Statements
Mission
Talk with Me Tennessee is a non-profit in Tennessee that seeks to provide access to low tech augmentative and alternative communication devices to individuals with complex communication needs. As a non-profit organization, it is our goal to be able to purchase tech AAC devices for families to use for an extended period of time to provide access to communication. These types of devices can cost hundreds of dollars and are often not covered by insurance companies. We plan to act as a bridge for families to provide access to communication devices that are recommended by their treating speech language pathologist. We hope to serve as a resource for families to assist in obtaining the appropriate communication system for their child as their communication needs grow and change. We are always accepting donations to continuing providing a voice to all children in the state of TN.
Background
Talk With Me Tennessee began as a conversation between four Speech-Language Pathologists who were wanting to provide more resources to their patients. After exhausting all the typical recommendations, it was apparent that there was a significant need for an organization to serve as a bridge for these individuals and families to access the communication supports they needed. We were affirmed in our mission after speaking to several families and spurred on by their enthusiasm and gratefulness.
Impact
Since March of 2016, Talk with Me Tennessee has donated 75 communication devices to children throughout the state. Talk with Me Tennessee received a Nashville Predators Foundation grant, held the first annual Adapted Fall Festival for children of all ability levels, and attended/presented at numerous resource fairs to provide supports across the entire state. Goals for this upcoming year include expanding our fundraising efforts to provide more equipment and reduce our waiting list, provide additional community outreach events, and obtain grant funding to create a lending library of communication devices to allow treating speech therapists to trial equipment they would not normally have access to.
Needs
Our top two needs are increased fundraising efforts to eliminate our waiting list for devices and to receive grant funding to create a lending library of equipment for fellow treating clinicians in order to have access to equipment they would not normally have access to.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Health Care - Patient & Family Support |
| Secondary Category: | Education - |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
We serve the state of Tennessee and into bordering states if close and resources are needed
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Franklin |
| TN - Bedford |
| TN - Cannon |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Clay |
| TN - Coffee |
| TN - Cumberland |
| TN - DeKalb |
| TN - Fentress |
| TN - Giles |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Houston |
| TN - Humphreys |
| TN - Jackson |
| TN - Lawrence |
| TN - Lewis |
| TN - Lincoln |
| TN - Macon |
| TN - Marshall |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Moore |
| TN - Overton |
| TN - Perry |
| TN - Pickett |
| TN - Putnam |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Smith |
| TN - Stewart |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Trousdale |
| TN - Van Buren |
| TN - Warren |
| TN - Wayne |
| TN - White |
