Like most children with Angelman Syndrome, Alex only communicated with natural gestures.

“He really didn’t have a way to communicate effectively at home,” said his mom.

“Alex would point to things he wanted, go to the pantry and/or refrigerator to obtain items, or simply pick from choices given to him,” she recalled.

Despite working with several different devices, Alex wasn’t able to maintain consistency. But once he received his Accent^® with LAMP Words for Life^®, it opened up a whole new world for Alex and his family.

“It wasn’t until we had an amazing speech therapist who was willing to take a chance on this device and help us to get one through insurance, that we were able to see improvements in Alex's communication,” she said.

Getting to Know Alex

Once Alex received his device, his world of communication opened up. His mom recounted how Alex’s personality, once hidden, is now able to shine.

“He primarily uses his device at dinner time. I put it next to him at the table and he’s able to become involved in family conversations. He picks out his friends and family members and tells us things about them. He makes requested like ‘more’ and ‘finished,’” she said.

“When Alex is done with dinner, he tells me he’s finished or ready to ‘go!’ His sisters and I love to ask him questions during dinner so that he’ll use his device to respond. And Alex's favorite thing to tell us is that he is ‘funny’ and always follows up with a good laugh!”

Alex even uses his device to interact with the family’s pets.

“When he wants to see them, he will identify their pictures and then the word ‘come’ or’ go,’” she laughed.

Learning and Growing

Alex’s progress is continuing not only at home but at school, as well.

“Alex really enjoys communicating messages with his classroom teacher and is now able to spontaneously tell her when he needs a drink, wants more food or just wants to relay one- to two-word thoughts,” noted his school therapist.

Even more, his device lets his personality really shine through at school as well as at home.

“He enjoys telling people his name, age and where he lives and loves talking about his mother and father,” she said.

“He is a very happy student and has a good sense of humor,” she added. “Now he is able to show his sense of humor by telling everyone when he thinks something is ‘funny!’ He lights up when people respond to his messages and sense of humor.”

Looking Ahead

“Alex's use with his device is a work in progress,” said his mom. “But he continues to improve and communicate with us in a more efficient way, which is especially important for Alex's future. He needs to be able to communicate effectively with people outside of his family, and since getting his device, he is well on his way!”

Video

Watch as Alex works with his therapist and his device!