Kendra Obrien has Rett Syndrome and uses augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She attended early intervention programs and various schools over the years. None of the programs fully supported her communication needs until she was placed in a fully inclusive classroom where she now communicates using both low- and high-tech devices and makes academic progress alongside her peers.

1. Kendra Obrien’s
School Journey
With AAC

2. Kendra

3. The Family

4. Early Intervention
• Kendra was originally diagnosed with Autism and shortly after she
started E.I., we received her Rett Syndrome diagnosis.
• Kendra’s fine motor and hand function skill were still intact; she was able
to pick up Cheerios and hold a book.
• Began to work on communication; started to pair pictures with objects
and use single switches cause and effect toys.
• As we aged out of E.I. my goal for school was for her to remain as
functional as possible because we were told by her doctor that her
mutation was the worst one , she was going to loose her ability to walk
and that she would never be able to communicate and read.
• Working on motor skills and to maintaining them was more crucial than
academics at this time.

6. Therapeutic Based
School
• Kendra began attending school when she was
three years old.
• Worked on object choices with foils.
• Kendra started to work on simple low tech
voice output devices such as the Go talk four
and step by step.

8. Continued
• I was and still am learning new world and began to see that
Kendra was proving how wrong that doctor was and that
she was SMART!!!!! Communication and academics became
a huge priority.
• Kendra’s second year; she worked on choices with pictures
up to a field of two with the Opti Board and single picture
partner assisted books and activity books.
• During Kendra’s third year, she was introduced to PODD
communication system and before the end of the school
year Kendra departed the therapeutic based school and
transitioned into the integrated preschool school classroom
setting in district.

9. Preschool/Kindergarten
• Kendra’s preschool emerging skills understood
meaning and develop an automatic “Yes” /”No”
thru eye gaze, her PODD communication book
started to be implemented across her day,
toileting, and two switch step scanning, general
education academics.
• By the end of Kindergarten, Kendra received an
eye gaze device, completing grade level work,
started initiating with her low tech PODD and her
PODD was programmed into device.

10. Returned to therapeutic
based program.
• Kendra’s motor abilities declined drastically when she was in district.
• Kendra’s IEP stated she was to be in full inclusion with some pull out however IEP was not being
followed.
• Communication between school/administration and myself was completely lost.
• The therapeutic based program was not where I wanted Kendra long-term but at the time it was the
best/safest option. Kendra returned at the end of her Kindergarten school year.
• Kendra’s academics and PODD use through out her day was no longer being implemented in school
and only used at home. In the middle of the school year Neuro-psysch testing was being completed
at school and Kendra’s communication was brought back to a field of two and eye gaze device was
only being used during SLP pullout and academics was not top priority at school.
• Kendra spent a full school year at the program and she left in the middle of her second year to
attend a collaborative program

11. Collaborative Program
• I truly believed Kendra would have the best of both worlds; Specialized
Therapies, Academics and she would also be around her typical peers.
• Kendra started to have increased anxiety spells. School reported that
she was not able to attend regular education setting due to “episodes”
• PODD communication system was not being implemented.
• Kendra was using her eye gaze device and low tech PODD only at
home. She consistently activated certain areas and had left sided
preferences with her device. School stated she was only
“perseverating” the buttons and were not meaningful.
• It was brought to my attention staff was extremely abrupt with Kendra.
Kendra did not return to school. Kendra started a clinical trial at
Children’s Hospital, Boston.

12. Home Schooling
• Home Schooled for 8 months.
• Specialized therapies at home.
• Kendra showed improvements with fine and gross motor skills. Kendra
began to activate more buttons on her device as she had her device or
low tech PODD all day everyday.
• After 5 months into home schooling Kendra started to go to specials at
the regular elementary school in district. (different school district)
• Principal fell in love and wanted Kendra in her school. She said she
belongs here and how are we going to make it happen.

13. Education Today
• Kendra is %100 fully included in regular education classroom
setting.
• Using multi modal communication.
• Using Low and high tech PODD, step by step and “Yes”
“No” switches. Initiating commands, using PODD (high tech
and low tech) to request activities, say if something hurts,
ask to use bathroom, answer questions.
• Examples ; number page was up on eye device regular ed
teacher asked” How much is a nickel worth? Kendra told
teacher that she thought the boy sitting next to her was
cute. Kendra told her 1:1 she was annoying.

14. Inventive Spelling
• I was helping Kendra transition
to her new school and in the
beginning weeks Kendra had
been learning about family
traditions. Kendra’s teacher read
a book about what you do when
you lose a tooth and in many
countries they talk about a rat
taking the tooth. That night she
was exposed to this new page
set and this is what she wrote. I
asked Kendra if she was trying to
tell me about the story she had
heard about in class and if she
was trying to spell ratt and
quarter, she laughed and said
yes.

16. What did not work:
• Staff did not believe in Kendra’s abilities.
• Staff did not have proper support and resources
available.
• Staff would pitty Kendra and not hold her
accountable.
• Communication broke down between parent and
school. Parent and school expectation were not on the
same page.
• Staff did not want to learn/understand Kendra’s
language.

17. How it works
• Embracing Kendra, truly having her become a part of the school community.
• Kendra knows what is expected she is aware that they believe in her.
• Planning head-prior to the start of the year, this is key.
• Proper training and having necessary resources available.
• Regular Ed teacher welcomes the challenge and wants Kendra to be in their
classroom.
• Open communication between staff and parent.
• Parents need to carry over at home.
• Parents and School work together and are a TEAM.

18. Videos

19. Presume Competence