W Speech and Hearing Center to host camp for children with AAC devices

COLUMBUS, Miss.— Children who use Words for Life (WFL) vocabulary are invited to Camp TnT (Talking in Turner: A Communication Explosion) June 6-9 from 8:30 a.m. to noon hosted by the Speech and Hearing Center at Mississippi University for Women.

Camp TnT camp is for children with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and will focus on encouraging language development, language use and social interactions with peers in a typical summer camp, language-rich environment. The event is limited to 12 campers ages 5 to 10 years old.

“Camp TnT will allow campers to have additional opportunities to use their AAC devices in a typical summer camp setting to communicate wants, needs and thoughts with peers and adults thereby increasing not only functional communication but also social interactions with others,” said Ashley Alexander, clinic director and instructor of speechlanguage pathology.

The camp will provide a one- toone camper/ counselor ratio. Campers will participate in large and small group activities that will include arts and crafts, gross and fine motor skill games, snacks, story time and songs.

Alexander said, “Communication is how we build relationships. Kids make friends and connections with others through communication. The camp also gives children the opportunity to socialize and communicate with others who are using AAC devices. Children who use AAC devices often have limited opportunities to interact with other AAC users but camp can foster a sense of belonging or community for a child who doesn't communicate using typical means."

Training sessions will be available for the parents of campers. Parents and caregivers will learn to program for AAC devices so that they can personalize the communication devices with people, places and things that are important in the child's life.

“The camp activities are fun and engaging for both the children and the graduate student clinicians. These activities are a great way to help the children learn new vocabulary which is a critical building block to increasing language skills. More importantly, the activities provide shared opportunities for campers to communicate with their peers and the adults,” explained Alexander.

Applications are available through The W's Speech and Hearing Center website: https://www.muw.edu/centers/shc. Registration also is available by contacting Ashley Alexander at (662) 329-7278 or aaalexander@muw.edu.

Register early as capacity is limited.