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COMMUNICATION AIDS ARE USED FOR:
- Communication
- Literacy
- Environmental Controls
- Education
- Developing Social Skills
WHAT TYPE OF AID?
There are Lots
of Different Types of Communication Aid
Examples of Small Communication Aids
These are simple voice-output machines where the user presses a
button, which then activates a pre-recorded message.
Buttons are covered by overlays
carrying appropriate symbols. These paper overlays can be created by hand
or -much more easily- using a computer programme like Widgit Writing
With Symbols or Boardmaker.
Examples of small communication aids are: Big Mack, Partner 2, 4 etc, Supertalker, LibTalk 4.
If you live in Kent or Medway these aids and others can be borrowed from our Resource Library, so you can try them out before considering a purchase.
Most of them cost between £100 and £2.500.00
Examples of Dynamic Screen Communication Aids.
Some more complicated machines have dynamic screens and the user moves from page to page building up their own level of communication.
Speech on these machines may be recorded by the carer/teacher/therapist or may be digitised.
Examples are the Springboard, Vanguard, Vantage Plus, Say-it Sam, and MT4.
Usually the user selects symbols, but some machines have a texted option, e.g the Say-it Sam.
These machines need programming on the machine itself or from a host computer.
The machines typically cost between £2,000 and £9,000 depending on their complexity.
If you live in Kent/Medway, do Contact us to discuss whether a trial might be appropriate. We also work closely with Communication Aids Suppliers to arrange trial loans and demonstrations of more complex machines at your home or other venue.
Examples of Text Only Communication Aids
Text-only models include Lightwriter or Dynawrite. These are often appropriate for people with literacy skills.
If you live in Kent/Medway, do Contact us to discuss whether a trial might be appropriate. We also have a couple of Lightwriters which may be loaned for 6 weeks from our Resource Library.
Accessing Communication Aids
Ways of Accessing the Aid include:
- Pressing buttons/keys with finger or headpointer
- Using a touch screen or tablet scheme with finger or headpointer
- Using switch-scanning with a switch. There are many different types of switch such as jelly-bean, chin switch, squeeze switch. We have several types of switches to loan from our Resource library
Mounting Communication Aids and Switches
Both machine or switches may need mounts e.g. for wheelchairs.
For more information about Communication Aids
see the website http://www.ace-centre.org.uk/vocapages/main.asp which has a database with pictures and further details.
Actually obtaining a communication aid (Assistive Technology) can be challenging as there is no consistent dedicated provision accross the country.
Simon Judge is petitioning the Prime Minister to request provision where needed. You can sign the petition by following the link.
You will need First an Assessment and then a
Source of Funding
Obtaining a Communication Aid in Kent or Medway
If you feel you need a communication aid please contact us for help and support. Find A Voice will help liaise with relevant professionals from Kent County Council and Primary Care Trust and communication aid suppliers.
People living with Multiple Sclerosis (in UK)
may be able to access advice, training, and funding of equipment through the charity Speakeasier. Please access their very informative website Speakeasier. This site also gives useful information to speech and language therapists and other professionals.
People living with Motor Neurone Disease (in UK)
may be able to borrow resources from the Motor Neurone Disease Association. MND Association - Homepage
Assessments for Communication Aids
in the rest of the UK.
It would be advisable to establish a contact with your local Speech and Language Therapy services. Alternatively you may wish to seek advice from your regional assessment centre e.g the Ace Centre www.ace-centre.org.uk
Address: 92 Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DR
Tel: 01865 759823 (Direct) 01865 795800 (Switchboard)
Fax: 01865 759810
For a list of Other Assessment Centres click here
TouchSpeak
TouchSpeak is AAC software. Its critical objectives are to provide solutions to enable the user to maintain their existing competencies and retain some independence. It is deployed on the leading edge MicroSoft systems of today. Configured as just a dedicated device, to using all the available built-in features: i.e. phone, contacts, camera, notes, word processing etc. A fully configured, high-tech device. Although originally primarily dedicated for adults with acquired conditions, such as aphasia, it has successfully been used with other client groups - e.g. dyspraxia and motor neurone disease.
For more information go to: www.touchspeak.co
Funding the Equipment
This is the difficult part as funding is currently very patchy
and not standard across the country and age-ranges.
Statutory services: i.e. Health, Social Services and Education
should be approached. In theory the latest guidance from central
government on Community Equipment should mean that Social Services
and Health are working together.
With persistence, organisations like Find
A Voice have managed to obtain funding on a case-by-case basis.
You will have to find out who is responsible for Community Equipment
funding within your Primary Health Care Trust and in Social Services
and then lobby hard! The support of local councillors and MPs can
also be helpful. For more advice in Kent and Medway please contact Find A Voice.
- If you are looking for help for a child you should also
consider your child's Statement of Educational Need (if any) and
Individual Education Plan. Could they specify a particular communication
aid as part of the package of support for your child? Contact your local 'Partnership with Parents'. (Your LEA should tell you who
is available in your area.)
- Charitable /individual appeals. Find A Voice do not fund communication aids for individuals, as we believe communication
aids should be covered by statutory funding. However,
some people may find that particular trusts/funds will give them a grant. Possibilities
also include welfare funds linked to your family's employment /area/faith
community. Some people also run quite successful appeals through
local events at pubs, churches, community centres etc and with publicity
in the local press.
