Ann Hoffmann| ALS Association MN, Now Serving ND, Coordinator for the Hrbek-Sing Communication and Assistive Device Program | PH: 763-520-0445 |  Fax:  763-520-0355|Courage Center | 3915 Golden Valley Road | MPLS, Minnesota 55422
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  | CourageCenter.org
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Hi Antoinette,

 

I do have an iPod Touch, which I use to demo the technology so people can try before they buy.  I have both Proloquo2go and Speak It! installed (I have tried several free or low-cost text-to-speech apps, and Speak It! is by far the best).  Most PALS who have tried these apps don’t think that P2G is worth the extra $188 over the $2 Speak It, and one guy I know who has P2G only uses the keyboard part of the app, which is pretty much what you get with Speak It.  I think P2G could be very useful if the PALS or family really took the time to customize it and get it set up in a useful way, but most of them don’t have the time or inclination to do this.  Speak It! is simpler to learn and use, and it’s a great bargain.

 

I got a free copy of P2G by registering with them as an assessment center.  On this web page you can see the list of assessment centers, and click the Contact Us link to request an application:

http://www.proloquo2go.com/resources/article/us-resource-centers

 

I think it is definitely worth having an iPod for people to try out, and worth having P2G for demo.  Lots of PALS have read or heard about P2G, so that’s the one they want to try.  In my experience, they usually end up going with Speak It! instead due to the price difference and Speak It’s simpler operation, but they like having options.  I don’t have any iPods in my loan closet, so I don’t have any experiences to share there.  I would worry about them coming back damaged or not coming back at all.  If anyone is actually loaning iPods out to people, I would be interested to hear how that is going.

 

 

 

Hello all,

 

I have been blessed with a $5000 gift to purchase AAC/ECU equipment.  I already have a few things that I want to purchase, but I was thinking about getting some iPod Touch systems (maybe 1 or 2)? 

 

I know we had discussed these systems in the past, but now that they have been around for a while, I would like to know people’s opinions of them –

- do you think it is worth while to have these systems in your loan closet?

- is the proloquo2go software worth it?

 

Any other suggestions on how to best spend this money to stock a loan closet would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Antoinette Verdone, MSBME, ATP

Assistive Technology Specialist

The ALS Association, Greater New York Chapter

42 Broadway, Suite 1724

New York, NY 10004

Fax: 212-619-7409

Email: xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx

www.als-ny.org

 

"One cannot consent to creep when one has the impulse to soar"  -- Helen Keller