A young boy has had a speech device purchased by Community Link Foundation to help him communicate with his family and friends.
Six year old Karne Green of Southport is autistic and non verbal. His mum, Rebecca, applied to CLF for a grant to purchase a speech device called an Indi Tobii Dynavox, which speaks for him.
Trustees of the Charity approved the grant and he received the equipment earlier this year.
Rebecca said: “Karne is now using the device and has started to show interest in it and is already learning to navigate his way around it. We have a long way to go in teaching him how to use it for his wants and needs but once he can I know it will help him with his communication skills every day reducing his anxiety and frustrations that he currently has.
“The device speaks for him so if he presses chips, I know he wants chips, if he presses trampoline, I know he wants to go out on the trampoline. We use it alongside the picture exchange communication system (PECS).
“I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you very much for funding this device, we are extremely grateful to everyone involved including people who have donated to this amazing charity.”
His family are using the device alongside the PECS and are working on single words at present but hope that one day he will be able to use it to make sentences.
Enda Rylands, chair of Community Link Foundation, said: “It is great to hear that this device is really starting to help Karne communicate. We are delighted that it is making a difference in a short space of time and we are looking forward to seeing how he continues to progress.”
