Cleveland Clinic is at the forefront of creating inclusive healthcare environments. They have embarked on an initiative that redefines the experience of children in their therapy services. By recognizing the unique challenges these children face, the clinic has integrated custom communication boards, transforming the waiting room scenario into one that is more engaging and supportive of all communication abilities.
In many healthcare facilities, waiting rooms are merely transitional spaces where children typically watch TV while waiting for their appointments. Cleveland Clinic has identified this as an opportunity to better support their patients and their families by making these spaces more inclusive and interactive. They cater to the needs of children with different communication styles and formats, including non-speaking children.
Impact of Communication Boards on Non-Speaking Children
Join us as we delve into this transformative collaboration, highlighting the specific impact of these innovative tools on non-speaking children’s ability to engage actively in their therapeutic experiences. This project is more than a healthcare story; it’s a blueprint for a more inclusive approach that could shape the future of healthcare for all, ensuring every patient’s voice is heard in every aspect of their treatment.
Just as ramps offer essential physical accessibility, communication devices similarly provide individuals with varying speaking abilities the means to effectively communicate and interact with others. However, unlike ramps, communication boards and devices are not universally mandated, placing a greater onus on public spaces to proactively recognize and address the communicative needs of all individuals. This calls for a conscientious effort to ensure that these essential tools are integrated into public and private facilities, enhancing inclusivity and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to express themselves fully and participate in society. That’s why Cleveland’s project is not only commendable, but showcases their leadership and vision.
Imagine a typical scene in a healthcare facility’s waiting room: children are sitting or wandering, often with their focus fixed on a television screen, passively waiting for their turn. Now, envision a transformed scenario, one where Cleveland Clinic has redefined this common space into an active, engaging environment tailored to support every child’s communication needs.
With the introduction of a public display communication board from Smarty Symbols, the waiting room becomes a dynamic space. Here, non-speaking children are no longer mere observers but active participants. Instead of passively watching TV, they can use the communication board to make requests, ask questions, or express emotions. This setup also facilitates interaction among children, allowing them to engage with each other, perhaps sharing interests or participating in simple games and activities, fostering a sense of community and support among them.
For families and therapists, the communication boards are a gateway to understanding the child’s thoughts and needs more clearly. This is particularly crucial during a first visit for an assessment when understanding a child’s baseline communication abilities and comfort levels is essential. Even for those who may have forgotten their personal AAC devices at home, the clinic’s boards ensure that their ability to communicate is unhindered, maintaining their independence and ensuring continuity in their ability to express themselves.
By embedding these communication tools within the waiting area, Cleveland Clinic ensures that every visit—whether the first or a follow-up—supports the child’s autonomy and enhances their ability to communicate. This practical application of communication boards illustrates a profound shift in creating a nurturing and inclusive environment that acknowledges and adapts to the varied needs of children in healthcare settings.
Implementing communication boards in a healthcare setting like Cleveland Clinic involves several significant challenges to ensure the boards are effective and truly inclusive. The foremost challenges are selecting appropriate vocabulary, choosing durable materials, and finding a reliable printing company capable of producing high-quality boards. Each factor is crucial in creating communication boards that are functional and tailored to the specific needs of patients and the healthcare environment.
A critical step in the implementation process is selecting appropriate vocabulary for the communication boards. This vocabulary must be comprehensive enough to cover common needs and specific enough to be useful in a medical or therapeutic context. It requires a deep understanding of patient demographics, the types of therapies offered, and the common interactions in that setting. Furthermore, Smarty Symbols has already selected appropriate vocabulary for each setting and leverages our expertise in communication solutions to develop custom vocabulary aligned with the unique needs of each space.
After identifying appropriate vocabulary, organizing and setting up each word on the communication boards becomes a complex task that requires specialized knowledge and attention to detail. Arranging words is not the only concern; it also involves creating an intuitive layout that is accessible and user-friendly for all ages and abilities. Additionally, a crucial aspect of this setup is the use of color-coded backgrounds for each word based on parts of speech, such as orange for nouns, green for verbs, and blue for adjectives. This color-coding system helps with the quick recognition of vocabulary, facilitating efficient communication.
The level of detailed customization and understanding of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems typically extends beyond the expertise of most therapy clinics or hospitals. Here, Smarty Symbols plays an essential role. With our deep knowledge and experience in AAC, Smarty Symbols meticulously designs communication boards that are not only functional but also enhance the communicative efficiency and learning experiences of non-speaking individuals. Moreover, our service relieves healthcare providers by delivering ready-to-use, fully customized communication tools that meet the specific needs of their settings and clientele. This specialized support allows facilities to focus on what they do best—caring for patients—while providing a higher level of care and inclusivity.
From the onset, the project with Cleveland Clinic was set to be a standout endeavor. Remi Salami, a member of the Smarty Symbols team responsible for the project and familiar with Ohio, expressed personal enthusiasm about the collaboration.
"I lived in Ohio for several years, so I know just how amazing and well-respected Cleveland Clinic is. When I heard that Cleveland Clinic was interested in working with us to produce their boards, I was very excited to be working on this project," She commented.
The project extended over 14 months, starting with initial contact in December 2022 and concluding with the delivery of the communication boards in February 2024. The process required meticulous planning, including applying for grants, awaiting funding approvals, and engaging in detailed discussions about customizations, vocabulary, and design elements like colors, logos, and QR codes. “Jennifer Gibbs, a speech-language pathologist from Cleveland Clinic, played a crucial role in this phase, spending several months finalizing the customizations after securing approvals from her administration,” Remi explained. Once the specifications were approved, the design team at Smarty Symbols swiftly moved forward with the design and delivery.
This project showcases Smarty Symbols’ capacity to manage large-scale, detailed projects while delivering personalized customer service and demonstrating expert knowledge in AAC. It illustrates how organizations can use custom communication tools to promote inclusivity and effectively meet the diverse needs of their clientele.
“Smarty Symbols uniquely provides a detailed level of personal customer service and expertise to produce a unique and functional product,” Remi Salami stated. This initiative benefits the patients and also sets an example for other organizations on integrating such tools to enhance their services.
By incorporating these detailed elements, the project not only supports the functional needs of therapy but also embraces a holistic approach to inclusivity and patient care at Cleveland Clinic.
For similar organizations looking to implement such projects, the advice is straightforward: engage with hospital administration to explore potential funding sources such as foundations or affiliated charities that support inclusivity initiatives. Smarty Symbols can assist in this process by providing necessary details and support to apply for grants or funding, ensuring other institutions can also benefit from enhanced communication resources.
By bringing attention to the detailed process and collaboration behind this project, Smarty Symbols aims to inspire other healthcare providers to consider how such innovative tools can be integrated into their services, thereby broadening the scope of care and inclusivity within their facilities.
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