Hello. Please read below. Thank you so much for anything you can do to help.
I so very much want my 11 year old Grandson Eli to have an “Express Yourself” Device. Eli is wonderful just as he is. He is brave, playful, capable, smart, kind, loving and Eli is also autistic. Autism comes with gifts and challenges. I wish so much to help find ways to help Eli.
Because of Eli’s autism he struggles verbally to express himself. I really want to know more about Eli from Eli. I’ve been searching for a device that would help Eli tell us about himself and his days. I did not find one so i starting imaging this “Express Yourself” device. I very much like how device would also encourage Eli to discover and create his own unique ways to communicate and express himself.
The “Express Yourself” device is equipped with an easy to use, tuff as The Hulk camera. Device would also house a user friendly “Pictionary Library”. The library would be stocked from pictures taken by child and other pre-approved users. The items in the ever growing “pictionary” library are easily accessed by user. User can show the picture as a means to communicate his specific wants and needs.
Important Side Note: Device would not allow Eli or other users to delete, alter or remove pictures, videos and recordings. All items are automatically stored/locked in a temporary library until device manager (parent/guardian) can view, name and file in appropriate sections of “The Pictionary Library”. Ideally under each picture there would be an area to label the subject of picture.
Example: Picture is of a “Fried Egg”. Device Manager (parent/guardian) would name the picture: Fried Egg. These two words would be also be placed under the subject in picture. The manager would then file this picture in the “Food Section” of the Pictionary Library under a “chapter” titled “EGGS”. In this chapter would be pictures of all the various, wonderful ways an egg can be cooked.
Our sweet Eli can say the word “Eggs” but has yet to express specifically how he wants the eggs cooked. If he had a “Pictionary Library” he could quickly and easily access the “Food” section of library, go to the “Egg” section in order to show the picture of how he wants his eggs cooked today.
Hopefully another “part” of device would allow child to type a word, sentence, story of the day, etc. and have an “acceptable” voice repeat what was just typed. This would help child learn and practice words. Words are powerful tools…i wish so much for Eli to have access to these words.
Device could also help parents/guardian keep their children safe as they would have a wider view of their child’s world, thru their child’s eyes by later viewing pictures and videos taken thru out day or any time they are away. And of course device would also be a locater if child wandered.
This type of communication device would give children with special needs the ability to choose and communicate that choice thru the “Pictionary Library”. It would be amazing for Eli and other non-verbal, special needs children to have access to this sort of device.
Please pass on to the right people, right area where they can create this device and make it available to the general public.
Sincerely and with Love from Eli’s Gramma.
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