Communication Device

This morning Jaxon and I were sitting on the couch watching T.V. and he's playing with his communication device.  I watched him and remembered how not too long ago, Jaxon needed that to be able to communicate to me. I remember a time when Jaxon could do nothing but grunt and make noises.  This device helped him learn how to say words and help him learn how to form a sentence.

The ability to communicate is something that we all take for granted.  We communicate daily at work, school, church, at the grocery store.  Families that have a loved one with ASD knows how it is to have someone who cannot verbally communicate how they feel or what they want. A lot of these kids start out pointing and grunting.  That is very hard on the child and the family when wants and needs cannot be expressed and reciprocated.  Communication devices bridge that gap and give these kids a voice.

When Jaxon turned 2, we had his yearly check-up.  His Pediatrician asked all sorts of questions: Is he stacking blocks?  How many words is he saying?  When my answer to those were "no" and "none" she decided we should have his hearing checked and have a consultation with a Speech Therapist.

We had his hearing checked in the Lebanon Clinic first, and then we were sent to Springfield so Jaxon could be sedated and have them checked again because what 2 year old wants to sit still for a hearing test.  BORING!!!  The Audiologist in Springfield said that his hearing was fine.  

After that he attended Speech Therapy and eventually Occupational Therapy and still does to this day.  After Jaxon was diagnosed with Autism, we were set up with a company that provided communication devices to families. We went in and they let Jaxon play on one and we decided that it would be a good fit for him.  It took a while for the device to be sent, but ever since we've received it, Jaxon has used it.  Of course now Jaxon has enough verbalization that he doesn't need to use it, so he enjoys playing on it.

Communication devices are the newer version of PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)  which is where you place pictures in a line or on a board to make a sentence or make your needs known.  Either way is a great way for ASD individuals to communicate.  We were fortunate enough to receive a device.

Jaxon just plays on his right now, but you can see how it works.  Jaxon's Speech therapist had buttons on there for educational purposes.  He has learned a lot with this device.  

Here is a video of Jaxon playing with his device this morning.  It has so many options with what you can put on there.  I have a page that he can push and it will teach him the planets, the holidays, the types of weather, etc.  It is amazing!

Of course you can see that he learned how to make the device repeat over and over!