High Tech AAC
High tech AAC is an electronic device that speaks out loud what the person with complex communication needs wants to say. It’s called high tech because these systems rely on mains power & re-chargeable battery packs as they generally use lighted dynamic displays & synthesised voices. They run sophisticated software vocabularies, multiple voices, are fully accessible, & can be thoroughly customised. Operating systems can be Windows, Android or iOS. It can be in the form of a speech generating app on and iPad or a dedicated speech generating device with eye gaze or EMG spatial control detecting slight muscle movements. Any device needs to be trialed with a client multiple times in therapy sessions with a speech pathologist and compared with other options in order to find what will work best for the client. At Rainbow Speech Pathology we have a range of high tech communication apps on our iPads which we trial with clients all the time. These include but no limited to:
- Grid for iPad
- TD Snap
- LAMP
- Proloquotogo
- Proloquo4text
- simPODD
- Speak4yourself
- Predictable
There are many more options all varying in price and how user friendly they are. Ipad apps are a good option for some AAC users because:
- They are relatively cheap varying from $90-$650
- Accessible you can download from the app store
- most families already have an iPad in their home they can use
- portable and light
- mainstream devices help children and adults ‘blend in’ at school, university and work
However, iPad are limited as a speech generating device because they are very fragile, the screens break quite easily when dropped! They are also not very loud in a busy classroom or restaurant it can be hard to be heard. Many people associate iPad with games and YouTube so it can be hard to get a person with complex communication needs to recognise it as their voice. Also iPads don’t last- the apps can become obsolete and if it has been highly personalised- this can be sad to lose all the vocabulary.
For a person we think will need to rely on robust AAC long term a dedicated speech generating device is the best option. These are more expensive ranging from $4000- $25000 but the technology has been specifically designed to be a person’s voice. Usually the battery life is much better, the devices are more robust physically and can be mounted on wheelchairs to use alternate access methods like switching or eye gaze. At RSP we organise trials of high tech communication devices all the time for our clients through Liberator, Link Assistive, Control Bionics and Zyteq who all have a range of the latest devices and loan them out to clients on a trial basis. Find out more about high tech communication options through the following links:
https://www.linkassistive.com/
https://www.zyteq.com.au/products/communication_systems
https://www.controlbionics.com/
Written by Calla Dolton Speech Pathologist
