After seeing the movie The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and as a member of ASHA Special Interest Division 12, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, I feel compelled to write, knowing that many of us serve people who use assistive technology.
The movie is a true story about a former editor of Elle magazine who, at age 42, suffered a stroke and ended up with "locked-in syndrome," which left his mind intact but paralyzed his body, leaving him unable to move or speak.
I contrast the movie against a patient of mine, Gary Griffin, a U.S. Air Force veteran who has survived eight years of ALS, and like the former editor of Elle, can no longer move or speak. The difference is Gary is using a new AAC device that is helping him communicate and reconnect with his family and caregivers. To view a recent NBC news feature on Gary and his AAC device, visit Control Bionics.
In full disclosure, I represent Control Bionics as its senior speech-language pathologist. But in no way does that diminish the power of this new technology to help people connect to their loved ones, and the world. The contrast between the new technology and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is remarkable.
Mary Caitlin Smith
Wichita, KS
mcsmith@controlbionics.com