Some of the pupils at Don Bosco School are unable to communicate verbally or only to a limited extent due to an impairment.
In order to enable them to participate in life and to enable them to communicate their wishes and needs, various support options are required.
The special needs teachers at the Don Bosco School, who had seen a talking store at a congress for supportive communication in Leipzig, came up with an idea.
This store was an exhibit and not for sale.
So it quickly became clear that something similar had to be made for the pupils themselves.
The store should be specially designed to meet the needs of the pupils at Don Bosco School.
This gave rise to the idea of converting and equipping a store with aids from the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
A conventional, high-quality wooden store serves as the basis.
This has been converted, adapted and extended so that the installed AAC aids have their permanent place.
In joint role play, encounters with the real world are acted out in a child-friendly way.
It has been equipped with talking buttons that are illustrated with symbols, talkers and symbol cards.
At the touch of a button, pupils can form sentences using the buttons and switches and let the computer voice speak for them.
With the help of a digital reading pen, the computer reads aloud the items tapped on the illustrated list.
In this way, the purchase of fruit and vegetables can be started with the help of small shopping baskets.
The purchase is then handed in at the checkout and paid for with play money.
paid.
By playing everyday activities, the children can contribute their own personal wealth of experience and make progress in their play behavior and social skills.
At the same time, they also develop their language and mathematical skills.
To put the things they have learned into practice, they go shopping in the supermarket at home.
When the store is not in use, it is pushed together and covered.
With the financial support of the Karl Bröcker Foundation, the purchase and conversion of the store was possible.
Pictures: (c) Don-Bosco-School Lippstadt
