Is anyone using proloquo2go or other communication software?

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sesl

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A few questions about communication applications:

First - about software for a laptop:

My mother has bulbar onset ALS - thinking about getting her a netbook (mini laptop computer) that she can cart around to help her with using MSN Messenger, email and so on when she's away from her desktop computer. Is there any good communication software that we could load onto a laptop or netbook that would help? I imagine she might use the laptop not only for "distant" communications with people who are elsewhere, but also to talk to someone across the table at lunch - is there something that would assist with this other than typing into MS-Word or similar?

Second, is anyone using the iphone application proloquo2go? It looks pretty good, but I'm not sure whether her fingers would cope with the minature keyboard. I also don't want her to have to learn multiple communication technologies. That would be a challenge.

Third question - interested in whether anyone has compared any of the above to a LightWriter. We can borrow those for free, but the laptop option would have additional features (eg. email), and so would the iphone (eg. SMS texting).

So overall I'm interested in whether anyone can provide comparisons or pro's con's of any of these, or even just opinions about which of these work.

I have read the previous thread about Communication Devices, but my question is more specific about the options that we've been considering . . . and I didn't want this question to get lost at the bottom of that thread.

Thanks - SESL
 
I use prologue2go on my IPhone and I have a case that has a speaker. For me it works wonderfully, but I have Bulbar only with no limb involvement at this time. Also, I am a quick typist. I use it to order food in restaurants, communicate with people face to face and it is also good to just type in my Deli order at the grocery store and hand it to the clerk to read.
I have a laptop with Words+ on it and use it at work, but there are other programs out there that are free such as natural reader. You type into a word document and it speaks what you type.
Hope this has been some help.
NancyS
 
SESL, I use a 10" netbook as my main device for both remote and face to face communication. There are a number of programs that will work well on any Windows machine and I use NextUp and Etriloquist. NextUp costs about $100 but comes with a couple of good voices and Etriloquist is free but does not come with voices so unless you buy a voice it uses the very bad Windows voices. Both programs will use purchased voices from AT&T and Cepstral. You can do a search for these and download samples to decide what you want to sound like.

What I like about the netbook solution is that it is fairly portable, it has an almost full size keyboard, I can do emails, surf the internet, talk on the forum and have a voice again. I bought an Asus EEE PC 1000HE which has a number of features that others do not like a battery that lasts about 6 hours, a built in web cam, bluetooth so I can connect to my cell phone, and a 160 gb hard drive. With the voices that I bought the whole set up with a bluetooth cordless mouse cost me about $600. The sound output is good and I can communicate with a group in a small room with the built-in speakers and if I want to yell I plug in a small amplified speaker I bought at WalMart for $20.

I also have a DynaVox Palmtop3 which I got supplied to me by the government here but although it costs about 10 times (I paid a $500 deductible) what my netbook set up costs the available voices are not as good and it can be difficult to use the small stylus on the tiny onscreen keyboard. It is also somewhat bulky and will not fit into my pocket because of the speaker that is attached to the back. I would like to try the Apple IPhone or IPod Touch with the Proloquo2go program because it could be the most portable solution but right now I am doing ok with what I have.

I hope that this helps you, if you want to ask anything else I will be happy to answer if I can.

Barry
 
Thanks Barry and NancyS. Your replies are very helpful.

sesl
 
I have used a Lightwriter for over 9 years and like it.

The major reason is the "dual display" that allows the listener to see what you are typing. I find that greatly aids my communication. The listener can read and hear. I think that helps a lot in intangible ways.
Plus, if I misspell a word or mistype, the listener can figure out what I said. If a person doesn't hear well, such as my father, he can read what I said. In a noisy environment, such as a restaurant, it is not necessary that my speech be heard. In addition, I can mute the device to say something to a person next to me that I do not want e evryone to hear.

I tried a laptop 9 years ago and found the Lighwriter to have a longer battery life. It is light weight, turns on instantly and is not as fragile. With the laptop, I felt like someone had to stand behind me to read what I said if I was not understood right away. I'm in a wheelchair and use the Lightwriter on my lap with a thin book under it.

If I could not use a keyboard but needed scanning to input, I might want a different device.

I have a desktop Mac for email and internet and do not feel need for my speech device to repeat that function. When I had a PC, I used etriloquist. It was an excellent program plus FREE.

I'd like to hear from laptop users about my views about the dual display. I am curious about their experiences being understood without the listenenr being able to also read. I'm still using my Lightwriter that I acquired 9 yrs ago. I could qualify for a new device; perhaps the technology has improved since I last looked.
 
Hi All

I was so exited when I saw this thread as we are off to town tomorrow to buy an iphone and the Proloquo2go software.

Things here in the UK may be slightly different in the US but my husband has a laptop with an excellent speech programme called Winbag - its excellent and extremely easy to use. Mark had internet training on it which I believe came as part of the software deal.

Mark was originally supplied with a lightwriter but never really got on with it. He likes the laptop software as you can download different voices to suit. The voices are very natural sounding and if you don't like the way a word is pronounced you can change it by telling the software to pronounce it in a different way - very clever.

He has decided to get the iphone as its so portable.

ctk56 - I believe the latest lightwriter is an SL40 - unfortunately the MND resources won't stretch to this for Mark at the moment but it looks excellent.
 
I am wondering if is there similar as Proloquo2Go for windows?
 
My father-in-law also has bulbar onset and he is starting to have limb involvement. He started to use Proloquo2Go on an iPad about a month ago. He seems to be doing very well with it. We chose an iPad because you can configure the number and size of the icons displayed on the screen. Right now he is able to have the maximum number at the smallest size but as the use of his hands deteriorates, he will be able to make the icons bigger and have fewer displayed.

Plus he can watch movies, listen to music and read his books (the kindle app is free!) on the ipad.
 
Barry is right. Important thing is to be sure of long battery independence. I chose a Samsung NC10 for the longest battery life and it is escellent. I still find myself trying to mek myself understood, though, instead of depending on it and several quite important mishaps have resulted. Did you find the initial switchover difficult, Barry? Have you found a good way to carry it? Probably on your new chair it is easy.
Love to all
 
Iris, it was an ongoing process for me and eventually I just gave up trying to talk at all. I still get frustrated occasionally when a conversation is going too fast for me and I just hold up my hand like a traffic cop to stop the other person. I had a visit the other day from my OT who is a very nice woman but she would ask me a question and then before I could reply she would ask another so by the time I answered the first she forgot the question. Finally I just stopped. She got the picture and we had a good conversation after that. Beth is very good at telling people to wait for me in a conversation so that I don't get too frustrated but it is still hard and I am so jealous of people who can talk.

I have to start working on carrying the netbook on the chair, so far I have been relying on my iPod when I am out but the netbook keyboard is easier and faster. I'll let you know if I have any bright ideas about it.

Barry
 
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