Manu

Manu is an 11-year-old boy from Southern Maryland with speech and language delays and an articulation disorder impacted by a former cleft palate that makes it hard for him to communicate verbally at home and at school. He is socially motivated to communicate, using gestures, his existing speech and other means when connecting with others. When Manu was evaluated and recommended for a Wego, an adaptive cellphone with an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) app that has no other cellphone capability (a feature that his parents want for him and his evaluation recommends), Manu made great progress with it. The small and portable nature of the device will allow Manu to easily carry it with him wherever he goes and interact verbally with anyone, anytime. Manu family’s insurance will only cover about 8% of the cost of the device, making the Wego financially out of reach until Manu was selected as a 2025 Eric Fund awardee. With the new device, Manu will be able to express himself more effectively, thereby enhancing his communication, social development and interaction as well as his confidence, overall self-esteem and independence. Manu can also use the device to communicate and learn more about his favorite animal, the humpback whale.