Amplification
 & Voice Banking

 

Individuals who can speak might just need a little boost. PA or Personal Amplification systems (in our loan closet) are an easy, portable way to raise your voice without extra effort. These PA systems can be attached to belt loops or Velcro-ed to the front of wheelchairs! 

Voice banking is a very important tool for individuals who may lose their voice due to illness or disability. There are many different ways to "save" your voice, including 

recordable books, recordable picture frames and  recordable toys, which can all be found in our al.at4all library. If you are interested in banking phrases for communication devices, programs like  Audacity, Model Talker, and Microsoft Sound Recorder are great for recording sound files. 

Please check out our ALS, Voice Banking  and Speech Amplification Module for more information and ideas. 

  

AAC and SGD

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices help those with communication difficulties effectively express feelings, emotions, and ideas. Speech Generating Devices (SGD) take those thoughts and verbally speak them aloud. These devices can include iPads, communication books, eye-gaze computers, simple one button communicators, and so much more.  

Apps that are not picture or symbol based include  Predictable, Verbally, CommunicAide, and  urVoice. These programs will speak what you type. 

Apps that are good for picture based communication include  CoughDrop, LAMP Words for Life, Proloquo2Go, and SonoFlex

Tobii Dynavox is a company that develops eye-gaze systems--computer like devices that track pupil movement so individuals with limited movement can still communicate.  

Simple communication devices can include Mini Comm Single Message Communicators,  iTalk2, or the 30 Second Big Point. These devices are ways to easily communicate simple sentences and needs, or can be used as practice devices for more complicated technologies when needed.