Lao Friends Hospital for Children
AAC has the power to transform the lives of people with complex communication needs around the world. That’s why we’re thrilled to share the heartwarming story from Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) in Laos, Southeast Asia, where Charlie Danger (OT) visited as a short-term therapy volunteer. Lao Friends Hospital is the only provider of free high-quality healthcare for children in the country. They are dedicated to meeting the communication needs of children and their development clinic has a policy that no child is ever turned away. We were delighted to donate a Grid Pad 12 and eye gaze camera for Charlie to take to LFHC. This technology will support children with physical disabilities like cerebral palsy to communicate and participate using their eyes. Amone, a young girl with cerebral palsy, was the first to use the device. Her eyes sparked excitement as she engaged with the Look to Learn activities and communicated with newfound independence. For Amone and her caregivers, this device represented a world of possibilities. Currently, high-tech AAC devices like this cannot be provided by the hospital for children like Amone to use at home. However, with access to an eye gaze device, LFHC can carry out assessments for low-tech AAC provisions that can be implemented in village home environments, using this technology to help as many children as possible. Thank you to Charlie and everyone at LFHC for the opportunity to contribute to this life-changing work. The free introduction to AAC course is the place to start! Explore the many different forms alternative communication can take and the impact it can have for those who need it.Charlie takes a Grid Pad AAC device to Laos
‘Seeing the joy on her face and on the face of her Grandma, who cares for her, was a very special moment.’
Lao Friends Hospital for Children
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