Dog Helps Speech Impaired Communicate

By Michele C. Hollow of Pet News and Views

My son, who is almost 12, didn’t talk until he was almost five.  I enrolled him in speech therapy workshops, and checked out numerous communication devices. The iPad did not exist then. Fortunately, he was able to overcome his disability. That’s not the case for others with speech impairments.

Ricochet with iPad.

Thanks to new technology, people with verbal disabilities can communicate.  In this program Ricochet, the certified goal directed therapy dog, performs commands given from an iPad’s electronic voice through the TouchChat app without any clues from her handler, Judy Fridono.  An individual with a verbal disability such as Autism, Down Syndrome, stroke, and other disabilities that affect speech are able to communicate directly thanks to this program.

A program like this can give independence to people who cannot communicate verbally. Watch the video, sent to me by Judy Fridono, Ricochet’s handler. “This groundbreaking new odyssey is part of Pawsitive Teams goal directed therapy dog program,” says Judy.  “It has been implemented by Speech Pathologist, Renee Tompkins at Poway Unified School District Transition Program.”

Once again, I am amazed at how Judy and Ricochet are always involved in important projects that help others.

Watch the video here: