May 21, 2012
5-year-old speaks first words with help from device
5-year-old speaks first words with help from device
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Imagine not hearing your child speak until he or she was 5-years-old. Now imagine how frustrating that must be for that child not to be able to communicate.
For many parents of a child with Autism, that's reality.
But a device is giving those children a voice.
It seems like 5-year-old Anthony is just playing, but this is a speech therapy session.
This is an 'exhilarating' time for his Mom Heather, because she's hearing some of these words from her autistic son for the first time.
6 months ago he could only say "bubbles."
"He knew that bubbles was bubbles, but that's it. No Mom, no Dad, no nothing."
She gives a lot of credit to the DynaVox.
"The fact that he lights up when he sees his device turn on, it's very exciting."
"When you have a child that's nonverbal, you have to give them some way of communicating or behaviors will come and communication is a behavior," says Bobbie Beckmann, Chief Manager of Speech Pathology Services.
She knew Anthony had word connections, but knew there was a problem with him saying things spontaneously.
The DynaVox was a perfect fit because it gave him a voice.
"The earlier a child is identified and given a voice, given an output system, the better we see progress," says Beckmann.
When Anthony wants something, like a certain color box of the train, he identifies which color on the device, touches it and the machine says the color. Then, Anthony repeats what he hears.
"He'll come to me all the time and and say I want, but he can't quite, label exactly everything that he wants, but his ability to really try and say I'm wanting something that I need you to give me, and him to understand that concept, is phenomenal," says Green.
The device is paid for by Green's insurance because it's considered durable medical equipment.
