A speech therapist at a Brooksville elementary school has come up with a new way with her visually impaired student to find his voice. She's created flash cards with a 3D printer that allow her student to feel for what he wants.
- Speech therapist creates 3D flash cards for student
- Makkyle is blind, has trouble communicating
- 3D printer used to ceate cards for student to feel
When Moton Elementary's Speech and Language Pathologist Maggie LeDoux first met her student, Makkyle, she knew he needed something more than the tools she had at her disposal.
Makkyle is blind and has trouble communicating what he wants. Maggie said she remembered seeing examples of raised flash cards that are beneficial for blind students and started looking for ways to get them for Makkyle.
"In his meeting his mom actually recommended a 3D printer and so we kind of got to talking, and I put some feelers out to different schools around the county," Maggie explained.
Eastside Elementary nearby got a 3D printer this year and offered to help Maggie make some raised cards. So far she has about ten cards printed for Makkyle that allow him to feel different examples of words that he typically would talk about.
"All the cards are specific to what he needs, the food is what he likes, what I know he is going to request," Maggie explained.
Maggie said one issue they've run into is the time it takes to get one object printed. A button, for example, takes nine minutes to print. But larger and more detailed items take much longer.
However Makkyle's mother, Marion Masek, said even just with the small amount of cards they've already made, she's noticed a difference and is recognizing more and more that Makkyle is quickly learning the shape of the objects.
"It's amazing because we have to be advocates for him and without having to ask them or request it. It's just being done, which means that the therapists here are caring about the children and caring about their well-being," she said.
Maggie said her goal is to get as many of these cards printed as possible so over time, Makkyle can independently ask for what he wants.
"I just want it to be very, this is my communication system, I own it," Maggie said.
Maggie said she also hopes they'll be able to make even more cards for Makkyle to take home to use at home.