Tag Archive: ALS

Growing AAC Professionals: ALS Communication and Assistive Technology Learning Lab

December 21, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

Growing AAC Professionals: ALS Communication and Assistive Technology Learning Lab

For people with complex communication needs to have access to stronger AAC services, we need more paraprofessional programs to provide mentored AAC experiences. In today’s post, we hear from Krista Davidson, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at The University of Iowa, on how she collaborated with a community organization to introduce student SLPs to AAC supports for people with ALS. Growing AAC Professionals: ALS Communication and Assistive Technology Learning Lab This December I thought I would share with you some more “gifts” of collaboration! The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Iowa uses a team approach to clinical education. Each student typically rotates through 6 specialty-based clinical teams, mine being the AAC Team. I am always looking for new opportunities for my team, especially experiences with client populations I may not have on my caseload. Fortuitously, I met Krista... [Read More...]

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PrAACtical Research: Improving Accessibility for People with Significant Speech Disabilities

July 23, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

PrAACtical Research: Improving Accessibility for People with Significant Speech Disabilities

When clinicians, researchers, and individuals with AAC needs come together to work on a problem, good things can happen. In today’s post, SLP Katie Seaver tells us about her experiences with Project Euphonia. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: My name is Katie Seaver and I have been an SLP for 16 years.  For the past 10 year I have been an SLP and AAC Specialist at the Leonard Florence Center in Chelsea MA at their ALS Residence (see ALSRI.org for more information).  The center is uniquely built to meet the extensive accessibility obstacles pALS experience.  Each room is private with a fully automated environmental control with a program called PEAC.  Once a resident has a device that allows them to access WiFi (e.g. an iPhone or even a Tobii Dynavox SGD) then they have access to their environment as well, from heating and TV, to doors and elevators.    My passion for AAC has been... [Read More...]

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Message and Voice Banking

May 21, 2018 by - Leave your thoughts

Message and Voice Banking

People with declining speech abilities may wish to preserve some aspects of their speech through voice banking, message banking, and/or digital legacies. These are strategies used to digitally record speech by people with degenerative conditions, such as ALS/MND, for later use once their speech abilities decline. You can learn more about each strategy here.   Voice Banking Voice banking is a strategy for creating a synthetic version of someone’s voice for later use on speech generating devices (SGD). It involves recording hundreds or thousands of sentences so that the computer can sample the person’s vocal qualities in different linguistic contexts and use that information to create a synthetic voice modeled after the person’s own speech. Options for Voice Banking include: Model Talker CereVoice Me VocalID My Own Voice Message Banking Message banking is a strategy for creating a pool of pre-recorded messages using a person’s natural speech while it is... [Read More...]

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Video of the Week: Preserving Self with Message Banking When Losing Ability to Speak

November 16, 2016 by - Leave your thoughts

Have you been tuning into the USSAAC webinar series? If not, this is something to add to your calendar. Offered with the support of ISAAC, this series has had some wonderful speakers and topics. In today’s post, we share the most recent presentation with John Costello as the speaker. Enjoy! US friends, please consider supporting these efforts by becoming a USSAAC member. It is the only US organization to bring together people who use AAC, their families, and professionals from various disciplines.   Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2vmiH9tqUQ

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Video of the Week: Direct Selection Using Laser Pointers

February 23, 2014 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: Direct Selection Using Laser Pointers

Looking for ways to support communicators with physical challenges? Laser pointers can be one way to provide access to communication boards and the alphabet. OT Margaret Cotts shows how it works in this interaction between a healthcare professional and a client with ALS. Although today’s featured video focuses on a client with ALS, this is an access tool that could work for individuals with other motor limitations as well. Direct Link to Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0jlCq9QaM4  

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Thoughts on Best Practices in AAC for Individuals with ALS/Motor Neuron Disease

May 15, 2013 by - Leave your thoughts

Thoughts on Best Practices in AAC for Individuals with ALS/Motor Neuron Disease

We’re always gratified by the collegiality of SLPs who work in AAC. In this video, Steven Bloch talks about the need for professionals to have real dialogue about clinical intervention and best practices. He shares his experience of organizing a group of professionals to develop best practice guidelines for working with people who have ALS/motor neuron disease. This brief presentation was recorded at a Therapy Ideas Live event at the Google campus in London this past March. You can access the material developed by Bloch and his colleagues here.    

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Fresh Look: Top 5 Switches for People with ALS by Amy Roman

May 7, 2013 by - 1 Comment

Fresh Look: Top 5 Switches for People with ALS by Amy Roman

We continue our celebration of Better Hearing and Speech Month (#BHSM) with our Fresh Look series. In this post, we are delighted to share the insights of SLP Amy Roman, whose expertise in AAC supports for people with ALS is well-known. During the past 13 years, Amy has been a member of the multidisciplinary care team at San Francisco’s Forbes Norris ALS Research and Treatment Center. The AAC Program she developed at the Norris Center was awarded Program of the Year by the California Speech and Hearing Association in 2010. Through her private practice, she also provides AAC direct services and phone/skype consultations to individuals, caregivers and therapists. In addition, Amy is the Director of the Golden West ALS Association’s AAC Lending Library. She is also the author of AlphaCore© communication software available on DynaVox speech generating devices.  Amy has presents workshops and at conferences on clinical and research topics in AAC.... [Read More...]

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5 Under-Used Strategies in AAC

July 14, 2012 by - 2 Comments

5 Under-Used Strategies in AAC

1. Partner-assisted scanning (PAS) offers great flexibility and spontaneity. Don’t want to take your SGD to the beach? A print-out of the screens and PAS is a great option. Missing key messages for the trip to the doctor’s office? A minute of brainstorming and the use of PAS may just save the day. No way for your client to access her device once she’s in bed? A communication board/book and PAS just might do the trick. – 2. Voice banking: For people are likely to lose their speech due to a degenerative disease, like ALS, the option of saving samples of their speech and having it digitized for future use seems to hold great appeal. We’d love to see more SLPs familiarize themselves with this strategy and the tools to implement it, so that this option is more widely used about individuals whose speech is deteriorating. – 3. Qualitative rating... [Read More...]

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