Preparing For The Future: Snoopi's Corner

Hi everyone! I am trying to write a blog every month but it's not working and I feel like sharing why. A little over a year ago, my health started to go downhill. Part of it was from nerve damage and part of it is from reoccurring infection. I've been in and out of the hospital about every other week for the past year. I'm finally getting a little better but most of the time I am in a lot of pain. My pain level is so high that I can't do anything.

The hardest thing for me to do right now is use my communication device. I never thought I wouldn't be able to use my hands. So I always had a lot of icons at one time and right now I wish I had only about 15 icons. That way I could very easily say "I need help", "I can't reach my call button", "Help me fill out my menu", and I don't know what else I might say. My point is, I feel everyone should have an easy way to say something. That way when they are in bed and don't feel well, they can just hit one icon and say something. Everyone might want something different. You might want to think about what you would want to say when you don't feel well. That way you can do it with very little effort.

Nobody sent me any questions in October. So I want to remind everyone that they can email me questions about AAC and I will do my best to answer them. You can email them to

beroberts@hughes.net

Thank you and happy holidays.

Snoopi Botten

Caroline’s Comments:

Snoopi’s blog also helps us ALL think about providing light tech backup systems for everyone who uses a device, to be used during those times when the AAC device is not available, or when individuals are not positioned in a way that allows easy access.

Snoopi, I was wondering if you could make a link that would take you to an alphabet on 2 pages:  For example:  Page 1 = A – O;  Page 2 = P – Z + space, delete, etc.  Fifteen location alphabet displays are already included in many communication devices.  This would give you an easier way to be able to write when you’re limited to 15 locations.  Just a thought!