SLU AAC Theater Camp Empowers Youth With Complex Communication Needs

ST. LOUIS — Lights! Camera! Action! Saint Louis University's Paul C. Reinert, S.J., Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic's Augmentative-Alternative Communication (AAC) Theater Camp presented Lost and Found: Little Bo Peep Meets Mary and her Lamb on Friday, July 14, in the C.S. Huh Auditorium at the Center for Global Citizenship. The event was open to the SLU community and free to attend.

“Parents are in despair when they learn that their child doesn't have a voice or doesn't have a verbal functioning physical voice,” said Christina Loveless, a certified speech-language pathologist and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at SLU. “But when they can see moments like this, it renews their hope.”

  Launch SlideshowSLU's Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic's Augmentative-Alternative Communication Theater Camp presented Lost and Found: Little Bo Peep Meets Mary and her Lamb on Friday, July 14, in the C.S. Huh Auditorium at the Center for Global Citizenship. Photo by Sarah Conroy.

Physicist Stephen Hawking is the most famous user of AAC, which falls under the broader umbrella of assistive technology for individuals with an impairment or a limitation in speech, language, reading, and writing. These can result from congenital disabilities like cerebral palsy, acquired disabilities like traumatic or acquired brain injuries, or neurological differences such as autism.

Loveless specializes in working with individuals with complex communications needs and has worked in schools, home health and rehab settings before acquiring her current role at SLU. She says her mission is to educate and support student clinicians as they pursue master’s degrees in speech-language pathology and members of the St. Louis community.

The camp is run by 12 graduate students under the supervision of Loveless and Robin Murphy, a certified speech-language pathologist and assistant clinical professor at SLU who specializes in autism and social communication. The camp’s goal is an opportunity for AAC users to socialize with others with similar needs, build bridges between families, and empower each child's voice.

With scripts and microphones in hand, graduate students assisted campers with communicating their lines via iPads to supportive family, faculty and staff in attendance. They gently redirected those who lost focus during the performance with an encouraging word or fidget toy. They also led campers on a brief dance intermission for those with sensory needs. 

“It’s a holistic approach to interacting with campers and observing how they communicate and enhance student’s skills and clinical decision-making,” Loveless said.

SLU's Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic operates as a no-fee clinic and serves a clientele who may otherwise not have the resources to afford assessment or treatment. 

About Paul C. Reinert, S.J., Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic 

Saint Louis University's Paul C. Reinert, S.J. Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic has been serving the St. Louis community for more than 50 years. It provides clinical services to people with speech, language or hearing problems.

About Saint Louis University

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 13,500 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.