For his entire life, crying was the primary way Chris communicated to his family. Chris has Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) and struggled with speech and fine motor skills before coming to 321go Kids.

“He really couldn’t do much of anything. It was hard because we didn’t know what he needed. It was just a guessing game,” explained Chris’s mother, Sue. “It was frustrating for him.”

Cassie Burns, a speech-language pathology assistant at 321go Kids began working with Chris and introduced a device that helped him communicate. This type of device is normally operated with hands, but Chris’s fine motor skills prevented this method. Chris’s new device operates with eye gaze technology.

Chris can now use his eyes to activate the communication device and express what he wants to say. Cassie saw progress in Chris within two weeks of having the device.

“Chris really started to interact and communicate using his device,” Cassie shared. “He started telling me yes or no with his device. He’s made tremendous progress with it.”

Chris has successfully combined two buttons on his communication device to create words and sentences. He’s working with his family and the team at 321go Kids to continue expanding his communication abilities.

Sue loves that her son can express his wants and needs, connecting more with the world around him. She recounts a story from school when Chris turned the volume up on his device so that his classmates could hear what he wanted to say.

“He loved that he could be heard,” Sue expressed.

Cassie notes that some parents may be hesitant to consider communication devices for their children. She emphasizes that these devices don’t replace verbal communication but offer an alternative means of expression when speaking isn’t possible. She has witnessed progress like Chris’s and believes that communication devices can be valuable for children who struggle with verbal communication.

Sue encourages other parents of nonverbal children to reach out to 321go Kids: “There’s a great speech team here. They do great and have done great stuff with Chris.”

If you know a child who struggles with communication, help them discover hope and unleash potential through speech therapy. Get started by completing our contact form at 321goKids.com.