Communicating in our Community

Grant - November 2022

School: Wamego High School
Subject/Area of Influence: Social/Emotional
Cost of Grant: $305.00
Students Impacted: 10

I need Visa Gift Cards for my high school students to practice completing various tasks outside of the classroom, and into the community. We will be working on using our AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices in various settings around Wamego: the grocery store, library, thrift store, post office, restaurant, gas station, etc. These Gift Cards will act as the student's "credit card" as they purchase various items. During these community visits, the students will require to "ask help" to the employees in order to complete the task (e.g., buying food for our recipe, signing up for a library card, sending a package to a family member, ordering a drink/meal).

At the high school level, speech therapy in the school setting begins to transform from supporting academic skills to supporting life skills. Supporting the students to use their communication devices with strangers in unfamiliar places is the best opportunity to provide mastery and advocacy on their end. It also allows the community of Wamego to practice communicating with someone who uses an AAC device.

Natalie Winter - Speech Language Pathologist