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Justin Shimizu picks up trash as a volunteer at Southside Park with his INALLIANCE support person, Koua Vang. Shimizu is autistic and non-verbal and sometimes communicates by pushing or making loud noises. Book of Dreams readers are asked to donate money to buy him an iPad, which will allow him to communicate better with people in the public. People are often afraid of Justin because of his outbursts, but Vang says he is really a very gentle person when he has the ability to communicate. -
Justin Shimizu, left, tries to communicate with grunts and hand gestures with his INALLIANCE support person, Koua Vang. Justin is very active and does not like to sit still. -
Justin Shimizu picks up trash as a volunteer at Southside Park with his INALLIANCE support person, Koua Vang. -
Justin Shimizu prepares to order a cookie at Carl's Jr. with his INALLIANCE support person, Koua Vang. -
Justin Shimizu uses a borrowed iPad to communicate which food item he would like to eat. He must be fed bite by bite otherwise he would eat so fast that he could choke. Using the device to communicate which item he would like to eat next takes the guesswork out of feeding him. Also it keeps him from grabbing at things or pushing because he has a method to communicate his needs. -
Justin Shimizu uses a borrowed iPad to communicate which food item he would like to eat. -
Keith Cooper orders a burger at McDonald's by pointing to pictures in a special picture book. The cashiers who know him, as this one does, are able to take his order independently in this manner. A Pen Friend device when pointed at the picture would speak for him allowing him to order the food even if the cashier does not know him. -
Keith Cooper is non-verbal and currently communicates by pointing to pictures in a special book that was made for him. -
Keith Cooper takes his tray of food to a table to eat at McDonalds. -
Keith Cooper eats at McDonald's where he used a picture book to order a burger with his INALLIANCE support person, Steve Pierce. -
With INALLIANCE support from Steve Pierce, left, Keith Cooper prepares to cash his check at Bank of the West using a borrowed device, called a Go Talk to talk for him. -
Keith Cooper presses a button on a "Go Talk" to communicate to the teller that he would like to cash a check at Bank of the West. This Go Talk is borrowed. Book of Dreams readers are asked to donate money to buy his own device so that he can continue his journey to completing tasks independently. -
Keith Cooper claps to the music during a line dancing class once a week at Ethel Hart Community Center. He used to be confined to a wheelchair but now he is able to dance for several songs in the class and sit and enjoy the music when he's tired. -
Keith Cooper, right, participates in a line dancing class once a week at Ethel Hart Community Center. His support person, Steve Pierce, center, says that Cooper is very social. -
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