My sister-in-law's nephew is autistic. His disability is severe. He is unable to speak more than a few words. He has difficulty with fine motor skills. He has never been able to make his needs known. His parents are devoted to him, but have never heard "mama" or "dada" from him.
He attends a special school that specializes in teaching autistic kids. They've tried, over the years, to teach him, well, anything. They never give up, never stop trying, never stop innovating. And last weekend, they found a miracle.
They have been using iPads with the kids, helping them learn how to manipulate a touch screen, familiarizing them with a keypad. They discovered that if they support Finn's hand, he will purposefully tap keys. His first message? "No color." They replaced the colored keypad program with black and white. And off they went. Finn, who cannot talk and appears uninterested in most everything, can READ. And SPELL.
Remember how relieved you were when your toddler could finally ASK for something to eat instead of just screaming? Imagine if you waited 13 years for that moment! Imagine being Finn, and FINALLY finding a way to make people listen to you!
Miracles. They happen.
DeeDee
WOW! that is amazing. He's been absorbing every little thing. It must be awful for him to be trapped in a mind that can't let his knowledge verbalise. This must have opened up a whole new path for him.
ReplyDeleteThat is simply amazing!
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