Little Words

"...but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to the rapture of living."

Helen Keller

"Mmmmm - MMMMMmmmmmm MMMMmmmmmmm".  The faint sound of tuneless humming was all I could hear as I walked down the hallway to the office of Yuliya, Mission to Ukraine's leader in augmentative communication services.  "MMmmmmm - MMMMmmmmmmmm".  As I pushed open the door I was met by a bright-eyed boy named Misha who was excitedly flapping his hands and humming to his own mysterious and dissonant tune.  "Misha, we are going try something new", Yuliya said as he sat down at the desk.  Misha watched with anticipation as Yuliya brought out a  new device - something he had never seen before.  

Several weeks ago, Mission to Ukraine received a gracious donation to our department: an iPad 2 that could be used for therapeutic gains, namely for use as a communication device for children with communication difficulties.  With the help of a new application called GoTalk, the iPad transforms into a personalized interface with which children with disabilities can use to communicate with others.  Now, at the touch of a button, children - including those with Cerebral Palsy, Autism, developmental conditions, and profound mental disabilities - are able to communicate their thoughts, their desires, their pains, and their joys. 

Misha is one of our special children with Autism - a lifelong developmental disorder that affects the brain, specifically those areas that control social behaviors and communication skills.  While some children have mild forms of Autism, others like Misha live with severe autistic complications, including the complete inability to use spoken language.       But even though these children cannot speak, they are more clever than you think and are fully capable of contributing to their world if given the right tools.  Words have always eluded Misha, leaving him voiceless, with no way to communicate meaningfully with the world around him....until now.

As Misha's therapy session progressed with the use of the iPad 2, Misha's world seemed to open up before him.  He used the iPad to learn the names of different animals.  He used it to indicate to Yuliya that he wanted to blow bubbles, to play ball, and to take a break from work.  He used it to choose which toy he wanted to play with next.  Purpose and meaning were finally at his fingertips.   

I think one of the most universal human desires is to be understood.  We all strive for different ways to communicate with those around us - we all search for ways to connect with another.  And, finally, with the use of this new and exciting technology, we are able to communicate and connect with children just like Misha who have suffered in silence due to a disability that locks their lips and twists their tongues.  For the first time, their voices are being heard - and oh what a beautiful sound it is!