One of our newest and youngest members is 5 year old Maddy, and through The Sequel Trust, supplied with a Grid Pad Eye device from Smartbox. As somebody with Cerebral Palsy, she has limited speech and movement, so communicating verbally or through gestures is difficult for her. Using her new assistive device, the video below shows her doing something she wouldn’t otherwise have been able to do; play a musical instrument.

Using this technology, a Grid Pad with Eye Gaze technology, Maddy will be able to operate the tablet like device by moving and blinking her eyes in place of a traditional cursor. Although at the minute she is still getting to grips with the technology and enjoying making music, the opportunities the device will allow her are innumerable. With the right software, Maddy will be able to form sentences by selecting words from the grid form with her eyes and an automated voice will vocalise these, finally giving her a voice.

Her mum has said that since receiving the device “she is like a completely different child, much calmer and takes more time to think about how she wishes to express herself”. Finally having the ability to communicate, means Maddy is not as frustrated as she once was, when her Cerebral Palsy prohibited her from interacting with others. Even in the short space of time that she has had the device, her mum says: “she has already come so far and is excited to see her potential unfolding.”

To learn more about communication devices, visit our dedicated communication aids page or if you would like to learn more about how we can help give us a call on 01691 624 222.