Evie's Desk: The ZAC Browser for Children with AutismAugust 1, 2008 |
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 This year the Centers for Disease Control reported that one in every 150 American children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) yearly. ASD can impair social interaction and communication and cause repetitive behavior for children starting as young as 3 years old. While many scientists, social service groups and politicians are working to thwart the devastating affects of ASD (read this weeks article on The Help Group's Legislative Summit), some families are working to equip their ASD children with as many tools as possible. The story of the ZAC Internet browser is an excellent example of how one family, in an effort to accommodate the needs of their child with autism, adapted their home. John LeSieur, president and CEO of People CD, an Internet company, created the ZAC Browser for his severely autistic grandson Zackary. As "surfing the net" has become a common activity in many American households, LeSieur was saddened to see how his grandson became overwhelmed when trying to use the Web. So using his expertise as CEO of People CD, he created an Internet browser to cater to his grandson's needs, using lots of bold graphics, music and easy to navigate buttons. LeSieur is quoted on the ZAC Web site as saying, "We have the deepest love for our daughter and grandson and it is out of this heartfelt emotion that we used our talent to tailor a Web browser specifically for Zackary and children facing similar development disorders of the brain." While the name ZAC, is short for Zackary, it is also an acronym - Zone for Autistic Children. After discovering what a calming effect ZAC had on his grandson, LeSieur made the browser available for free for any child or teenager interested in using it. I'd like to applaud this innovative grandpa for his therapeutic tool and for his commitment to make it available for any child with ASD. To access the ZAC browser click here. Evelyn V. Martinez
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