Outside evaluation request process and considerations

¶ … Communication Aid: Evaluation Request

The child that requires an outside evaluation in order to obtain aids that would benefit his educational experience greatly has a wide spectrum of disabilities. Darmoth is seven years old, but this is his first year attending public school due to his special needs. He has been home-schooled by his foster mothers until this year, where they have focused on teaching him how to "get around" and to interact with other children and animals. Darmoth was in a car accident as an infant and suffered severe trauma. His back was broken and spinal cord seriously damaged. It was reconstructed in surgery. Originally, he had very little control of his body as a whole, but quickly defied doctor expectations and gained full use of his upper body. His lower half, however, remained paralyzed. Due to the very young age at which this accident occurred, even physical therapy was unable to prevent a large degree of atrophy and disfigurement of the lower legs, and his lower half is very small and weak compared to his upper half. He has developed incredible upper body strength, however, and is strong enough to knock a full grown man off of his feet if Darmoth does not want to be picked up! Darmoth additionally suffered from brain damage during the accident, and developmentally he remains at a toddler level. Darmoth has very little formed language, though his family is able to understand certain vocalizations which indicate needs, such as needing to be catheterized or have his diaper changed, being hungry, being thirsty, being cold, being lonely, being bored, feeling threatened, being afraid, feeling playful, hurting, wanting a specific toy, and many other basic concepts for which he has developed his own language. Darmoth has a wheel chair, but he does not like it at all. His preferred mode of mobility is "scooting" by using his upper arms to pull him along, and while he is quite good at this and on the right terrain can outrun other children for short distances, some people are disturbed by his dragging. Darmoth has special highly durable and flexible leggings that he wears on his lower half to prevent injury from dragging.

Darmoth has many special needs. He has limited control of his urination and bowel movements, and although he wears diapers he must be catheterized at least once during the school day to prevent bladder problems. He will generally "bark" when he needs to make a bowel movement, and if an attentive aid can get him to the bathroom very quickly he can avoid soiling his diaper and he is much happier. Darmoth often has skin abrasions because he is quite adventurous, but has limited if any feeling in much of his body and will not notice if he is scraping his legs or runs over glass. Darmoth also has wild mood swings, and may become jealous if he is not getting enough attention and has, on a few occasions, attacked other children. While Darmoth's close family can understand his developed language, others cannot without a lot of exposure and dedication, and his family and teachers have discussed the need for another form of communication. Darmoth is very trainable and intelligent, and although he is unable to vocalize many words, he understand a very large vocabulary. The tool I would like to see employed with Darmoth is a kind of communication aid that would allow him to communicate with a wider range of people, learn how a larger vocabulary functions, and clearly express his feelings and needs so that he can receive the best care. Feeling as if he is truly being heard, listened to, and understood may help Darmoth feel more "normal" and secure so that his jealousy issues can be resolved. The ability to communicate is one of the most essential needs of people to be healthy individuals.

The communication aid would need to be durable so that Darmoth could not accidentally break it (he is not always very gentle with his "toys" and often does not realize his own strength) as well as easily portable so that he could carry it around with him. Perhaps having the tool be connected to a strap that kept it "hands free" when he is moving around would be ideal. It would have to be simple enough for him to learn how to operate, but also have a wide range of functions. The device must be able to translate Darmoth's thoughts into something that others -- even those who are not specifically trained -- can understand. The evaluation of a specialist would be extremely helpful so that the best kind of tool can be identified for Darmoth's needs.