Between Friends
Almost all of Schuyler’s use of assistive technology is focused on her communication with the neurotypical world, which is obviously as it should be. She’s been having a great deal of success, too, and is getting fewer and fewer weird looks when she orders at restaurants, etc. After all these years, it’s becoming easier to imagine her doing this on her own. And that’s exciting.
Every now and then, Schuyler has the chance to connect with another AAC user. It doesn’t happen as frequently as it once did, and certainly not as often as she would like. She doesn’t have many classmates using AAC devices at school now; I think she might actually be the only one in her particular classes. She no longer has her tribe, which I suppose is as expected. She was always going to be an outlier. But when she finds herself with another user, she falls into a comfort zone that I can’t even begin to understand in a meaningful way.
It happened over the weekend, when she had her first Miracle League baseball game of the season. Schuyler’s oldest friend from her original AAC class is on her team, something that hasn’t happened for a very long time. They’ve gone to different schools and have developed in very different ways over the years, and even though they’re now at the same school again, they apparently don’t see each other very often. So this is a nice development.
All of this isn’t that important. It’s all just prelude to the photo that I took after the game as they both pulled out their devices and figured out where they wanted to go to lunch. When they start talking, Schuyler and her friend don’t use their devices the same way they do with others. They don’t make the devices speak out loud, and they don’t limit themselves to their own screens. They share, back and forth, and they shut out the world. Most of all, they dispense with any of the hesitation and self-consciousness that they experience when making their way in the larger world.
It the simplest interaction imaginable, and now it’s one of my favorite photos in a very long time.
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About The Author
Rob
Robert Rummel-Hudson is the author of "Schuyler’s Monster: A Father’s Journey with His Wordless Daughter", which tells the story of raising a little girl with a disability and learning to become the father she needs. It was published in February 2008 by St. Martin’s Press.
I adore this. (And those words seem too small, if I’m honest.)
HI Rob, Could you ask Schuyler if she would write a post about the experience. It would be great to hear about it from her point of view. Thanks
This post made me smile so big! And tear up. Yay Schuyler!!!
My son is in the same boat. He is Hard of Hearing and is bilingual. When he is with his peers, all their fingers go flying and it’s just them. It just wonderful for them and great bonding.
How awesome for Schuyler to have this experience of being at ease in conversation with a peer, minus the usual barriers of non-verbal communication.
My daughter has severe Apraxia, and is only two years old, but we have been using AAC for a month now, (Speak for Yourself app) and what a difference it has made in her overall confidence to be heard and understood! She signs extensively but even at her young age is already sensitive to the fact the the general population does not understand sign. But they do understand her when she uses her “talker”!
I have only just begun reading your book. Thank you for continuing to share Schulyer’s journey. Her life and story is inspiring to parents like me, who are new at all of this.