A new portable computer is helping children with autism -- many of whom cannot speak -- communicate with their families.

A portable computer, called a Palmtop, is one of a growing number of portable communication devices that are giving a voice to autistic children.

Sixteen-year-old Kayle Coutie had struggled with his inability to communicate, which made him act aggressively toward his family.

"He'd bite, he'd kick, he'd punch. You name it, he did it," his grandmother, Lynne Coutie, told CTV News.

But when staff at Bloorview Kids Rehab in Toronto gave Kayle a Palmtop, things changed. It has pre-programmed phrases and sentences that allow him to tell his family what he wants.

"This device has a number of settings that contain pictures and words and an alphabet board," said Bloorview's Margaret Ettorre, a speech-language therapist. "So if he clicks 'school' and 'is it time for' it will speak that whole question."

The Palmtop has a word-prediction function that gives Kayle a list of possible words after he types the first three letters. He can click on the right one and move on, which allows him to communicate more quickly.

It also has words and phrases that correspond with his favourite foods, people he knows and places he frequents.

Now that Kayle has a way to express himself, his behavior has improved.

"Before, he would do a lot of circling the room, do destructive things," said Coutie. "Now he can tell us. And the keyboard is the important part."

Tuesday is World Autism Day, to raise awareness of an ailment that still has no known cause or cure. Symptoms, which include repetitive behavior, a lack of eye contact and an inability to speak, usually appear before a child is three.

The Palmtop is about the size of a Palm Pilot and weighs close to a pound, but it costs about $5,000. The good news is that it can be rented for a fraction of the cost through some provincial health programs.

Experts caution that the use of a device like the Palmtop is not the right fit for every non-speaking autistic child. At Bloorview, for example, a child's written and face-to-face communication skills need to be assessed and then a review panel must approve the use of the device.

• To learn more about this technology and other programs, see the links at the bottom right-hand side of this page.

Based on a report by CTV medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip