Twitter Thread: Speech-Language Pathologist Helps Out Kid In Need On Flight

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mattstaff
Jan 22, 2021 6:00 PM EST

Man oh man, it's heartwarming stories like the one we have here from a mindful speech-language pathologist that manage to keep our faith in humanity alive. Dr. Rachel R. Romeo found herself seated next to a dad and his son who had severe nonverbal autism. She decided to seize the opportunity to offer up her expertise, and proactively worked to bring the kid peace of mind while on their flight. It's a beautiful little story. 

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  • 01
    Font - Rachel R. Romeo @RachelRRomeo I just had such an affirming experience. On my 8hr intl flight back from a conference, I sat next to a father/son. In broken English, the father began to apologize/ warn me that his ~10 yr-old son had severe nonverbal autism, and that this would like be a difficult journey. 1/ 2:59 p.m. · 28 Aug. 19 Twitter Web App
    via @RachelRRomeo
  • 02
    Font - Rachel R. Romeo @RachelR. · 18h v Replying to @RachelRRomeo I told him not to worry, I was a speech-language pathologist with lots of experience with minimally verbal kiddos. Challenging behaviors began even before take off: screaming, hitting me, and grabbing for my things. The father repeatedly apologized, but did little else. 2/ 55 27 813 19.2K
    via @RachelRRomeo
  • 03
    Facial expression - Rachel R. Romeo @RachelRR.. · 18h I asked him how his son preferred to communicate. He didn't seem to understand. Perhaps this was a language barrier, but I think instead the child had very little experience with communication therapy. I put away the talk I was working on & asked if I could try. He nodded. 3/ O 11 t7 705 O 18.1K
    via @RachelRRomeo
  • 04
    Font - Rachel R. Romeo @RachelRR.. · 18h v I tried to see if he was stimulable for a communication board. I started by pulling up some standard images for basic nouns on my computer but I could tell that screens really bothered him. So I summoned my god-awful drawing skills and tried to create a (very!) low-tech board. 4/ 13 27 680 18.3K
    via @RachelRRomeo
  • 05
    Facial expression - Rachel R. Romeo @RachelRR. · 18h v And by god, it clicked. I made symbols for the things he was grabbing, for his favorite stuffed penguin, and for his dad. He took to it very quickly. I introduced way more symbols that I normally would, but hey, how often do we get an 8-hour session?! 5/ O 20 17 768 O 22.6K
    via @RachelRRomeo
  • 06
    Smile - Rachel R. Romeo @RachelRR.. · 18h v By the end of the flight, he had made several requests, initiated several times, & his behaviors had reduced quite a bit. The father was astounded - clearly no one had ever tried an AAC approach with him. I gave him the paper & showed him how to use it, and he nearly cried. 6/ 105 27 992 28.5K
    via @RachelRRomeo
  • 07
    Font - Rachel R. Romeo @RachelRR..· 18h v This was the human desire for communication, pure and simple. To connect with another person and share a thought. Communication is a basic human right, and I was overjoyed to help someone find it. What a privilege and a gift. 7/ 172 27 2,713 O 48.5K Rachel R. Romeo @RachelRR.. · 18h v As I face the upcoming job cycle and the nearly endless imposter syndrome of academia, this was precisely the reminder I needed about why I love studying language/communica
    via @RachelRRomeo

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