Gus* lives with Down Syndrome and when he was initially referred to Carpentaria, he had limited communication tools to use with his friends and family. He was waiting for Carpentaria Speech Pathology services when it was recommended that he attend the Smart Talkers group therapy.
Designed to support adolescents with complex communication requirements, the group builds confidence to use Augmentative and Alternative Communication systems to communicate needs and interact socially with peers.
Following the group therapy sessions held over 6 weeks, Gus now independently uses a PODD book and is motivated to communicate with peers and familiar adults. His family can now better understand and respond to Oscar’s needs and everyone enjoys the opportunity to more easily communicate with each other.
*Name changed