Damon on Valentines 2003

A visit with Damon 7 years ago to see how far he's come! This is Damon with his first Dynavox 3100 in January 2003. He used 36 location Gateway at the time with some partner assistance for navigation to new vocabulary. Just a few years before this video was made we were told he couldn't use a high tech device. So much for that!!

Damon On Wrestling

Damon uses his DynaVox V to introduce himself and his favorite sport. Damon uses several different page sets to have a conversation in this video.  He uses My Phrases for a quick "hello" and "see you later."  He moves out to his scenes introduce himself and tell his listeners a little about himself and how he communicates.  Damon loves wrestling and goes to his wrestling scene page with 40 location popups to talk about his favorite wrestler (for today, anyway!).  Unfortunately Damon's speech therapist has no idea how to pronounce Ted DiBiase!  

Malick Introduces Himself

Our friend Malick uses the C12 with CEye by Tobii ATI with eye gaze access to activate his messages on a 30 button grid page format. He has had his C12 consistently for less than 2 months.  In this video Malick is using his "talk" page to greet his therapist. Watch his sweet smile when he is able to introduce himself by name.


(On screen, Malick looks and holds his gaze for 3 seconds.  You'll see the red clock on the button count down quickly and then speaks his message.)

A Poem about a Special Nonverbal Child by Kim Funderburg

Caroline

The seed of some intention slips from my thought and on to my tongue,

 never to take root.

Now there takes place a dying bloom

Upon a darkened shelf.

For how can grunts and points light up the gloom

Between my dreams

And this place I call my “Self”?

With clenched fists

I pluck the flowers from my garden of wishes.

I try to catch their petals

As they float silently to the ground

While all around me, others tie lovely ribbons

Around the bouquets of my decaying notions

And offer them back to me

With love.

No utterance, not one, slides from my lips,

And not one word is caught between my fingertips.

This question dances across my face:

How can grunts and points

Fill up the space

Between my dreams

And this silent place

Called “me”?

Kim Funderburg, 2010

This poem was inspired by a special young lady we encountered last year.  This little girl ended up using a Dynavox EyeMax to begin to share the flowers of her thoughts. Thanks so much, Kim, for sharing your work with us!

Learning to make sentences on the Vantage Lite

At the time of this video, Jujuan had his Vantage Lite for one week. We chose the Vantage Lite with 60 location for him because he has amazing sequential and motor memory. He navigates to his pages very quickly and can communicate very specific information using correct word order and form using his Vantage Lite. A screen shot of his main page is to the right.
Apologies that you can't see the screen well in the video.