Blog #118~ If You Can’t Fix It, Duct It!
I reported two weeks ago, that Nick’s talker (AAC device) has survived being dropped from the second floor of the Naperville Library and onto the railroad tracks off Montgomery Road. The case is sturdy but has taken a beating. Nick is 21 years old and has Down syndrome and autism. He’s a crafty one. It’s all we can do to keep up with his antics. The school team has come up with two things to secure his talker better.
First, the team has devised a bumper around the iAdapter case with foam and duct tape to absorb the impact. I’m thinking that we need to patent this prototype.
In addition, Nick has it tethered securely to his body with two straps (one over the shoulder and the other around his waist).
Nick is using his talker to make requests for iPad, Sprite, food items. When he burps he pushes the buttons, “excuse me” or “that’s gross”. The other night I was busy doing laundry and getting dinner ready. He was getting impatient and growing tired. He proceeded to push “stop”- “I’m tired”- “I want to eat”. When he finished dinner, he pushed the buttons “finished” and “bedtime”. I’ve also noticed that he is using more verbal language since getting talker 2 months ago!
At home I figured out a way to tether it to a shelf with Velcro straps in the kitchen so it’s accessible. So, between the straps and duct tape, we are staying one step ahead of big guy (at least for now). Hey it’s Nick’s world, the rest of us are just trying to keep up. That’s what is in my noggin this week!
~Teresa
Down Syndrome with a Slice of Autism 