Success Stories

Please take the opportunity to meet some of the children in our project: Read their success stories.

Then visit the other areas of the website to find out more about the intervention that helped them develop their language and communication skills.

Gareth's Success Story

Meet Gareth:

Gareth just loves to learn.
Gareth was born with cerebral palsy. He has a tracheostomy.
We first met Gareth when he was 25 months old.
- He was not able to talk or sign.
- He had some photos that he could select to ask for favorite toys and books.
In this video, Gareth is 33 months old.
- He has already acquired so many new skills!
- He has learned thousands of words and is able to combine words to communicate more complex messages!
- He already knows many preschool concepts such as colors, numbers, shapes, and letters and sounds.
In this video, he is learning how to play "Go Fish" with his mom, Janice, and Sarah (a graduate student at The Pennsylvania State University).
- He is using a computer system to support his communication.
- He touches the appropriate symbol on the computer screen to activate the message when he has something to say.
Visit the other areas of the website to learn more about the early intervention that helped Gareth develop his language and communication skills, and learn preschool concepts.

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Genevieve's Success Story

Meet Genevieve:

Genevieve loves to interact with people. She brings a smile to everyone's face.
Genevieve has been diagnosed with Down syndrome.
We first met Genevieve when she was 8 months old.
- She wasn't talking yet because she was so young, and she did not know any signs.
We started intervention with Genevieve right away so that she would have the opportunity to develop language skills.
In this video, Genevieve is 9 months old. She is learning her "first words."
- She is learning to use a computer to express herself.
  - She is probably one of the youngest children in the world to be using a computer.
- She is also using signs to communicate.
- Genevieve, her family, and Janice are reading the book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, by Bill Martin, Jr. She loves the page with the yellow duck.
  - She touches the picture of the duck on the computer screen to activate the speech output, "duck," and the sound effect of a quacking sound.
  - She is learning the sign for "duck," as well.
  - Her mom, her sisters, and Janice are providing her with lots of models -- saying the word "duck," and showing her the sign.

Visit the other areas of the website to learn more about the intervention that helped Genevieve learn her "first words" at 9 months, ahead of many of her typically developing peers.

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Emma's Success Story

Meet Emma:

Emma is so sweet. It seems as if she is always happy.
Emma was born with Down syndrome.
We first met Emma when she was 8 months old.
Because she was so young, she was not yet talking. She did not know any signs.
We started intervention with Emma when she was very young so that she would have the opportunity to learn new concepts and develop her language skills.
In this video, Emma is 15 months old.
- Like many children her age, Emma loves Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and the other Pooh characters.
- Emma is playing with Janice while her mom watches. Janice gives Emma the opportunity to choose a song to sing.
- Emma uses her pointer finger to touch the appropriate picture on the screen of the computer to select the Winnie the Pooh song she wants.
- Next she locates Winnie the Pooh in the visual scene on the computer. As soon as she touches him, the computer sings the lines of the song.
- Janice responds to Emma's request, sings along, and models the sign for "Winnie the Pooh" for Emma.
Visit the other areas of the website to learn more about the intervention that helped Emma get an early start learning her first words and concepts.

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Kara's Success Story

Meet Kara:

Kara is always "on the go." She loves to explore and learn how things work.
Kara has Down syndrome.
We first met Kara and her family when she was just 6 months old.
- Of course, she was not yet talking, and she did not know any signs.
We started the intervention with Kara when she was very young so that she would have the opportunity to learn new concepts and develop her language skills from an early age.
- We started to show her how to use the computer and how to sign when she was just 6 months old.
In this video, Kara is 16 months old.
- She is learning to play the game, "Simon Says," with her mom and Janice.
- Kara touches the appropriate picture on the computer to select the action that she wants; for example, kiss, clap, or tickle. The computer is programmed to say the action word and also play a sound effect to keep the activity fun and engaging.
- Kara's mom and Janice respond to her request and perform the actions she selects.
- Usually Kara uses her finger to select the picture on the computer screen.
  - In this video, she tries to use her foot as well -- just to see what will happen!
Visit the other areas of the website to learn more about the intervention we used with Kara to give her an early start learning language and communication skills.

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Lili's Success Story

Meet Lili:

Lili really enjoys books and songs. She loves to have her mom or dad read to her and sing.
Lili has Down syndrome.
We first met her when she was just 9 months old.
- She was not yet talking because she was so young.
We started intervention with Lili right away so that she would have the opportunity to learn new concepts and develop her language skills early on.
- We showed her how to use the computer and introduced her to many new signs.
- We gave her lots of opportunities to communicate and learn new language skills.
In this video, Lili is 23 months old.
- Although she is not quite 2 years old, she is already interested in letters and their sounds.
- We followed her lead and responded to her interest. We programmed the letters and the sounds onto her computer.
- In this video, Lili is playing with her mom, her dad, and Janice. She is showing us the letter/sound "d"; or, as Lili calls it, "the daddy letter."
- Janice is saying the letter sound "d" for Lili.
- Janice is also introducing Lili to some early phonological awareness skills, showing Lili how to segment her words into sounds and how to blend sounds together to make the word: "d-a-d."
Visit the other areas of the website to learn more about the steps that provided Lili with opportunities to develop her language and communication skills.
Visit the Literacy Instruction website to learn more about teaching phonological awareness skills and teaching letter sounds as first steps in literacy instruction.

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Jackson's Success Story

Meet Jackson:

Jackson is full of energy and always smiling.
He has Down syndrome.
We first met Jackson when he was 15 months old. He was not yet talking. His mom and dad had taught him a few "baby signs."
We started intervention with him right away to provide him with new ways to communicate and learn concepts.
- We introduced him to many new signs.
- He also learned how to use a computer to communicate.
- He acquired thousands of words and concepts.
In this video, Jackson has just turned 5 years old. He is getting ready to start Kindergarten in a few months.
- Like many children his age, he loves Curious George, Clifford, and Lightning McQueen from the Pixar movie, "Cars."
- In this video, he is reading a book with Janice about Curious George and Clifford. He is using speech and signs to read out loud.
- Although Jackson has not yet started Kindergarten, he already knows all of the letters and sounds, and is able to read simple stories. His skills are well ahead of those of many of his typically developing peers.
Visit the other areas of the website to learn more about the steps that helped Jackson develop his language and communication skills as a foundation for later literacy learning.
Visit the Literacy Instruction website to learn more about the specific instruction that we used to teach Jackson to read.

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Last Updated: January 5, 2019