Welcome to our Support Registry.

This Support Registry is built to give clear direction to everyone who wants to help the family.

Current Needs: 

Hey everyone, speech therapist here! While Bob is dedicated to his therapy sessions, spending more time practicing talking and communicating with people he loves and feels comfortable with can really make a difference. It's so important to give Bob more opportunities to have conversations and engage in social communication as it allows him to practice the strategies he's learning in speech therapy. He also lights up when he tells stories about his friends!

Bob's home most days during the week, and it would be great for people to schedule a visit using this site! 😊

How You Can Help: Interacting with someone who has communication challenges can be hard, but your support and understanding can make a big difference. Here are some communication strategies to help:

1. Make sure you have Bob's attention before you start.
2. Minimize or eliminate background noise (TV, radio, other people).
3. Keep your voice at a normal volume level, unless Bob has indicated otherwise.
4. Keep communication simple, but adult. Simplify your own sentence structure and reduce your rate of speech. Emphasize key-words. 
5. Give Bob time to speak. However, if he seems to have gotten distracted, you can repeat or rephrase your comment to bring his attention back to the topic. 
6. Showing pictures or offering visuals to keep Bob focused and engaged will also help him.
7. Engage in normal or meaningful activities whenever possible, but note, that doing two things at once (i.e., walking and talking, eating and talking), may make it more challenging to find words or stay focused.
8. Ask Bob if he wants help, "Do you need a minute, or can I help you finish that sentence?"  

*Some additional things that work for Bob when he "gets stuck:"

1. Saying, "Do you want to try to write it?"
2. Giving him options, "Are you talking about your trip to Mexico or Africa?" 
3. Ask, "Is it in your notebook?" (he should have a handy notebook that will help him share his thoughts)
4. It can be easier to talk about memories from a while ago than more recent events (i.e., last weekend). Spend time reminiscing about something y'all did together, bring pictures to help! 
5. Initiating speech can be tricky, so sometimes providing a starter phrase can help. For example, when asking "I was thinking about that run we did when you twisted your ankle, what happened!?" pause, if needed add, "When you were running..."

Your efforts in creating a supportive and understanding environment for Bob are very much appreciated!

Those who would like to help the family can:

1. Schedule a time to visit Bob below under "Lend a Hand."
2. ‘Share’ to Spread the Word to family and friends
3. ‘Follow’ Updates to stay informed

Thank you.