I am Juan Cobeas, from la Plata, Argentina' Im 18 years old' Im in the last year of secondary school

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I am Juan Cobeñas, from la Plata,
Argentina.Im 18 years old. Im in the last
year of secondary school at a mainstream school
Its very hard
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• I communicate with an ABC in plastified paper
  that I take with me everywhere. I need a personal
  assistant (PA) that reads the letters I point,
  forming words and phrases.

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• My PAs do not add any words or expression to my
  sayings. They only read what I point.
• I let them know when they are wrong with my
  expression, and finish my phrases with YES if
  everything was right.

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• I also use my laptop with Loquendo text reader,
  Big Keys keyboard and a pointer that supports my
  hand and forearm.

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• I go to school with my PA and my paper
  communication aid. I also go outside, to bars,
  discos, and every kind of public places with my
  paper communication aid.

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I use several math communicators. They have
been designed by my maths teachers and me.
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I do school assignments, as this interview with
veterans of war demonstrating in front of the
Governors house, in La Plata
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• I have also given ponencieswith it.

• For example in an OEA Conference about the rights
  of persons with disabilities and their families,
  in Panama City, in 2007 and in the Ministry of
  Foreign Affairs in my country, about the
  Convention on the Right of Persons with
  disabilities.

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I frecquently participate in advocacy activities.
This was an event on Personal Assistance in La
Plata City
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I presented a version in symbols of some articles
of the Convention on the Rights of the pesons
with Disability, prepared by my group of young
people with disability, in Washington, in 2006.
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• In an event on inclusive education in Buenos
  Aires City.

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• I need to train my PAs very well. When they are
  starting their training, we use some simple
  communicators that I design myself.

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When I was child

• Before demonstrating that I could read and form
  words, I used symbols for some years Escribiendo
  con Simbolos 2000, and Writing with Symbols 2000,
  before the spanish version was ready. (Widgit Co)

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When I was a child

• As these approaches to education using AAC were
  not offered in my country when I was small, my
  mother studied about how to teach me, and trained
  my teachers and assistants.

• She used methods and assessments created by
  Juliet Goldbart, Mark Barber and a team
  (University of Manchester UK) , and software
  produced by Paul Blenkhorn and the Detheridges
  (UK)

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The future

• I plan to enter the University next year. I will
  have to work hard on advocacy to be admitted,
  because of my style of communication. I know I
  will have the support of my school teachers and
  authorities, my family and assistants, and many
  friends.