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JANUARY 2016
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.com | january 2016 a special world / s u c c e s s what would it be like if my child could not cry out? how would i ever know that she was feeling such fear? how would i know to be there for her so to allay the fears of such a dreadful night? for charleigh
?s parents, this has been a daily battle. two-year-old charleigh was born with an inability to produce sounds and words to express her needs
?much less her fears. charleigh?s sighs, waves, head shakes, and foot stomps have now become words in her family?s private dictionary. upon receiving the news of her con- dition, charleigh?s parents were deter- mined to help her overcome her speech barriers. ultimately, a speech and lan- guage professional (slp) recommended incorporating external tools that have been developed with technology. w hat followed was a trip to and dis- covery of what senator claitor calls ?the best kept secret in baton rouge? that shouldn?t be?: latan, the lou- isiana assistive technology access network. tours of the demonstration center show technology that helps peo- ple with any type of disability from sight to sound to mobility. just as our cell phones and internet devices con- tinue to evolve at warp speed, so does the equipment that?s providing assis- tance to those with special needs. it?s not just amazing, it?s miraculous. charleigh?s parents first worked with the program director of latan to devel- op goals for her early stages of learning. ?en they were shown both low- and high-tech devices in the alternative augmentative device (a ac) room. one device called the quicktalker 12 can latan is a 501(c)(3) statewide nonprofit organization that connects individuals with disabilities and older persons to assistive technology that enables independence in employment, school, and community living. for more information, visit latan.org. ?speak? a single word or a complete sen- tence. it was then programmed for char- leigh to help her learn to express her needs and wants by selecting the appro- priate picture or word, and have it spoken for her to her parents. ?e next step for charleigh?s parents was to take the device home for a trial period to make sure the aac would meet charleigh?s needs in her own environment. after using the device for a month, charleigh was able to successfully convey needs at a rapid rate. she has even begun to verbalize a few words. as charleigh makes progress, her par- ents continue to work with latan for programs and services made possible by technology. charleigh?s future is no longer one of indefinable fear. rather, it?s one of all the hope and promise that?s supposed to exist in the world of a child. ? as parents of young children, one of the most startling sounds we encounter are the high- pitched cries of our child in the middle of the night. disoriented, we leap out of bed and run to the location of that all-consuming sound. as we draw nearer, our beautiful child reduces her sounds to a sigh of relief as she?s now comforted by our presence and she falls back to sleep feeling safe and sound. slowly, we try to return to our slumber, but questions and thoughts arise?
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