DARTMOUTH – When Jayden ordered one of his favorite dishes, pizza and apple sauce, it was a proud moment for him and his mom, Crystal Medeiros.

That’s because Jayden, age 12, has lots to say. And, now he has a voice with the assistance of some very user-friendly, yet advanced, technology.

“For him to be able to order a meal is huge,” said Medeiros.

Jayden uses an iPad with Proloquo2go, a customizable application that allows users like him to voice their wants and needs at the touch of a picture. The app transmits the information into voice, so he can easily order dinner, tell his mom he wants a certain toy, or tell a police officer to call his mom if he was lost.

“He’s able to advocate for himself,” Medeiros said.

Medeiros, of Fall River, said her son was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 years old. Like so many other children with autism, Jayden reached all his milestones like crawling and talking as expected. But, autism caused him to regress and lose what he learned.

“He’s non-verbal,” Medeiros said.

Before assistive technology, Medeiros struggled to learn what her son was trying to say. He used pointing and even a version of sign language to get his point across, but a lot was left unsaid.

“He’s come a long way for sure,” Medeiros said.

At Duke’s Bakery, 634 State Road, Jayden pushed a few buttons to say “hello” and to order his pizza and apple sauce.

Owners Chris Holden and Dorry Silvia, advocates for people with autism, were happy to help their young customer.

“We’re ecstatic for him,” Silvia said.

Medeiros said her son typically can’t eat out because of his food allergies, which include gluten, dairy, and soy.

“He’s on the specific carbohydrate diet,” Medeiros said.

Duke’s – a gluten-free bakery -- serves many people with medical conditions like autism, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease, who can only consume gluten-free food, as well as those who choose to eat gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and keto.

“It’s only the second time he’s ordered,” Medeiros said. “We get all his meals from here.”

Medeiros said Jayden is able to use his app more and more. At first, he mainly asked for things like a favorite toy or to watch TV. Now, he can do much more.

The app helps him communicate in school, at therapy, and at after-school activities like swimming and horseback riding.

His next hurdle will be tackling emotion -- a tough one to communicate for everyone.

“Some stuff he struggles with,” Medeiros said.

And that hurts for a mom who “eats, sleeps and thinks autism.” Medeiros is the development coordinator for Community Autism Resources – a career inspired through advocacy for her son.

What Jayden clearly wasn’t struggling with was ordering his dinner. Besides the pizza, he’ll likely be asking for his other two favorites: shepherd’s pie and meatballs, in the near future.

“He’s happy,” Medeiros said. “It gives him a sense of pride. It’s awesome.”

To learn more about Proloquo2go, visit https://www.assistiveware.com/products/proloquo2go

Email Deborah Allard at dallard@heraldnews.com