2011: The National Year of Communication!

Hello, the 2011 national year of communication campaign.

Speech, language and communication underpin everything we do.

Difficulties with communicating affect children and young people severely and for life.

Hello is being run by The Communication Trust in partnership with the Government's Communication Champion Jean Gross. The national year was proposed by John Bercow MP in his 2008 Review of Services for Children and Young People with speech, language and communication needs.

Hello is backed by the Department for Education and Department of Health and sponsored by BT and Pearson Assessment.

http://www.hello.org.uk/
http://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/hello.aspx
http://www.thecommunicationcouncil.org/champion/
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DCSF-00632-2008
http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/page/diary

20 Jan: SLT, PCP, Phonics

Today while I was at college Mam and my speech therapist tuned into Gail Van Tatenhove's webinar 'Supporting Students Using Robust AAC Devices in General Education Classes' at our house.  Mam and me filmed Gail doing this talk in Montreal august 2008.

 

After that Mark Eccles from DCC Person Centred Planning team came to our house to return my artwork from the 29 Days Person Centred Planning workshops in February 2008. We couldn't have it until after the exhibitions. Then we were told it had been binned. We asked who by? And suddenly it turned up!

Pics from my LD Parliament presentation on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150267352352492.353537.574347491&l=10c7353761

Tonight Mam and John made all the buttons for an interactive synthetic phonics PowerPoint.

17 Jan: LD Parliament

At November locality meeting Brian asked everyone what their issues were and for me to do two talks at the Learning Disability Parliament, one in January and one in February. January was to be my Language and Literacy campaign and February my presentation about using the law to fight the cuts.

Sadly there was no time for my talk as some organisations that needed to collect feedback from service users took over the meeting.

6 Jan: Paul Squire Reed, my new nephew

Paul Squire Reed born today to my brother Paul and his wife Sharon.

more pics on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.494487567491.279620.574347491&l=84dccceffb&type=1

11 Jan: Social Worker!!!

Care coordinator comes to go over 'the questionnaire' (the third questionnaire they made me fill in in 2 years - am I being treat as a new referral again and again?). What about a legal assessment of my individual needs?

She says communication has nothing to do with wellbeing and that as I have SLD and am not an independent communicator I don't need any words or an interpreter or communication support worker.

Worse still she says this would be the view of Social Care.

My family is making a PowerPoint of how Personalisation has gone wrong for me in county Durham, studying 'Cemented to the Floor by Law', which sets out some of the most important legal duties to consider when funding decisions are being taken, and starting an investigation with help of advocates.

http://www.ncb.org.uk/cdc/resources/cemented_to_the_floor_by_law.aspx 

10 Jan: Katie @ Home

My speech therapist Katie popped in to see the Vantage. She seemed impressed with it and how I could talk to her on it without any practice.
www.liberator.co.uk

7 Jan: KK2 and Hoover Constellation

Wendy remembered me with Christmas lights on my vacuum at 1 Voice disco last summer so when it was time to let go of her Hoover Constellation she gave it to me and I Love it!

The snow held off and we made it to KK2 at Lamplight Arts Stanley. Great night!

Pics on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.494475502491.279613.574347491&l=c6614f5c4c&type=1