Known as The Audeo, the new technology uses an electromyographic-type sensor to detect electrical signals on the throats of people who are attempting to speak, and then processes those signals into text, synthesized words or commands for an electrically activated wheelchair. Ambient Corp., developers of the new system, said that it hopes to use it to help individuals disabled by such diseases as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease), cerebral palsy, and traumatic brain or spinal cord injury.

“Our mission is to give back communication to those who have lost it through disease or diability,” said Thomas Coleman, chief technical officer of Ambient Corp. Coleman and Ambient CEO Michael Callahan demonstrated the technology to an audience of about 2,000 engineers during a keynote speech at NIWeek here yesterday. During the demonstration, Coleman controlled a motor-powered wheelchair by giving it silent commands on stage.

“When you speak, your brain sends a signal to the muscles in your throat,” Coleman explained. “We detect the electrical activity at the throat, convert it, and then use it for communication.”

Ambient’s electromyographic-type sensor, which fits around the user’s neck like a tiny scarf, picks up the electrical signals from the nerves near the surface of the skin. It then uses an A/D converter and an on-board 16-bit Texas Instruments microcontroller, along with software algorithms in a separate PC-based microcontroller, to process and understand the incoming signals, and then send them to an output.

“Once you convert the signals to words, you could do a transcription, or create a synthesized voice, or send commands to a wheelchair,” Coleman said.

Coleman, who co-founded the company while studying engineering at the University of Illinois, said that he was aided in his product development effort by the use of National Instruments LabView software. Although he started school as a computer science major, he was initially overwhelmed by the task of implementing the control algorithms in hardware, and needed LabView’s graphical techniques to help him through that process.

“Without LabView, I probably wouldn’t have finished this,” he said. “It would have taken too long.” Even with LabView, he said, the product development took approximately three years.

Coleman noted that the ALS and cerebral palsy sufferers, in particular, could benefit from the new technology. Many such patients can still use their throat muscles but cannot squeeze enough air out of their lungs to generate audible speech. As such, some ALS patients are ultimately forced to communicate by blinking their eyes.

By reading the signals from the appropriate throat muscles, however, The Audeo could enable such patients to communicate in an audible fashion.

“We’ve worked with patients from a number of different medical categories, and this helps them,” Coleman said.

Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor — Design News, August 8, 2007

You can get more information or order on the Lost and Found Temporary Tattoo website.

May 31, 2007 – Last year, we introduced you to an autistic local teen who co-directed his own documentary about what it’s like to live with a developmental disability.

Now, someone else in the family is making a film about their experiences.

Twelve-year old Jace King is exploring the challenges of being the brother or sister of someone with autism, Down’s syndrome or cerebral palsy.

Jace and his mother are putting some finishing touches on their heartfelt and very personal film.

“The Sandwich Kid” shares the stories of brothers and sisters who have a sibling with a disability.

“Sandwich kid means that you’re in the middle of your life and what you want to do and being in the middle of all the other people who want to help your sibling,” Jace said.

It’s a challenging situation the 12-year-old knows all too well, his older brother Taylor is autistic.

Jace has grown up trapped between what he wants and needs and what his brother’s disability demands.

“So often the child with the disability requires our full attention and so unwittingly, we don’t mean to but we end up leaving the other child out,” Keri Bowers, Jace’s mother, said.

Keri calls them the silent majority.

It was during filming of her first movie with her son Taylor, which gave the world an inside look at autism through the eyes of autistic children, that she realized Jace and thousands of kids just like him had their own point of view.

“The Sandwich Kid” shares the siblings’ joys, frustrations and fears.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5357435

A baby born prematurely has had less of a chance to develop and mature inside its mother’s womb. When a baby is born prematurely the result is an increased risk of medical and developmental problems which may include underdeveloped lungs. If you go into labor too early, your doctor may try to delay your baby’s birth. Even a few extra days in the womb can promote significant development.

Nearly half of extremely premature babies (under 26 weeks) who survive develop a disability or learning difficulty.
Another third will have mild impairments, such as problems with eyesight and the need to wear glasses by age 6.
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, 22% of babies born under 26 weeks have  severe disabilities such as cerebral palsy, blindness or profound deafness, and a further 24% had moderate disability, such as special learning needs.

Boys also have higher risk of disability than girls- more than a third of extremely premature boys had moderate to severe disabilities – 2.4 times more than the number of girls.

Did you have a baby prematurely? Did you have a high risk pregnancy? Were their complications during your baby’s delivery? Read more about premature birth and cerebral palsy.
Are you concerned about the health risk that may be facing your child? Contact 4MyChild Live CareCenter Specialists for help and support.

Did your doctor advise you of risks of not being immunized ? Did your baby develop cerebral palsy as a result of rubella (measles) ?

Your child Did you have a baby prematurely? Did you have a high risk pregnancy? Were their complications during your baby’s delivery? Are you concerned about the health risk that may be facing your child?
Your child may be eligible for lifetime benefits or Benefits4life. please
Contact 4MyChild Live CareCenter Specialists to answer any question about your child’s health and eligiblitiy.

