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Xavier Chenault
 The meaning of the name Xavier is “brilliant.” It is a name that suits him so well; he brightens every room with his presence. His outstanding personality brings many opportunities to him. Nearly every stranger he meets becomes a new friend!
When Xavier Chenault was born, he was not breathing. A couple of seizures soon followed and he was immediately medicated. In the beginning, it was not known if the lack of oxygen caused any brain damage. As time went on and he was not meeting basic milestones of development, it was obvious that something was wrong. He was finally diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 8 months. After the diagnosis, Xavier started a traditional therapy program 3 days per week. In the months that followed, there was limited progress. It was necessary to search for a better alternative. At 17 months, he started a unique program working with an institute for brain development. His current therapy program consists of daily home therapy (custom created by REACH Family Institute in Ashland, Oregon), craniosacral therapy, weekly horseback riding and intensive rehabilitation therapy at Euromed clinic in Poland. Xavier has a strong determination to be as independent as possible. He is able to do many activities by himself: get dressed, feed himself, clean his room. He beams with pride at his accomplishments. He knows persistence and hard work eventually pay off. He uses a power wheelchair as his main method of transportation, although he recently started walking using only one hand for support. One of his ultimate goals is to learn to walk independently.
He is mainstreamed in the regular school system in Keizer, Oregon. He is currently in second grade. He enjoys school very much, especially math and the social interaction with his classmates and teachers. He has shown delays in reading, writing and language development. As his environment grows outside the home, communication had become more difficult for him. He has been using a low-tech communication book at school (pointing at pictures), although it has been inadequate for the level of conversation he wants. Without an effective communication device, it was difficult for anyone to have a conversation with him. People would want to talk to him, but they could not understand his verbal responses. He would continue to repeat his answers, but it was useless. People would eventually give up, as it was difficult for them to try to guess what he was trying to say. With the use of the Vantage, he will be able to communicate effectively. He will only have to say it once and be clearly understood!
One of Xavier’s greatest joys is participating in Cub Scouts. Last year he was the top seller in his pack for their annual fundraiser event. This year he has a goal to be the top seller again and also exceed his sales from the previous year. In the summer, he is able to attend a week of Cub Scout Day Camp. He has also registered to attend another summer camp at Building Bridges Camp; a camp specifically designed for children using augmentative communication devices.
Xavier was first introduced to AAC during a visit to Shriners Hospital in Portland. He received a speech evaluation from Mira Shah, speech pathologist. He was able to try various communication devices. Since it was his first experience with this kind of technology, he was really amazed how easy the devices were to operate. The Vantage was his favorite. He was ready to take it home the very same day! He was disappointed when he learned that the one he was using belonged to Shriners. He was even more disappointed when he found out that he might have to wait a very long time before he received his own device, as funding was limited.
He is very excited to learn as much as possible about the Vantage and how it can help him accomplish his goals. He recently opened his own email address and is enjoying online correspondence with family and friends. As a young boy, he is drawn to the current advances in technology and how he can benefit from it. For his future, he is interested in becoming a building contractor and architect. Xavier has had an abundance of blessings in his life and this has been another. Xavier was awarded a Vantage communication device as part of PRC’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. We are very grateful to the employee-owners of PRC for their generous donation. Michael & Carolyn Chenault
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