Son's autism leads to innovation

[Soylent Brice]

The father of a child with severe autism has developed technology to help him communicate.

Stephen Lodge said the idea for his Speaks4Me system came to him years ago but has been waiting for technology to catch up in order to make it a reality.

His eleven-year-old son, Callum, is non-verbal and uses his father's invention to speak.

Speaks4Me was on show at Naidex 2010 - the annual disability exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham.

Mr Lodge's system runs on any device that can run the Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 operating system.

more at link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8634607.stm

[AnArmyVeteran]

1. Thanks, I just sent this to a teacher of multiple-handicapped children...

[Odin2005]

2. Autism Speaks won't like this, goes against their demeaning portrayal of "low-functioning" autistics

[Electric Monk]

4. Could you elaborate? I thought Autism Speaks was an advocacy org for autistic people?

http://www.autismspeaks.org/about_us.php

Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Since then, Autism Speaks has grown into the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

[Odin2005]

6. They engage in scaremongering and ignore actual autistic people.

Most of us on the spectrum don't want to be "cured" and we consider them to be hateful bigots. Google up on their disgusting autism ransom note billboard ads. They are likely behind the opposition to autism activist Ari Ne'eman being put on the president's disability council.

[Book Lover]

3. K&R

I'd love to see this in action!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

5. And why not???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA_A2KGy0HU