Ac Reflection

When I began my AAC assignment to not verbally communicate for twelve consecutive hours, I did not anticipate all the challenges I would face. I quickly learned that I constantly rely on verbal communicate to complete my daily tasks. My commitment to interacting with others through nonverbal communication reinforced my understanding that communication is not limited to verbal messages. By using my communication board, I was able to gain a broader perspective of nonverbal communication, and I gained much respect for those who rely on alternate methods of communication. For the first part of my assignment, I decided to go study at a local coffee shop in hopes that I would get the opportunity to interact with other individuals in a small

At times I got frustrated when people could not understand what I was trying to communicate. I felt uncomfortable when people would give me strange looks for using a colorful board to communicate, and I felt exasperated by the amount of time and energy required to make a simple sentence. I think the most valuable lesson I learned was how isolating the inability to communicate can be. I definitely felt more comfortable communicating with friends in a quiet and small environment. I feel as if I have a gained a small insight of what it is like for those who communicate with an AAC board. When working with clients who use this method to communicate, I must practice patience and never become distracted by outside activity. I need to allow others unlimited time to convey their whole thoughts. I must create an environment that encourages them to question or correct a problem with ease. Through this assignment, I understand that most of us take our ability to speak for granted. We must all work on being sensitive to other forms of communication. Just like each of us, a nonverbal individual possesses his/her own unique interest, insights, and ideas; each should be inspired to communicate all particular thoughts by any possible