- Paying for the equipment yourself. If this is an option
for you, you may well feel that this will avoid a lot of waiting
and bureaucracy. However you should explore other avenues first
and consider that you will also have to pay for mounts, fixings, covers, upgrades, training,
insurance and so on. It is vitally important that you get a professional
assessment especially for the more expensive machines.
Other Options - Different Methods of AAC.
Many communication aids use symbols, so you may want to explore
the use of symbols on paper and in other media e.g. communication books and
computer programmes such as Widgit, Boardmaker and Clicker. You may also be
interested in signing systems like Makaton or Signalong. For
more details please contact us. Using Signing and Symbols may well
complement Communication Aids or they could be an alternative to using
a communication aid.
For more information email: joy@findavoice.org.uk
or telephone 01233 640443.
'Say It Sam!'
Palm Sized Communicator
The 'Say-It-Sam!' is a No Problem,Easy to use,Handy-Sized Communicator,that is popular with both users and therapists.
Speech can be both synthesised and digitised and it contains dynamic text as well as symbol display and an intelligent keyboard.
Users can deliver their chosen message in 3 ways:
- Speak Mode
- Silent Mode
- Spell Mode
Thereby enhancing Inter-Personal Communication.
You can build powerful and complex vocabulary and sentence structures, using:
- Mayer-Johnson PCS Symbols
- Pictures or
- Text
The Intelligent Keyboard and Number Pad are Optimised for entering Spoken Text.
User Setup can be either: On the device or on a PC.
MegaBee
Frequent Communication Writing Tablet
MegaBee™ is a simple-to-use Writing Tablet to Aid Frequent Communication with:
- Stroke patients
- Motor-loss sufferers
- MS patients
- Motor-neurone Disease Patients
- Patients who have No, or Impaired Ability to Speak and Cannot Write Legibly.
This unique communication aid, is really easy-to-use and fast,- providing convenient, frequent means of communication with the carer, thereby,providing a much enhanced lifestyle for the patient.
It does not require calibration and allows for changes in head position or movement of the tablet.
The Megabee retails at a competitive price of £640.00
For further details, see website at: www.megabee.co.uk
TOBY CHURCHILL LTD
Toby Churchill Ltd,is commited to the development and production of dedicated communication aids.
The company,established for over 30 years,now distributes worldwide and supports many people of all ages with development and acquired communication difficulties.
Advances in technology,enable the company to continue developing new and improved products,but never losing sight of who the equipment is for and how best to deliver reliable and easy to use products.
Toby Churchill Launches New Lightwriter
An exciting new Portable Text-To Speech Aid,aimed at people with speech impairment,to communicate widely and to control their environment,has recently been unveiled by Toby Churchill Ltd.
The SL40 Lightwriter ,is the latest addition to a series of highly acclaimed Lightwriter Products from the company.It offers a large range of functions,aimed at all ages and a wide range of disabilities,including people who have no speech or lost speech,as a result of illness or trauma.
The SL40 Lightwriter,incorporates a user friendly,intuitive interface,with out-facing daylight readable display,encouraging conversational interaction in all settings.
It houses an inbuilt Natural Selection prediction,for faster communication and a selection of high quality Acapela voices,for improved intelligibility with intonation.
Also includes a built-in SMS Texting
and Adjustable Keyboard.
SL40 LIGHTWRITER (Toby Churchill)
- Robust,Ergonomic and Lightweight Design
- Extensive Memory Capacity
- Notebook for Speech Giving
- Alarm Book and Phone Book Functions
- Easy to Use Set-Up Wizard
- Long Life Rechargable Battery
- New Attractive Colours
The Package Includes:
- Three Year Comprehensive Warranty
- Three Key Board Options
- Carry Bag
- Keyguard Tools
- Quick Start and User Guides
- Free Carriage within the UK.
- Optional In-Car Charger and Mounting System is available.
Barriers to Achieving Communication Aids.
Barriers to achieving equipment include: a serious shortage of assessors, the fact that Integrated Equipment Service (health/social services) is not working in many parts of the country, young children are not getting equipment soon enough so are being held back; services are not joined up so for example some wheelchairs can’t have mounts for communication aids. The end of the BECTA Communication Aids Project in schools has created uncertainty about how school children will be funded for their equipment.
What Would Help the Situation
Solutions proposed have included a statutory right to a communication aid, regional assessment centres, integrating education and health responsibilities to fund equipment, having effective local implementation, creating a single information system about communication equipment, having effective role models of communication aid use.
What Find A Voice is Doing
Despite very limited resources, Find A Voice is at the cutting edge of addressing these issues. For example we are:
- Negotiating with health/education/social services to provide solutions for individual Kent residents from resources currently available.
- Helping to streamline assessments and funding applications at a local level by coordinating links between service users, Speech and Language Therapists, and health and social services.
- Helping to streamline the process of making Direct Payments for equipment in Kent.
- Providing equipment from our loan library that can be used by very young children as part of ongoing assessment of their communication needs. (e.g switch toys, Pal Pad switches)
- Providing case studies of people looking for communication aids on our website, and just as important, giving details of how people who now have aids are using their equipment.
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BigMack 
Beth Moulam(left)receives the First New Lightwriter SL40 from David Collison(Chairman of Toby Churchill Ltd.)
