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Worlds Colliding

Last week our class participated in an assistive technology lab with some speech pathology students from the University of Memphis. I was very excited to not only to learn about assistive technology in our field, but also to learn more about speech pathology. One SLP student taught a few of us the basics of using a Proloquo2Go Crescendo core word board to help nonverbal clients communicate with others. We practiced using the board, and I found it surprisingly difficult to use! I think it is very cool how people can use apps on iPads to design their own boards with words that they use often to communicate more efficiently. I found that the worlds of both speech and occupational therapy are very client-centered, making interventions and devices adaptable for each individual's lifestyle. Assistive technology opens countless doors for individuals with disabilities who seem to be in hopeless situations. I look forward to incorporating assistive technology into my future practice as an occupational therapist.

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