8 ר‡ל ˘ - י ˜ ון ‡ייז ˙ נ ˘ 2023 It takes a village to raise a child: The kindergarten staff, mother and daughter, together in a journey towards AAC Shoham Hacohen Schwarzfuchs Our daughter Eden is diagnosed with a rare syndrome. As part of the symptoms of the syndrome, she is non-verbal. During the first years of her life, we experienced many difficul�es in our a�empts to implement the AAC beyond therapy se�ngs. As a professional SLP, I embarked on a meaningful journey with Eden that included using AAC with an iPad, low-tech communica�on boards, and gestures. All of these gave her a sense of accomplishment as well as becoming her primary means of communica�on. The pivotal moment in our journey occurred when Eden was included in regular educa�on pre-school class, promp�ng us to recognize the need to shi� from direct treatment to communica�on partner training. We began focusing on small but a�ainable goals and enlisted a broad team of communica�on partners: the staff in her preschool, her grandparents, and even our greengrocer. The preschool staff collaborated with us daily in school and at home. The posi�ve impact of this approach on Eden's well-being and her overall environment reverberated through various aspects of her life. It reflected the conceptual transforma�on we experienced, redirec�ng our focus from the disability itself to Eden's ac�ve par�cipa�on and involvement. For us, as parents, the ICF model became an essen�al guide, and due to several small steps, our life has significantly changed for the be�er. 2023 annual "AAC day" at "Onn" school- "Nothing about us without us" Noa Vi�enberg, Shikma Heruty & Guy Rudovsky. Five students who use AAC and took part in the "AAC Leaders group", led the "2023 annual AAC Day” at Onn School. Onn is a school for students aged 6-21 with Cerebral Palsy and complex motor disabili�es. “AAC day” is dedicated to raising awareness to students who use AAC among school staff and students. In 2023, this day was inspired by the statement "Nothing about us without us" (Charlton, 1998). Its goals were increasing the involvement of the group members in planning the ac�vi�es and execu�ng them, as well as encouraging their self-efficacy.
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