When it comes to helping your child with communication challenges, you might be eager to explore different communication tools right away. However, there’s a better way—a thoughtful process called the SETT Framework. This approach looks at four important things: Your Child, Where They Communicate, What They Need to Do, and the Tools they might use. Plus, it highlights how you, as a parent, are key to making it all work. In this blog post, we’ll look at how the SETT Framework helps us make wise choices and how you play a crucial role in making it all work for your child.

Why We Don’t Start with Tools

It’s normal to want to find the right tools quickly, but the SETT Framework reminds us to slow down and think about these important things first:

1. Your Child: We need to understand your child’s strengths, what they like, and where they struggle with communication before we pick tools.
2. Tasks and Environments: We should look at what your child needs to communicate about and where they’ll use it. This helps us pick the right tools for the right situations.

The Role of Parents and Families

As a parent, you’re incredibly important in your child’s communication journey, and here’s why:

1. Your Attitude and Support: How you feel about using communication tools matters a lot. If you’re open to it and supportive, your child is more likely to succeed.
2. Your Knowledge and Experience: You’re your child’s main communication partner. What you know and learn about these tools is super helpful in making it all work.

Including Families in the Process

To make sure this communication approach lasts and works well for your child, we need to involve you:

1. Making Decisions Together: We want to hear your thoughts about your child’s communication needs and goals. We’re a team in this.
2. Training and Help: We’ll provide you with training and support to use these communication tools effectively. We want you to feel confident and capable.
3. Checking Progress: Once we choose and start using these tools, we’ll keep in touch. We can make changes if needed and make sure things are going well for your child.

The SETT Framework reminds us that finding the right communication tools isn’t just about picking gadgets—it’s a thoughtful process. It’s about knowing your child, their needs, their environment, and involving you, the parent, every step of the way. This way, we can make sure your child can express themselves, connect with others, and be a part of their community in the best possible way.

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