"I
like my DeltaTalker because I can talk about blimps, tankers and Nascar to kids"
says Danny Lee, a 14-year-old seventh grader at John Marshall Junior High in
Indianapolis, Indiana. He has chronic lung disease resulting from his premature
birth. Because he spends a lot of his time in the hospital, he misses school
frequently. His elementary teacher and recent home-bound teacher, Barbara Lasen,
stated, "Linda Lee, his mother, was the greatest motivator...she is Danny's
best advocate, and without her support and cooperation, Danny could not have
learned the power of communication using the DeltaTalker."
Danny has always wanted to communicate from the time he was very small. However, it was not until his family and teachers discovered the DeltaTalker that he had a method to achieve this. Before using a DeltaTalker, he spent time trying to point at pictures, using sign language, using a WOLF, and sometimes...just dragging people by the arm to show them what he wanted. Danny was somewhat proficient at using signs to communicate, however, because his fine motor skills are poor, only his nurse, a handful of other people, and his family could understand his "dialect." "It was known as 'Danny sign' at school. It did not help the teachers, except for his nurse who went to school with him every day and was also his interpreter," expressed Danny's mom.
Once Danny had been taught how to use the DeltaTalker, he spent most of the time during hospital visits learning icon sequences in Unity. "He would just push buttons and learn what they said," exclaimed his mom. His teachers are always amazed at how much more he can communicate when he returns to school after being hospitalized for several weeks.
Danny's present teacher, Carolyn Jewell, commented, "Until Danny, other students with communication devices did not use them spontaneously. Getting simple answers or responses from them required much interaction and input from others. However, Danny uses his 'talker' as his voice for communicating with others. Some of the time he will just speak short responses or requests. When he is excited, he will talk in long sentences and go on and on."
Danny's mom and teachers both agree "nothing worked as well as his DeltaTalker." His favorite topic to discuss is the latest Nascar race. He has the entire list of Winston Cup drivers programmed into his DeltaTalker and if people want an update on what happened in last week's race, they just ask Danny. He also likes talking about upcoming holidays and what kind of surprises might be in store. His DeltaTalker has helped him win the hearts of all the doctors, nurses, teachers and other people who come into contact with him. "We never KNEW Danny until he got this DeltaTalker...and now although he is a non-verbal child.... HE WON'T SHUT UP!!" his mom said enthusiastically.
* Danny's profile was written with the assistance of Danny's mother, Linda Lee, and his teachers, Barbara Lasen and Carolyn Jewell.
Profiles of Success - Danny Lee