Client Profiles

Pete

Pete is a bright man who enjoys spending time with his family and meeting new people.  He doesn’t let his diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy stop him from achieving his goals as he was able to proudly obtain his B.A. degree in Liberal Arts at Cal Poly Pomona.

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Pete understands that assistive technology can play an important role in his ability to be as independent as possible. He is able to walk, however he has difficulties using his hands and his speech is not consistently understood by others. He currently uses an Allora speech generating device (SGD) with a keyboard and text to speech communication software that he received through the assistance of CART’s multidisciplinary evaluation team. He uses a stylus to select his letters on the keyboard because this is the fastest method for him to use when supplementing his speech.

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Recently he asked CART for assistance with being able to easily access his computer because he would like to improve his computer skills for employment. Although he is able to type on a standard mechanical keyboard by holding a stylus in his hand, he has found it to be slow and extremely fatiguing to type continuously for long periods of time. CART’s occupational therapist worked with Pete to determine that using his head to control a Head Mouse would be faster and less fatiguing for composing large amounts of text. Using this technology, Pete was able to independently compose a personal essay and filled out the forms on his computer to submit for a grant to fund a Head Mouse of his own. 

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Pete continues to consult with CART staff to determine other assistive technology possibilities that will further his goals of increased independence and open doors for potential career opportunities.