Schuyler’s Monster is the tale of a little girl, her parents, and the monster that took her speech. Schuyler’s father, the author, explains through his eyes how his sweet, innocent, and rambunctious child’s monster has taken his family on the ride of their lives with laughs and hilarious antics, while also dragging them across the nation with its heartbreaking ramifications.
Influence in SLP Philosophy
The timeline in which the story occurs is an eye opener for therapists in regard to the effort required to provide a child with an appropriate AAC device. The Rummel-Hudson family relocated three times after Schuyler’s birth. While one move was unrelated to Schuyler’s communication needs, the commitment to find her the best intervention services possible required the family relocate on more than one occasion. Affairs were had due to frustration and lack of desire to discuss the ever-present silence in Rob and Julie’s lives, and in every other chapter, Rob and Julie continuously blamed themselves for their daughter’s lack of speech. Rob, in particular consistently mentioned his disappointment in his…show more content… While the technology advisor may have sincerely wanted to help Schuyler, she most likely had other pressures upon her. Money is a huge factor in these situations given the several-thousand-dollar price tags of AAC devices. Therefore, cost-efficiency often gets in the way of appropriate device selection in the school setting. Schuyler’s parent’s involvement was an ideal situation and allowed them to counter the assistive technology coordinator’s decision to provide Schuyler with an inappropriate lower-tech device. However, in many situations the SLP or assistive technology coordinator may be entrusted to pick the best device possible without much parent involvement. As always, the SLP must decide what is best for the client based on his/her
