Assistive Technology Center -

Specializing in Providing:

• Assistive Technology  (what is AT?)
  
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication  (what is AAC)?

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies assist people with severe communication disabilities to participate more fully in their social roles including interpersonal interaction, learning, education, community activities, employment, volunteerism, care management, and so on.

The Assistive Technology Center provides comprehensive assessment and consultation in the areas of augmentative communication and assistive technology.  Depending on the needs of the local district, a team consisting of a CSUN certified assistive technology specialist,  a speech therapist, a occupational therapist,  a teacher of the handicapped or a learning consultant is available to provide evaluation, consultation or ongoing assessment.  The Center maintains an exceptional comprehensive library of assistive technology and augmentative communication devices.  These may be loaned out on a short-term basis as part of ongoing assessment, or may be leased by local districts for longer-term sole use by a student.  Staff also provides inservice training for local districts in the use of assistive technology.   When a piece of equipment is leased by a school district, staff from the AT Center provides parents and LEA staff with comprehensive care and use training.

• Our Special Assistive Technology Web Links

• Browse our Lending Library

What is Assistive Technology and Augmentative Communication?

Definition as outlined in IDEA 97:

Assistive Technology (AT) can refer to a service or a device.  An AT Device is any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability.

AT service means any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device.

As mandated by IDEA 97, all students with an IEP must be considered for assistive technology.  To provide a free, appropriate, public education, the IEP team must consider if AT is needed for the student to meet goals and objectives. It is best practice to document in the student’s IEP that AT was considered.

Consideration is a process and should not be confused with assessment.  Consideration is a short process in which the IEP team members use information analysis and critical decision making to determine the students needs for AT.

Augmentative Communication (AAC) is a means of providing an alternate method or mode for child with a disabilities speech to effectively communicate their wants and needs.

AAC equipment can be simple and cheap homemade aids that have no electronics or they can be very clever electronic aids.

AAC assistive technology is comprised of 3 essential elements: a means of selection, a language representation method and outputs (Romich, Vanderheiden and Hill, 2000).

Selection is a function of the physical ability of the individual who will be using the system. Direct selection refers to those methods that are pointing in nature. (Standard keyboard or touch screen). An alternative might be a head pointing systems in which the head position determines the position of an indicator on the screen or in an array. A joystick or a mouse, which are 2 dimensional proportional controls, could also be used to make a selection. . Language representation- MJ symbols, minspeak, real object photos, words, phrases, etc. Outputs- digitized or synthesized.

AAC can be low tech, or high tech.   Low Tech would refer to picture, objects, or symbols that the child could touch, point or give to their communication partner.  They usually are readily available, simple, low cost, easy to use, little maintenance, limited features and limited capabilities. High Tech are not readily available, complex electronics, expensive to learn and use, advanced capability, high maintenance, multiple features and /or functions.  AAC devices can utilize voice output through digitized or synthesized speech.

Assistive Technologies comes in a variety of forms, including:

1. Mechanical, electronic, and microprocessor equipment

2. Non-mechanical and non-electronic aids

3. Specialized instructional materials

4. Specialized services and strategies for individuals with disabilities

This assistive technology can be used by individuals with disabilities to:

1, assist them in living

2. Make the environment more accessible

3. Enable them to compete in the workplace

4. Enhance their independence

5. Otherwise improve their quality of life

Many people think of AT as computer –related or electronically sophisticated, AT can take on many forms. In fact, AT is described as falling along a continuum that ranges from “high tech” to “no-tech.”

“”High tech”- these devices incorporate sophisticated electronics or computers such as speech recognition programs and electronic communication devices.

“Medium-tech” there technologies are relatively complicated mechanical devices, such as manual wheelchairs, switch-operated toys, and appliances, calculators, audio books and etc.

“Low-tech”- these devices are less sophisticated, including adapted spoon handles, magnifiers, pencil grips, non-tipping drinking cups, Velcro fasteners and raised lined paper.

“No –tech”- these solutions include those that make use of procedures, services, and existing conditions in the environment that do not involve the use of devices of equipment. These might include such services as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy or the services of other specialists.

For sometime now, the Technology Center has been looking at the Proloquo2Go as an augmentatuve communication device as we make all attempts at keeping the Center on board when new devices or applications appear.

Many of our parents have come across the information regarding the Proloquo2Go communication solution and have inquired at the Technology Center. The Proloquo2Go  is a new product from Assistive Ware that provides a full-featured communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking. It brings natural sounding text-to-speech voices, up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, and a default vocabulary of over 7000 items, full expandability and extreme ease of use to the iPhone and iPod touch.

The price is reasonable but we do not just look at the price of a device for a student, when we are performing an assistive technology assessment. We are looking at several aspects such as vocabulary, access, weight, and voice output for example, before recommending purchase of a device.  Prior to recommendation, we will provide a device trial, collect data and make sure the device is accessible in all of the student’s environments.  Access or how the device is made to speak is a major concern.  Many of the students have poor fine motor skills, which makes accessing or activating a device overlay the difficult. We then look at other creative ways for accessing such as the use of a switch, maybe a piece of assistive technology such as a t-bar or even their eyes!

We are not saying that the device is not an appropriate means for communication but we may say it may not be appropriate for a specific child. We do not want to add additional frustration to a child by giving them a communication device that they can’t use.   We have been placed in several situations where an outside therapist makes a recommendation for a specific device, the district purchases it and then the device sits for months, maybe longer, because the therapist and or parent neglected to communicate with the child’s school based therapist with regards to the device prior to purchase. That is way we trial devices. Our assessments may take loner than others but we want to assure that the child is using the most appropriate device for them. 

Some of you may have gone web surfing and have come across the product website. Yes, you have many of the gurus of AAC speaking about the device.  We are all saying that is a good device, but they are forgetting to stipulate the limitations (access issues, size, ease of being lost or stolen etc).

Please feel free to contact the Assistive Technology Center with regards to this device or another communication device.  We are here to answer your questions and concerns.  The Technology Center is located in the Mercer Elementary School, second floor.  The phone number is 609-570-1177 or 570-1170.

The Logan ProxTalker AAC device was inspired by a young autistic boy named Logan. His father, Glenn and his colleague Kevin invented the ProxTalker to help Logan and other non-speaking individuals who are using the Picture Exchange System to communicate. The device is easy to use, with sound tags that speak the picture on the tag. The Logan has 100 tags of the users choice plus thousands of words that are preprogrammed so the tags can be added at any time. Customization can be made to the blank tags as easy as 1,2,3. The device is very sturdy and can take a beating as some of our devices do.  It is easy to transport in a nice little backpack. The sound taggs are attached by Velcro to Velcro pages for easy access.

How does it work, you ask? Well, the Logan’s sound tags each use a unique radio frequency identification code. When the tag is placed on the “speak zone” button and pressed, it will speak the word associated with the zone. There are 5 zones so a complete sentence can be formed.  Te sound tags can be recorded over to speak something else but can be brought back to the preprogrammed message with a simple swipe.  The device is kid proof that is they can not get into the battery or change a recording!  It is some much fun to work with!!

The Technology Center has just received their long awaited devices. If you would like to see this device, please contact the Technology Center at 570-1177.