Speaking of disabilities. “People first” is the most important principle in communicating with and about people with disabilities, said Vicki Pappas, director of the Center for Planning and Policy Studies at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community. This standard applies in a literal sense when describing people — “person with autism” is appropriate; “autistic person” is not — and in a figurative sense when interacting with someone who has a disability. “People with disabilities would prefer to be seen as people, not as objects of pity or as heroes who have overcome adversity,” she said. “When you meet someone who has a disability, say hello, make eye contact, and give yourself time to get to know that person like you would with any new acquaintance.” Below are more of Pappas’s tips for effective communication.

DO use person-first language, especially in print. Regardless of the particular disability, put the person before the condition in every description. For example: “man who has cerebral palsy,” “girl who is deaf,” “teacher with epilepsy.”
DON’T mention a disability if it is not relevant. “If you are writing an article about a professor’s research, and that person happens to use a wheelchair, you don’t need to mention it unless it relates somehow to the research process. This is just the same principle you would use in deciding whether to mention that someone is Jewish or Latino,” Pappas said.
DO use specific terminology. If it is important to describe a person’s disability, be straightforward and avoid terminology like “handicapable,” “differently abled” or “special.” This type of verbiage comes across as condescending, Pappas said.
DON’T make someone a hero for an ordinary feat. Avoid characterizing everyday activities as huge accomplishments for people with disabilities. “I’m all for including a bride with hearing loss in a wedding special, but when the headline is ‘Deaf Woman Gets Married,’ that’s insulting,” Pappas said.
DO greet people at their eye level. When talking with a person who uses a wheelchair, it is appropriate to sit or crouch down in order to talk face-to-face, Pappas said. “Even if you are speaking through an interpreter, it’s important to make that direct eye contact,” she said. Similarly, it is best to approach a person who is blind by announcing your presence.
DON’T worry about common phrases. “It is not a big deal if you say ‘See you later’ to someone who is blind. No one is going to be offended by these types of expressions. Relax and use your natural manner of speaking,” she said.
DO respect personal space. “It’s okay to offer assistance in a polite manner such as holding a door open. Beyond that it is best to ask first rather than to rush in and grab a person who appears to be struggling,” Pappas said. A final note on personal space: a wheelchair should be approached as though it were part of the body — don’t sit or lean on someone’s wheelchair unless you know them very well.

To read entire article visit http://newsinfo.iu.edu/tips/page/normal/4988.html

MS. Schneidereit, not yet a pilot, will video-chronicle the trials, tribulations, and successes of a person with Cerebral Palsy preparing for her first flight, the rigors of a flight physical, successive learning flights, ground school, testing and finally a flight around the world.

Inspire the World Foundation (www.inspiretheworldfoundation.org), a non-profit organization co-founded by MS. Schneidereit, is dedicated to raising global awareness and money for research to find a cure for CP. Although other nonprofit organizations claim that Cerebral Palsy is incurable, they respectfully disagree. The cure for Cerebral Palsy exists; it just hasn’t been found yet. They believe the cure will be discovered through new technologies. MS. Schneidereit looks forward to fund-raising and learning to fly for the purpose of wiping out the disorder world wide. Her voyage is set to take place in the Spring of 2009.

To stay up to date with Adele’s flight progress or to help support Inspire the World Foundation, visit them online at: http://www.inspiretheworldfoundation.org

One of the major causes of CVI is asphyxia, meaning that the oxygen supply to the brain was at some point disrupted. Because the visual cortex part of the brain is furthest from the main blood supply (which is how oxygen reaches the brain), the visual cortex is most vulnerable in case of interruption of oxygen. When oxygen is not allowed to get to the brain other areas are also affected which is why CVI rarely occurs on its own without other problems.

Other causes of CVI are developmental brain defects, birth injuries, head injuries and infections of the central nervous system such as encephalitis or meningitis.

If your child suffers from CVI or cerebral palsy- and you are not sure if it was because a birth injury please contact 4MyChild Live CareCenter Specialists for help.

The House has already voted to shift some people out of a state program that provides up to 33 services, such as home nurses or guardians. About 8,500 people would be shifted into a new program with just 11 types of services.

The Senate is proposing deeper cuts to programs funded by the agency that would affect more people, including people in group homes.

Joe Aniello, president of United Cerebral Palsy of South Florida, said about 20 group homes with about six residents each in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties stand to lose their funding and would have to close if the Senate’s proposal is adopted as is.

He has no idea where the residents would go, and said he doesn’t think lawmakers do either.

Several lawmakers have said they don’t want to hurt people enrolled in the program. However, the agency has outspent its budget. That, in turn, prevents new families from getting services and keeps the agency in the red.

Legislative budget writers and Gov. Charlie Crist promised to try to find money to help.

Share your story and experience with other parents in our cerebral palsy support forum, and read more inspirational stories about cerebral palsy.