Giving Jada A Voice

Reported April 2011

WASHINGTON (Ivanhoe Newswire) ---Many kids with disabilities like autism or cerebral palsy can’t always communicate or get their point across. The lack of communication can be disheartening and frustrating for the kids, their parents and teachers. Next, we’ll tell you about new software on a touch screen that gives kids who can’t talk a voice.

“Goat! Yayyyyy!”

Jada Coston is a spunky five-year old. But she has cerebral palsy and has difficulty saying the simplest words.

“Good job, yayyyy!”

Now, Jada works with a speech pathologist using a new software application called I Click I Talk. It’s designed for kids with communication disabilities to help improve verbal skills.

“I didn’t see her imitating as much until I began using the device, and I’ve seen such an increase in her verbal outputs, she’s talking so much more,” Hope Offord-Powell, Speech language pathologist at Therapy Fix told Ivanhoe.

Traditional communication methods are expensive and difficult to use. The new program, designed and developed by bioengineer, Dr. Gianluca De Leo, uses digital images and sound to help children express their thoughts and needs and to practice speaking.

“You use images that are digital so it’s easier for the parents and teacher to upload real images or cartoon based images,” Gianluca De Leo, Ph.D., Bioengineer at Old Dominion University explained.

The program works on any windows based PC or tablet, it’s portable, and at $19.99, it’s affordable. Most importantly, kids and parents love it.

“It’s going to answer I think a lot of prayers for parents who have children who are non-verbal and want to tap into their communication,” Offord-Powell said

On the left of the screen are categories of images like food or actions. Click on an image that says ‘like’ then click on an image for blow bubbles. Audio from the device corresponds with the image to create a sentence.

“The children that used it, it was easier for them to locate the image that they wanted, and it was easier for them to communicate,” Dr. De Leo recalled.

Jada’s mom has already seen a difference.

"I’ve seen a whole lot of improvement,” Denise Coston, Jada’s mom concluded.

Improving step-by-step and click-by-click. Parents and teachers can record their own voices in any language. To purchase the software go to www.iclickitalk.com.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Gianluca De Leo
757-513-3309
GDeLeo@odu.edu

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