Unbelievable Clip; Severely Autistic Teen Finds her Voice

An incredible and moving account of how judgment and perception can warp our understanding of intelligence and capability. Carly, a severely autistic teenager was labeled at an early age with autism as well as being moderately mentally retarded. At 11 she used a computer to convey emotion and she has been making unbelievable progress ever since.

In this post I want to address and integrate the imperative team approach and support necessary to help motivate and provide growth for an individual with disabilities. In this video we see how the opposing mindsets about Carky created contention. Her family, particularly her father, remained committed to providing her therapy and a multitude of outlets to attempt to communicate with the world around her. This particular example of a family living with a child with a disability showcases how the perspectives of parents, students and teachers are unique, some similar and some different when it comes to utilizing assistive technology devices, such as ipads and computer software in the classroom.

There are so many perspectives on ability and capability of an individual based on the one observing them and based on the services and devices provided. From an early age Carly was labeled. While I am sure there were educationally sound and extremely knowledgeable individuals working with her, it is imperative to acknowledge that her parents, which differed from some therapists, ever gave up on her and lived with a label, especially the one of being mentally deficient. If Carly's family listened to the advice of many of her early intervention therapists, maybe she would have never had the opportunity to use a computer to communicate.  

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4XMlhCfp3Q