 |
 |
DynaMyte 9/14/2003 6:25 AM By: Medstar.com Many people with diseases like cerebral palsy, Parkinson's and autism, and those who've suffered strokes and brain injuries have lost the ability to speak. Now they can get their voice back with a new device that can speak for them. Cerebral palsy makes it difficult for Randy Reyes to say what's on his mind. For years, he had to use picture cards to communicate with his family. “That way he can point to the things and you know if he wants a toy or he wants a drink so that's the way he communicated at the beginning,” said his mom Maria Reyes. Now there are no cards. And Randy's coming through loud and clear. The DynaMyte is a compact communication device with a touch screen that speaks for Randy. When asked his favorite TV show, for example, he simply touches images to spell it out. Kate Neumann, a speech and language pathologist, programs the device with words and phrases custom fit for Randy. “You know, polite comments to things he's gonna say to other kids, to all his many, many school pages with school- related vocabulary,” said Neumann. And that's the big payoff. The DynaMyte allows Randy to keep up with his academics in public school. Sarah Altman is Randy's tutor. “It's really nice to be able to have something that he can use that makes what he's saying very clear,” said Altman. “When I heard about this I say I can't believe it!” said Maria. “That he can at least communicate and be independent." Randy carries the 3.2 pound device to school in a backpack. The DynaMyte is made by Dynavox Systems and it costs $6,679. SOURCE: News 14 Carolina, NC http://rdu.news14.com/content/health_report/?ArID=35605&SecID=247 Reference: DynaVox has created quality tools that help people with speech, language, learning, and physical disabilities communicate and take control of their lives. Our dedicated devices, including the DynaVox 3100, DynaMyte 3100, DynaWrite, and Dynamo, were designed specifically for AAC. Effective and durable, these products are often imitated, but never duplicated. The software that drives our DynaVox and DynaMyte products is also available for Macintosh and Windows computers. http://tinyurl.com/ndsg * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn