Episode 164: Lydia Dawley: AAC User, CEO, and Co-Creator of the NadPen Stylus

This week, TWT presents Rachel’s interview with Lydia Dawley, the CEO of the Click, Speak, Connect, and co-creator of the NadPen, an amazing stylus device that is easy to grip and use, especially for people with motor challenges. Lydia has mixed cerebral palsy and is a fantastic AAC user - you won’t want to miss her perspective on involving AAC users in decisions, choosing AAC vocabulary, incorporating peers as communication partners, and more! 

Before the interview, Rachel and Chris discuss Rachel’s recent “intensive” 2-week coaching & therapy experience with an AAC user and his circle of support. Rachel shares why this intensive approach can be so effective, and some techniques she uses, including using video to document pogress, coaching every other service provider possible, and keeping the excitement and energy that is created during the 2 weeks going into the future. Chris and Rachel also reflect on how aspects of this intensive approach could be applied to working in the schools. 

Key ideas this week:

🔑 Involve the AAC users as much as possible with the decision making process, including vocabulary selection.  AAC users may want to use slang their peers are using and not just use adult-like vocabulary.

🔑 The most frustrating thing for Lydia is when people don’t wait long enough for her to communicate herself effectively in conversations.

🔑 Incorporate siblings and peers as much as possible to make using the device more fun. 

To learn more about Lydia, go clickspeakconnect.com. Also, check out Lydia's Kickstarter (bit.ly/nadpenkickstarter) campaign to help get the NadPen into production! Lydia came up with the NAD Pen because it is thicker and easier for for her to hold, her hand is more secure, it has a wrist strap, and the tip won’t break off like other styluses when she uses it.