Bio: Walter, Tony-Receives Tablet From Kiwanis (2022)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Walter. Morrow, Cook

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 2/09/2022

Walter, Tony-Receives Tablet From Kiwanis (- 2022)

Neillsville Kiwanis Club donates Tablet to Student



Tony Walter of Loyal received a new tablet courtesy of the Neillsville Kiwanis Club. The device will help Tony to communicate with others. Tractor for Autism and Disabilities (TFAD) helped to coordinate the donation.
Shown are (left to right) TFAD president Judy Morrow, Allan, Tony and Connie Walter;
and Kiwanis president Mark Cook. Valorie Brecht/Clark County Press

By Valorie Brecht

The Neillsville Kiwanis Club has provided a device to make communication easier for a local student with a speech disorder.

The club purchased an electronic tablet for Tony Walter, 7, of Loyal. Walter has apraxia of speech, a disorder that affects the brain pathways involved in planning the sequence of movements involved in producing speech. The brain knows what it wants to say but cannot properly plan and sequence the required speech sound movements.

“He’s like any other kid. You would never know the difference, except that he doesn’t speak,” said Tony’s mom, Connie.

Because Tony rarely speaks and when he does it’s a single word or once in a while a short sentence, it is hard for him to communicate. The table will allow him to select pictures to relay messages to other people, at school and at home.

“It’s amazing how he can navigate the tablet [to say what he wants], said Connie.

The idea to purchase a device for Tony came from Kiwanis member Judy Morrow.

“I was looking through the Kiwanis newspaper and I red about other clubs buying tablets for kids like Tony. So I thought, ‘Why couldn’t our club do that?’” said Judy.

She took the idea back to the club and they were in support of it, so then she had to determine a recipient. Judy is also a member of the Loyal organization known as Tractors for Autism and Disabilities (TFAD). She talked to her fellow TFAD volunteers who in turn talked to some teachers they worked with to determine who would be the best fit. The teachers recommended Tony.

Judy told the Kiwanis Club who would be receiving the tablet and they officially approved the purchase.

“It was a good fit, as we try to enrich the lives of youth in our area,” said Neillsville Kiwanis president Mark Cook. “We did our part to help out.”

Not only does the Kiwanis Club place a strong emphasis on helping kids, but also on serving people with disabilities. For example, the Kiwanis Club sponsored the Clark County Aktion Club for adults with disabilities, which met regularly for fellowship and to complete service projects be fore the pandemic. So this donation was a way for the club to support two causes important to its members.

The tablet will have programs on it specifically to help Tony.

“It’s specially designed for his special needs. It felt like a great opportunity to fill a need,” said Mark.

He added that the club was considering making this an annual endeavor, in which the club would pick a different kid to support each year.

Connie said the tablet would be a big help in allowing Tony to share what he’s thinking.

“He’ll be glad, because a lot of times he gets frustrated not being able to talk to his younger sisters, “ she said.

She and her husband Allan wee very appreciative of the unexpected gift for their son.

“We were completely shocked and very humbled; we can’t say ‘thank you” enough.”
 

 

 


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