Twenty-two children who are non-verbal, visually impaired or on the autism spectrum have been given a helping hand to communicate through the gift of electronic devices that are tailor-made for them. 

The expensive communication devices were donated to the children on Wednesday by the Malta Trust Foundation, which raised money for them during a fundraising telethon held earlier this year. 

Foundation chair Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said the money donated during May’s telethon was going towards tangibly opening up the lives of so many children, who were sometimes locked in their world and unable to communicate.

“These electronic devices are instrumental in helping these children express themselves. These tools will increase their social interaction, school performance, and feelings of self-worth, while helping them reach their full potential,” Coleiro Preca said.

The most sought-after product is a speech-generating device that costs around €6,000 and makes speaking fast and easy for individuals with speech impairments.

Demand for the devices is high and the Malta Trust Foundation is now in the proċess of procuring similar assistive devices for another group of 36 visually impaired children.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) intervention for children with complex needs helps develop their functional communication skills, promotes cognitive development, provides a foundation for literacy development and improves social communication.

The Foundation’s donation forms part of its E3 project, which it runs in collaboration with the National Literacy Agency, the Foundation for Inclusive Technology and Accessibility, Agenzija Sapport, the Department of Speech and Language Pathologists, the Association for Speech-Language Pathologists Malta, and the Autism Parents Association-Malta.