AAP News Vol. 15 No. 5 May 1999, p. 16
© 1999 American Academy of Pediatrics
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Breaking the silence: Devices offer new help to nonverbal children

Stefanie Dell'Aringa

Diagnosed with the genetic disorder Angelman syndrome, 7-year-old Sarah never developed speech and relied on her own version of sign language to communicate. Only those who knew her could understand.

But with intensive speech and language therapy and an apparatus called the Delta Talker, Sarah has become a happier child, one of many for whom augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices are breaking the silence.

The device, harnessed just below Sarah's waist, lets her use 15 phrases on a regular basis. "Since she has initiated the Delta Talker, her frustration level regarding communication has decreased remarkably," stated Randi Hagerman, M.D., FAAP, professor of pediatrics and head of the developmental and behavioral section at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. She consulted with Sarah's regular doctor on treatment issues.