But I want pizza!

I am a practitioner whose client group includes AAC users who have swallowing difficulties. This can cause conflict between me, the AAC Practitioner, committed to student self advocacy; and me, the Dysphagia Practitioner, who manages risk with prescriptive solutions sometimes unpopular with the person on the receiving end. Student consultations have revealed limited understanding about the reasons behind decisions. "This woman says I should make choices about my life. Well, my choice is pizza with garlic bread, yet she says I must have puree."

The result has been the development of a very practical symbol-based curriculum delivered to a group of primary children. The content outlines the mechanics of eating and drinking, what can go wrong and possible solutions, all with an interactive hands-on approach. The aim is to increase the client's understanding, and to increase opportunities for consultation about decisions made on their behalf.