When Chris Chaillet’s DynaMyte 3100 arrived at The Midland School in North Branch, New Jersey in the spring of 2000, his classmate Nathan Millings pulled up a chair beside him. Nathan, a seasoned pro at using his own DynaMyte, was eager to show Chris what he knew, so he initiated an impromptu peer tutoring session starting with an exploration of the “colors” page on their respective devices. Back and forth they went, with Nathan choosing a button on his DynaMyte and Chris selecting the same button on his own device in turn.
“It gave Nathan such a thrill to be the expert and share his knowledge with Chris,” said Midland assistive technology specialist Karen Hrank. “It was a priceless moment.”
Now young adults, Chris and Nathan participate in the Midland Job Shop, sampling jobs at local businesses on a rotating basis in preparation for the future. At work and play, Chris and Nathan are heading in exciting new directions.
Emily, his childhood sweetheart of 9 years; 8 siblings; 21 nieces and nephews and his parents, Lorraine and Victor.
Rollerblading with his brothers as a child. While whisking about on their own wheels, they pushed Chris in his wheelchair, giving him the sensation of flying. Although challenged by cerebral palsy, Chris also enjoys Midland alumni dances, family vacations to the shore and camping in Vermont, where he uses his DynaMyte to greet beach buddies along the boardwalk.
The first of each month Chris calls Ahmed, a friend and former school bus aide who now lives out of town. A speakerphone and the “Phone” page on his DynaMyte with messages such as “How’s your family?” and “I haven’t talked to you in a while” make it easy for Chris to stay in touch.
Chris says his current job—packaging diabetes testing equipment—is his favorite because it helps people in need. In past jobs, he was a housekeeper, a greeter at a gym, and a supermarket stock person.
Chris likes emailing people he cares about, so he appreciates the fact that the DynaMyte and a simple cable connection let him access his personal computer. The DynaMyte has piqued Chris’ curiosity about technology. Since he has been using the device, he frequently shops for consumer electronics.
Parents Cindy and Jeff; younger brothers Harrison and Jordan; Nicky, his best friend of 15 years, and his housemates and staff at Windy Willow Way Group Home.
Using the DynaMyte to recite the Pledge of Allegiance over the loudspeaker at school and to sing “Old MacDonald” in a school talent show, and playing for the Midland basketball team.
Most recently, Nathan sold fruits and vegetables at a local farm stand, and delivered Meals-on-Wheels to elderly community residents. At home, he is in charge of sweeping the deck and actually enjoys doing laundry.
Enjoys swimming, dancing and karaoke nights with his housemates.
Nathan surmounted difficulties with verbal communication that stem from his cerebral palsy by learning sign language when he was five years old. He eventually mastered his first AAC device, a DynaVox 2c, before moving on to the DynaMyte that he used for eight years, then to the MT4 that he now uses.
Watching the deer that roam around his house; holding Mini and Max, his brother’s pet chinchillas; catching dinner and a movie with friends and meeting others who use an AAC device.
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