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List of easy Hand gestures/signals?
- Thread starter xcell
- Start date
IThinkImTurningJapanese
Senior Member
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Rebeccare
Moose Enthusiast
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- Massachusetts
I'm so sorry that your ability to communicate has been so impacted.
When it comes to hand gestures, I suggest that you and your caregiver invent your own based on what you can easily remember and what your hands are easily able to do.
Another thing you might do is work with your caregiver to figure out in advance what things you're most likely to communicate, and then write them all down on a piece of paper in such a way that you could point to the thing you want to say instead of speaking. (here is an example below)
If you want to do that in a more technologically sophisticated way, you could download an AAC app for an iPad. AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication. With these apps you can type or tap words, and then the iPad will say them out loud for you. If you have the energy to type out full words, I would suggest an app like Verbally, which can speak the words you type in. It's an English app, so I don't know how well it would pronounce German. This is a free app--if you're willing to spend money Speech Assistant AAC also works for German.
If you're not able to type things out, you can get an app where you just need to tap a single button to say a word or phrase. My favorite (free!) app for this is SoundingBoard. Instead of text-to-speech, this app lets you record a person's voice. Another similar free app is LetMeTalk, which works for German.
There are plenty of other apps out there if you have the energy to search, but these might be a good starting point if that's something you're interested in.
When it comes to hand gestures, I suggest that you and your caregiver invent your own based on what you can easily remember and what your hands are easily able to do.
Another thing you might do is work with your caregiver to figure out in advance what things you're most likely to communicate, and then write them all down on a piece of paper in such a way that you could point to the thing you want to say instead of speaking. (here is an example below)
If you want to do that in a more technologically sophisticated way, you could download an AAC app for an iPad. AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication. With these apps you can type or tap words, and then the iPad will say them out loud for you. If you have the energy to type out full words, I would suggest an app like Verbally, which can speak the words you type in. It's an English app, so I don't know how well it would pronounce German. This is a free app--if you're willing to spend money Speech Assistant AAC also works for German.
If you're not able to type things out, you can get an app where you just need to tap a single button to say a word or phrase. My favorite (free!) app for this is SoundingBoard. Instead of text-to-speech, this app lets you record a person's voice. Another similar free app is LetMeTalk, which works for German.
There are plenty of other apps out there if you have the energy to search, but these might be a good starting point if that's something you're interested in.
Last edited:
jesse's mom
Senior Member
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- Alabama USA
What great resources!
I am sorry you are not able to speak well right now @xcell
Maybe the things @IThinkImTurningJapanese and @RebeccaRe posted will help!
I wish I knew the facial expression teaching when my son with late diagnosed Asperger's was young!
I see where that kind of thing is being taught now that children on the spectrum are being diagnosed and helped at a younger age. They just said he had severe ADHD in the early '90s. By the way he had speech before the shots he got at 2 years old. He became silent for over a year! It was one of the scariest times of mothering him! Yikes sorry for going off topic.
I am sorry you are not able to speak well right now @xcell
Maybe the things @IThinkImTurningJapanese and @RebeccaRe posted will help!
I wish I knew the facial expression teaching when my son with late diagnosed Asperger's was young!
I see where that kind of thing is being taught now that children on the spectrum are being diagnosed and helped at a younger age. They just said he had severe ADHD in the early '90s. By the way he had speech before the shots he got at 2 years old. He became silent for over a year! It was one of the scariest times of mothering him! Yikes sorry for going off topic.
jesse's mom
Senior Member
- Messages
- 6,795
- Location
- Alabama USA
Can you write a few things on index cards and let him point to one?