Our Article in the Wall Street Journal

Reprinted from the Wall Street Journal - By JOSEPH DE AVILA

Dino Sgueglia has always struggled to communicate with his teenage autistic son Danny. But things have been improving since his son began using an iPad app designed specifically for people with autism and other conditions that make it difficult to speak.

The app, called Proloquo2Go, lets Danny touch symbols on the screen, which are then read aloud in a human-like voice through the iPad’s speakers. For example, by touching specific symbols, his son can now tell Mr. Sgueglia when he needs to use the restroom or what he wants to eat.

“It’s amazing how difficult life is when you can’t communicate, and this gives them a voice,” Mr. Sgueglia says.

Now through his new charity called Danny’s Wish, Mr. Sgueglia wants other autistic children to experience what it’s like to finally communicate. The charity has given out 50 iPads to autistic children so far and plans to donate at least 50 more in 2012.

“We wanted to bring considerable attention to autism and how it’s underfunded,” says Mr. Sgueglia, who is from Long Island. “We are helping some unfortunate families that don’t have the wherewithal to purchase an iPad.”

And so far the program has received a lot of attention. The charity, which is distributing the iPads nationwide, has more than 500 pending applications for the device.

Danny’s Wish screens each applicant and tries to select individuals who need it the most. “It’s a shame we can’t do more,” Mr. Sgueglia says.

To get the charity funded, Mr. Sgueglia used his expertise from running a credit-card processing company. His company, IRN Payment Systems, set up a program called Hope Process that enables merchants to make charitable donations via credit-card transactions.

Merchants who take credit-card payments typically pay fees on every card transaction. But Hope Process doesn’t keep those transaction fees like regular processing companies.

Instead, the program collects the payments and mails out a check to a charity of the merchant’s choice on a quarterly basis.

Merchants end up making about $1,000 in donations on average every year using the program at no additional cost, Mr. Sgueglia said. And the donations are tax deductible like regular charitable contributions.

Mr. Sgueglia set up Hope Process initially to fund Danny’s Wish, but ended up allowing merchants to donate to up to eight charities of their choosing.

For Mr. Sgueglia, Danny’s Wish and Hope Process are all about helping children who aren’t normally able to experience the things that he has been able to provide to his son Danny.

“I never thought I would be dealing with the challenges with Danny,” Mr. Sgueglia says. “I can’t tell you the struggles.”

But Mr. Sgueglia says that he recognizes the some children are even less fortunate than his son.

“I want to leave a legacy for my family to help these kids,” Mr. Sgueglia says.