Erding: voice messages at the push of a button

Created: 01/04/2023, 08:00

By: Daniela Oldach

Concentrated, Marvin presses the button that is connected to the toy fish.

He is supported by Theresa Hinterwimmer.

© Daniela Oldach

The St. Nikolaus daycare center in Erding looks after 30 children with speech impairments.

You can send voice messages with a so-called button.

Erding – Marvin looks fascinated at the sky-blue toy dolphin in front of him.

With full concentration, the 15-year-old moves his hand to press the blue button.

As a reward, the fish makes noises, bubbles rise from it, and Marvin laughs.

What is supposedly child's play is associated with effort for the physically handicapped boy.

But Marvin can operate the button himself and is happy about his success.

These buttons can be used in a variety of ways and make many everyday things easier for the children and young people in the St. Nikolaus daycare center in Erding.

Because thanks to the small pushers, voice messages can be recorded or needs expressed.

This form of communication, in turn, helps the HPT employees to better understand the children and young people with speech impairments.

125 girls and boys are currently cared for in the HPT, around 30 can communicate better with the appropriate aids.

But only a handful of such devices exist.

The readers' aid organization "Licht in die Herzen" would like to help here and finance the purchase of further devices for supported communication.

Each device costs a few hundred euros.

“These devices make communication much easier.

But it is a learning process for both sides,” says Rosemarie Jaletzke.

The head of the HPT is happy when she sees how much fun Marvin is having with it.

The boy shows that with his smile.

Marvin cannot communicate verbally, but he can communicate through looks and gestures.

This simplifies the game, but doesn't really help in everyday life.

Different areas of the button can represent needs such as "I'm hungry", "I'm tired" or "I'm cold".

Depending on where is pressed, the device communicates this.

"Of course, a device is tailored to the child's motor skills," explains Jaletzke: "That gives security and also makes the children happy."

Or entire voice messages are recorded.

The parents then speak in the first person, for example, a message on the device about what the child experienced at the weekend.

When they visit the HPT on Monday, they can then play the message and take part in the entertaining get-together on their own.

For this, however, each child with speech impairments would need their own button.

Kettcar driving is very popular with Ludwig (l.) and Manuel (r.), but the HPT only owns one on which Marie sits.

HPT manager Rosemarie Jaletzke would be happy about further Kettcars.

© Daniela Oldach

It is a lot of fun for children with no or only minor physical disabilities to drive through the HPT garden with the Kettcars.

Three of them are Marie and Ludwig, both seven years old, and six-year-old Manuel, who love these rides.

Since the Kettcars are used by many children, they have to be stable.

And because of the different heights of the girls and boys, the seat should be adjustable.

The HPT currently owns exactly such a Kettcar.

It can be used by children aged six to ten years.

"Of course, that's always in great demand," says Jaletzke.

Ludwig and Manuel also showed themselves to be gentlemen and let Marie go first for the photo.

"But we also like to drive a lot," assured the two.

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A heartfelt wish for Jaletzke would therefore be to be able to buy at least two more of the Kettcars, each costing around 800 euros.

Money for such wishes is not provided for in the funds that the daycare center receives from the state.

It's just "just" fun.

The readers' aid organization "Licht in die Herzen" would also like to fulfill these wishes and thus make children's eyes shine.

Light in the heart: The readers' aid organization of the Erdinger/Dorfener Anzeiger supports the valuable work of the St. Nikolaus daycare center in Erding.

Donations can be made to the account (number 17 111) at Sparkasse Erding.

Account holder: Zeitungsverlag Oberbayern.

IBAN: DE54 7005 1995 0000 0171 11.