“So, Hannah? If we move this bishop next to our other bishop we carve up the board in a star pattern.”
The speech therapist glowing looks at Hannah, “What are you going to do?”
Gabe makes a sour face, “I wouldn't appreciate that mom!”
“How about it Hannah?”
She looks at her speech device and looks at me then her speech therapist and Hannah shakes her head emphatically no.
“No?” I ask incredulously, ‘But, Gabe doesn’t like the idea?”
She grins larger and shakes her head no.
I sigh, “Ok, well our other options are a pawn, or this knight.” I gesture to the board.
Hannah looks at her device, “Knight.” The british voice calls out.
“Ok, we only have this option where we won’t lose it.” I move our knight back in front of our queen.
Hannah then looks at Gabe then says, “Move.” with her device.
The room is full of hope and merriment. I am enjoying how this is playing out. Gabe has asked to come. I had just programmed her device to have words for playing chess and Gabe is working on a senior project that involves giving people with disabilities a voice.
He brought his chess board and Hannah decided to show how this type of play works between the three of us with an outsider. It is huge. She rarely shows anyone what she knows. Her hazing process is this crazy thing that I never know when she will show someone who she is beyond her disabilities. She would never be someone who performs for anyone. She doesn’t care if you don’t think she is capable.
I had just programmed these pages into the device and even had to draw half the images. Gabe and I for the past few months had started playing the game on the floor by her. She would watch with interest, snigger and look away whenever Gabe had started trapping me into a Checkmate.
A couple months ago I had programmed a card game into the device that had made her interested. But it still was a struggle to get her to play it.
Our goals are to have this give and take in conversation not just her expressing her bases needs. I had just expanded her screens and words for discussing music and kind of just randomly asked her as I was looking through her device if she wanted words for chess. There was this kernel of interest that had sparked across her face with a grin.
So I went diving into the device to see if there was already a set of pages for this. I didn’t find any. Some base images but no individual pieces. It ended up being 4 to 6 hour of work drawing and planning out the pages.
This payout of Hannah consistently using them and wanting to play was a huge bonus. That she was doing it with her therapist presence was amazing.
After a moment where Gabe almost made a wrong move Hannah went to the Checkmate button over and over and also pushed the button that said I won. Several times over the rest of the moves of the game. She also enjoyed using the words, “What a gambit”.
Her therapist looked at me with a huge smile and addressed Hannah, “I have never seen you interact with me and others using your device!” Her excitement was contagious. Hannah laughed and grabbed my hand and pulled me into a hug.
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