Waltham Mom Asks Community For Help Finding Son's Lost 'Talker'

WALTHAM, MA — Little Parker Roy climbed into the school van last Thursday from Northeast School as he does each week. The paraprofessional settled him in with his backpack and his lunch bag and off he went to Day Care at Petit Feet Academy on Warren Street. There, a day care worker helped Parker out of the van, gathering his backpack and lunch bag. And off he went.

It wasn't until the next morning that Parker's parents noticed something was missing.

Parker's "talker," a communication device that looks similar to a heavy-duty iPad, was nowhere to be found.

Parker, who has been diagnosed with Down syndrome, is unable to communicate verbally on the level of many children his age. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have anything to say. Before he turned 3, his speech therapist gave him a flip book, so he could start pointing to, learning and practicing words despite his speech delay. The communication specialist in Waltham said he would be a great candidate to use a special electronic communication device.

Since getting the $3,500 device, he uses it regularly at school to work on his language skills and to communicate with peers. He uses it at home to communicate to his parents and twin sister more specifically than gestures might allow.

"It's been hard to figure out what happened," said Trish Di Eduardo in an interview with Patch. She and her wife, Jen, retraced their son's steps, called the Day Care which told them they hadn't seen it in his backpack that day and figured he just didn't bring it.

The bus driver, who was new that day said he didn't remember seeing it on the bus.

The paraprofessional said she remembered giving it to Parker but not in his backpack.

It's possible the bus driver didn't notice and then a child on the next bus ride picked it up from his next stop thinking it was a regular iPad and looked cool or turning it into lost and found, said Di Eduardo. Or it could be that something happened to it before it got to the bus, or something different altogether.

What actually happened to it doesn't matter, she said. What matters is that Parker gets back a tool that she says has helped him blossom and progress as a communicator.

She's hoping someone will remember seeing the device in a lost-and-found or see that perhaps their child brought something home that seems similar and return it.

"No questions asked, kids are innocent. It's not anything like that. We just really need it," she said. "Even if someone actually stole it, they're not going to even be able to use it. It's pretty much worthless [to anyone who isn't a child with special needs who needs help communicating]."

His speech therapist right now has a personal iPad that she's converted, so he can use it temporarily, but the software doesn't translate perfectly and it's not ideal in the long run, said Di Eduardo.

She said insurance won't cover a replacement, and the family doesn't have the money to replace it, having just had to make an emergency repair to the heating unit.

They've filed a police report, contacted the superintendent of Waltham Schools, the bus company and everyone they can think of. Now they're just hoping someone will hear their story and find and return the device.

"As the days go on it's just feeling like we'll never get it back," she said. "We feel desperate."

Di Eduardo describes the Nova Chat 7 as a green, square-looking tablet, with a lanyard attached. The screen might show boxes with a word and a picture.

Anyone with information about the device is encouraged to reach out to Waltham Police or email Patch Jenna.Fisher@patch.com

UPDATE: Waltham Community Rallies To Support Parker Get His Voice Back

Subscribe to Waltham Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Got something to add?
Sign up to post to Patch and tell your neighbors what's going on in and around Waltham. Post anything from calendar events to a column about a need in your neighborhood to a public meeting folks should know about. Our philosophy is the more neighborhood watchers the better.

Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).

Photos courtesy Patricia Di Eduardo