Payman Jazini, 24, of Rockville, Maryland, will be improving his communication skills in 2005 with a library of assistive technology CDs that will help him not only communicate more effectively with his E-Talk augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device, but will also help Payman to develop English as a second language to his native Persian.

    
     When Payman was in the 8th grade, a car accident during a visit to Iran left him with physical disabilities and a traumatic brain injury,

mostly to the speech area of his brain. After 20 surgeries, Payman no longer uses a wheelchair, but it able to walk with a cane. In addition to

relearning words and how to communicate, Payman is also relearning words in English.

The new CDs provided by The Eric Fund will help Payman better master the English language so he can begin pre-vocational training that will hopefully result in job placement and allow him to study

independently at home with only moderate assistance from his family.

    
Payman and his family were thrilled at the news about his grant from The Eric Fund. “(This grant is) going to make a big difference,” says Mina Mahmoudieh, Payman’s mother. “He’ll be able to better communicate with others, and that will help him to get a job and be independent.”

     When Payman is not working on his language skills and speech, he enjoys playing computer games, playing basketball, swimming, or solving math problems.