Posted on January 28, 2026
Corina Gartland helps Saar Fanjoy speak for herself.
Saar (left) and Corina (right) take a selfie.
When Direct Support Professional (DSP) Corina Gartland first met Saar Fanjoy, she found her using a binder with Velcro tabs to communicate. Being non-verbal, Saar would sometimes express her frustrations physically, tossing the binder aside and hitting her arms and legs, doing anything she could to try to get people to understand what she was trying to say.
“Saar has a very gentle touch, but there were times when she was pulling and pushing me to lead me where she wanted to go,” Corina said. “Introducing Assistive Technology (AT) into her life has allowed us to have ‘conversations’ where she can clearly communicate her wants, needs, and emotions. It has greatly changed her behavior, strengthened our relationship, and made her so much happier.”
Saar’s favorite way to communicate is with the SymboTalk augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app on her tablet. The technology is designed to assist individuals who are unable to speak for themselves due to physical or mental conditions. This system allows users to communicate by clicking on preloaded symbols, words, and pictures, in addition to offering customizable options.
Saar uses a tablet as Corina assists her.
Now 23, Saar lived at home with her family and attended school until she was 21. She recently secured housing with another agency, but attends Penn-Mar West’s Day Learning Program two days a week. She is supported by Corina, a Penn-Mar team member since 2021, who now serves as Saar’s primary staff for Community Day Services.
Saar had used an electronic device sparingly while in school, and Corina built on that rudimentary experience to create a routine that would assist and motivate Saar to want to communicate more with the use of a device.
As Saar wasn’t used to advocating for herself, she was initially resistant to the new technology. She had become acclimated to people assuming what she wanted; telling people what she wanted felt like a foreign concept.
Corina personalized Saar’s device by adding buttons that included photos of family, staff, and peers who Saar interacted with during the week. She also included a personality button that describes the people Saar knows and a feelings page to help her evaluate her own mood on any given day. Corina added frequently used words like “excited,” “independent,” “ready to go,” and “all done,” to help Saar quickly respond to queries and situations. It also includes favorite restaurants, places to visit, and games that Saar enjoys playing. Despite her initial hesitation to the communication device, Saar now loves the feeling of instant satisfaction when she presses the appropriate buttons to successfully communicate what’s on her mind.
Saar smiles and drinks a beverage in a cafe.
Saar’s tablet has become integrated into every aspect of her life. She uses her tablet to choose what she wants to do each day, from walking around her favorite stores, dining at restaurants, to stopping for coffee. Her communication device has given her the confidence and means to participate in activities planned at Penn-Mar West’s Day Learning center and get-togethers with peers at church and the gym.
Friendly by nature, Saar enjoys being around her peers. Corina has watched her navigate how to initiate interaction with them and she has learned to extend high fives to her peers and staff as her way of saying “hello.”
Corina noticed that some of the challenges they were working on in Saar’s Behavior Plan actually had more to do with her communications struggles. For example, Saar’s mother remembered when her daughter wouldn’t sit and join the family at mealtime, preferring to take her food to another room. Now, she happily joins them at the table, and Saar’s mother is amazed at how AT has positively influenced her behavior.
Over the past year, Corina has learned that instead of assuming what Saar can and cannot do, she should always assume she can do everything unless Saar tells her otherwise.
“Saar is a very smart and observant person. She understands everything I tell her and watches everything I do on her tablet. Having her own device excites her. She enjoys using it and it helps to make her life experience more meaningful.”