Dear Ms Brownlee,

I have found your e mail while searching for information about augmentative communication and I am addressing you ,hoping to get some advice and information.

We live in Greece, island of Crete, my wife 58 yrs old., was diagnosed 5 years ago with ALS (bulblar form). Two years ago she underwent tracheostomy, and she cannot speak since then. For more than a year She was able to write on a board as her hands were not affected. However , In the past 8 months her condition worsened and she cannot write anymore-or she does , but we cannot read her writing.

I have made for her a large board with printed capital letters of the alphabet , so that by pointing at the letters we can know what she wants to say.

Unfortunately her vision is not so good (diplopia) so when she points to a letter her hand keeps shaking and she ends up pointing to a different (neighbohring ) letter than the one she intends to show.

This makes communication very difficult and requires a lot of time and patience and most of the times we cannot make up what she wants to tell us.

Would you have something to suggest and advice us for helping and making communication possible?

I know there are computers . but she cannot use one , because of the eye and the hand problem.

Whatever the apparatus proposed, it has to have large letters (not a regular keyboard) and be easy to look at or touch.

I would appreciate any information you can give us.

we could not afford a very expensive apparatus, so a rahter simple solution would be the most advicable.

Thanking you in advance

sincerely,

Yannis Vlahos

Eva's husband and caregiver.