Please
remove Beth Barrett:
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx and add
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx to this list
Mary
C. Riggs, MS,. CRC, LPC
Director
of Care Services and Chapter Programs
The
ALS Association, St. Louis Regional Chapter
Where
Patients Matter Most
Fax:
314-432-2991
Phone:
888-873-8539
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From:
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Alisa Brownlee
Sent: Friday, January 06, 2012 3:35 PM
To: National ALS Association AT Listserv
Subject: FW: info request
Importance: High
Hello
fellow AT professionals,
Below is an
email I received this afternoon. Anyone have any out of the box ideas
for this family?
Thanks,
Alisa
Alisa Brownlee,
ATP
Clinical Manager, Assistive Technology Services
Follow me on Twitter @alsassistivetec
or visit my blog on assistive technology for people with ALS:
http://alsassistivetechnology.blogspot.com
Direct phone number 215-631-1877
From:
Vlahos Ioannis
[mailto:xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Fri 1/6/2012 4:23 PM
To: Alisa Brownlee
Subject: info request
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.