Tres has been making it very clear since about November that he wanted an IPOD touch for his birthday. We had gone to visit with a organization called FAAST. FAAST stands for Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology. The organization helps people with disabilities by showing and lending available assistive technology to enhance independence through communication. They had great ideas on ways to modify toys and household appliances to make them easier to handle or play with. When they found out about Tres’s Dynavox they pulled out an IPOD to show us the available apps out there for non verbal students. He tried it out and was hooked. There was an application downloaded on it that worked exactly like his Dynavox called Proloquo 2 Go. We were amazed. His current Dynavox is about the size of a computer screen and cost about six thousand dollars so we are very selective about the environments he takes it in. When he does not have the Dynavox he is of course limited in his ability to interact. To find an alternative that is small enough for him to carry around and carries the added benefits of the IPOD technology blew us away. He left a changed kid. He had to have it. We got it for him for his birthday along with a carry case that protects it from damage. The case is pretty bulky which makes it easier for Tres to handle. The clear protective window on the case allows Tres to manipulate the IPOD without needing the case to be opened. We are so excited. He is able to send text messages, skype, download music and videos and even do work on his home school site. Technology is amazing! His hobie is now finding new apps to download. We took video of the moment he seen his gift on his birthday. Trey’s kind of excitement is the best kind ever.
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