Ashleigh
A Journey of Communication
September 2001 - It's a beautiful, sunny day in September, just perfect for the Easter Seal's Regatta, 2001. |
 |
|
Ashleigh arrives at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club from Nanaimo with Heather and they are coming down to the dock. She is very excited about going sailing, as her stepfather also sails. Rob, the Skipper of the boat, is thinking about all the guests he is going to have on board today and is ready to be the consummate host. Nothing ever goes wrong on this day, not even the weather! The Early Days - Ashleigh's goals have always had a communication focus. She used (and still does) an individualized system of one-handed signs to communicate with her Mom and very close friends. As she grew up, she began looking for ways to communicate more independently with more people. An exploration of technology at that time did not provide a good match and the team decided to priorize literacy goals (via Ke:nx, Co:Writer and Write:OutLoud) while keeping an eye out for the device that would compliment and enhance her communication abilities. |
 |
The Breakthrough - Along the way, she tried different systems, but found her match as a teenager when she was exposed to the concept of icon sequencing. When Ashleigh discovered that she could create her own, new messages, it was like a light bulb was turned on! She started talking up a storm and hasn't stopped since! |
 |
Currently - Ashleigh is in her last year of high school. Her individualized curriculum continues to focus on literacy and communication, as well as post secondary planning. She receives a number of invitations to speak publicly each year, and looks forward to those engagements. She especially enjoys talking about the path she took with technology and how she has come to be where she's at - a productive, contributing teenager, who loves to hang out with her friends. |  |