Antoinette:
Check out this handout from Dynavox. Not all of it will be pertinent, but it may give him some ideas on how to speed up conversations by creating longer narratives
before conversations. If the patient is wanting to have real conversations, perhaps setting up narratives would be the way to handle that. This might work for at least frequent topics and conversations that this patient may have with people (e.g., trips they
have taken, topics of interest, recent movies he saw, etc.). It won't solve everything, but it may speed up some conversation. Also, I don't know if you patient is using eye gaze on the TobiiDynavox, but the NoDwell trial software might speed up communication
if it works for him. I hope this helps!
-Kelly Neff, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
University of New Mexico Hospitals
I got the following question from a PALS that I would like to get additional feedback on:
"I am now effectively at a point where people can no longer understand me when I speak, except when I use individual words like yes. no, hungry, etc. But no sentences; they come out
slow and slurred. I've taken the first step; I have a Tobii-Dynavox and am learning how to use it. But that doesn't address how to actually be part of an interchange with people and even with my wife. I feel like there's this person inside me bottled up
that can't get out.
Maybe this is just a pipe dream but Is there any good literature that is available that would help me and other people to know how to achieve this?"
I already gave him some pointers on how to facilitate AAC use, such as letting people know if it is ok to guess and waiting for him to finish. I also shared with him some low tech options,
but I would like to know others thoughts on this.
Thanks for your feedback.
Antoinette Verdone, MSBME, ATP
Owner, Rehabilitation Engineer
3310 W Braker Lane, Suite 300-424, Austin TX 78758
DARS Provider# 1-274278960-0-000
"One cannot consent to creep when one has the impulse to soar" -- Helen Keller