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About Joey
Like lots of eight-year-old boys, Joey Tabile loves to roller skate, swim, and watch videos. He has loving parents and two sisters, but Joey also has special challenges that come with having been diagnosed with autism as a toddler.
Joey's ability to communicate with others is restricted by his cognitive, social, communication, adaptive, and motor delays. At one time, he tried using sign language, but weaknesses in his fine motor skills made it difficult to learn signed words and have others understand them.  Joey & VantageTM - A Good Match
Specialists recommended a voice output device for Joey and PRC's Vantage proved to be a good match, reports Margaret Poore, his speech language pathologist. "Since he has visual strengths, Joey is able to remember the different sequencing needed to produce short sentences and phrases, and his fine motor skills are sufficient to allow him to use direct selection to access his Vantage."
Joey's Vantage has been programmed with PRC's Unity® Enhanced Full language software because, Poore says, "Joey has demonstrated that he is a quick learner and has the potential to develop age-appropriate expressive language skills."  With its voice output and display screen, the Vantage makes it possible for nearly any audience to understand Joey - even his hearing-impaired grandmother, who can see on screen what he is saying even if she can't hear it. Joey is also getting used to hearing his "voca voice" (his device-generated voice) and is able to correct himself when he hears something he didn't intend.
While Joey is having some difficulty increasing his vocabulary due to his cognitive level, he is making strides, says Poore. "Concrete concepts are easier for him to learn as opposed to abstract concepts. The goal now is to increase his vocabulary and increase his use of the Vantage in various situations and areas." AAC has been used successfully to enhance performance in a wide range of treatment schemes. For example, children have successfully used PRC devices while participating in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication and Handicapped Children (TEACCH) programs. Progress at School and at Home
At Cooper Elementary School in Seattle, WA, Joey is in a self-contained classroom with other autistic children; he joins the other students at recess and for school assemblies. School staff assists in setting up environments where Joey can use his Vantage to increase his vocabulary and participate in group activities. He is encouraged, for instance, to use his Vantage to read books and share weather reports. 
Want to see Joey? While social interaction with peers is still a bit difficult, Poore says, "Joey is becoming more and more reliant on his Vantage with his expressive communication, which in turn decreases his frustration." Joey increasingly uses his Vantage at home to communicate with his parents and sisters, much to their delight. "Because of Joey's developmental delays, we never thought he would be able to communicate coherent sentences to us," says Joey's mother, Hazel Tabile. "Now he actually asks for 'kisses' and tells each member of the family, 'I love you.' As a parent, just hearing that from your son who doesn't talk is plain magic." 
Vantage Product Information
Acknowledgements Thanks to Joey and his family for allowing him to be the subject of this profile. Special thanks to Margaret Poore and the Cooper Elementary School for allowing PRC into their classroom. Thanks also to PRC Regional Consultant, Mia Emerson for coordinating efforts and assisting in the completion of this Profile. Do you know someone we should profile? If you know someone who is benefiting from his or her use of augmentative communication and who could be an inspiration to others, please contact Cherie Weaver at PRC, (800) 262-1984, Ext. 240 or e-mail at
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Trial Evaluation