Happy National Speech-Language-Hearing Month! | Explore Support & Services for SLPs
Happy National Speech-Language-Hearing Month! | Explore Support & Services for SLPs
Welcome back to ableFamilies in Real Life, where we celebrate the families making communication part of everyday life. This time we are heading to Washington, Iowa, to meet Britni and her two-year-old daughter Katana. Eight months into their QuickTalker Freestyle journey, this family has learned that the biggest breakthroughs often arrive on a child’s own schedule.
Katana Jade is the youngest of three in a busy family of five. She shares a home with her mom Britni, her dad Tim, her big brother Justin, her big sister Destiny, and four cats. Katana was diagnosed at 18 months, and her family brought the QuickTalker Freestyle into their daily life about eight months ago. The Moyers love being outside together, and their week usually makes room for a long walk and a family game night.
Communication in the Moyer house happens in more than one language. Katana uses her QuickTalker Freestyle, she knows a little sign language, and some days she simply takes someone by the hand and leads them to what she wants.
Early on, Britni made a decision that shaped everything that followed. She built the QuickTalker Freestyle into whatever the family was already doing, and she kept saying the words out loud as she modeled them. When Katana is playing, the device sits right beside her. When Katana wants something, Britni picks the device up and brings it over, so her daughter gets the chance to say it herself rather than having it guessed for her.
For the first three months or so, Katana did not seem especially interested in her QuickTalker Freestyle. Britni kept modeling anyway. Then one day, without any particular fanfare, Katana started pushing buttons, and the connection clicked into place: when she presses a button, she gets what she pressed.
The moment Britni still smiles about came on an ordinary morning. Tim was heading out the door for work when Katana reached for her QuickTalker Freestyle and pressed “love you daddy.” Nobody asked her to. She had something to say, and now she had a way to say it.
Britni’s advice for families just getting started is refreshingly simple: model on the QuickTalker Freestyle for everything. Not only requests, not only mealtimes, everything. Those three quiet months were not wasted time. Katana was watching and taking it all in, and the modeling is the reason she had words ready the moment she decided to use them.
Eight months in, Katana has a growing set of ways to be understood: her device, a little sign language, and a hand that leads her family straight to what she wants. For the Moyers, that is what progress looks like. Not a straight line, but a two-year-old who has learned that her voice will be heard.
Stay tuned for more real-life stories from ableFamilies across the country. Want to share your family’s journey or have a question? Our Parent Enthusiasts are here for you. You can also explore additional resources, guidance, and community connections on our SupportHub.