to observe the interplay
between the boys as they competed over Paul's DeltaTalker (actually, they had
switched in to spell mode to type in some more jokes!). Undoubtedly though,
the positive environment and strong support provided by Janet and her colleagues
at Sandall Wood have also been a significant factor.
Improving literacy and programming skills
Reece has an exceptional understanding of LLL programming and we watched
as he selected a new icon sequence (HOBO + IT) and under it stored yet another
joke into his Pathfinder. As Reece read the joke from a book and typed the words
into his Pathfinder, I asked Janet about his literacy skills. Janet firmly believes
that having the text displayed in the Pathfinder's dynamic display has been
invaluable in helping Reece to develop his literacy skills. One of Janet's next
goals is to teach him to programme the Pathfinder's activity row!
If you are lucky enough to meet Reece and Paul at Sandall Wood School I am sure that, like us, you will leave hugely impressed by these two boys and their school; and like us you will leave with a big smile on your face!
Oh, and in case you're wondering, the joke Reece programmed into his Pathfinder was: "What's the difference between a huge, smelly, ugly monster and a sweet?" (answer on page 4).
[ on page 4 … "People like sweets!" ]