There’s new hope for individuals who are nonverbal. Using technology like Hewlett-Packard’s new TouchSmart computer, people whose thoughts have long been locked away are finally communicating, and in their own voice no less.

By sampling the words or sounds that the individual is capable of, the computer can reproduce the person’s voice and “speak” the words that the person types.

“Imagine not being able to talk but having the ability to think rationally. It’s almost as if you’re imprisoned,” says Dr. Dave Traver, a pediatrician.

For one San Francisco area teen who, at 14, was never able to speak, just six weeks with the computer was enough to have him chatting away, reports NBC. To read more click here.

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