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Vol. 6, No. 5 Fall 1998 |
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Changing Lives--One at a Time
by Verna Hensley
Whether it is helping a person who does not speak to be able to communicate or enabling an employer to modify a workplace to allow a person with a disability to take a job, the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI) can literally change the lives of people with disabilities.
As the director of Senator Bill Roth's New Castle County office, I first became aware of the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative through my job. But, after touring the Assistive Technology Resource Center, I realized what DATI could mean for my daughter Julia and our family. Julia, who recently turned three years old, is severely speech impaired due to a rare genetic syndrome. While we have had a lot of success in teaching Julia to tell us her needs through sign language, it's been a concern to us that she is unable to communicate with people who don't know her signs, which at age three are imprecise at best! Anyone who has been around many three-year-olds will tell you that they want to make sure their needs are expressed, and Julia is no different! Julia's speech therapist recommended several augmentative communication devices for trial use. Working with Mike Meyreles, we explored several of the recommended communication devices that might be suitable for Julia.
Through the loan program at the ATRC, we have been able to borrow a device known as the Macaw. The Macaw is a versatile communication device that utilizes digitized (recorded) speech and can be accessed with a variety of input methods. With the Macaw, Julia is presented with a row of pictures that indicate different choices for her. To indicate what she wants, Julia presses the picture and the Macaw speaks the name of the picture. For example, when she wants waffles for breakfast, she will press the picture of waffles and hears the verbal reinforcement of "I want waffles, please." Or, when Julia doesn't seem like herself, we can ask her if she doesn't feel well and she can point to the picture to indicate "My tummy hurts" or "My ear hurts."
The beauty of the loan program at DATI is that it gives families the ability to try out different devices to see what will work best for the child. In addition, when approaching insurance companies about purchasing assistive technology, it is helpful to have a track record to show that the child is capable of using the device and can truly benefit from it. Besides learning about the Macaw, our family has also spent some time at DATI exploring different software which is available for children at Julia's learning level. We were able to preview the software and make a decision before we purchased it for her. More importantly, we learned about a device for our computer, called a touch screen, which allows Julia to access the computer simply by touching the screen rather than using a mouse. This has not only provided Julia with many hours of enjoyable play we really think it has played a part in improving her cognitive and fine motor skills.
Our family plans to continue to consult with the folks at DATI to try some other types of augmentative communication devices for Julia. By borrowing other types of equipment, we can make sure the device we ultimately choose will best meet her needs not only now, but also as she grows and progresses.
If you are a person with a disability or if you have a child with a disability, I recommend a visit to DATI to see what they have to offer. Through the miracle of technology and with the help of the good people at DATI, you may find the solutions to your problems are closer than you think!
