Speech and Communication device advice needed

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Cereus

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My husband has Bulbar ALS and FTD. He is speaking less and less. I've read the threads on the different devices, pros and cons. I would love to have him try the iPhone with the Proloquo2go app but am afraid it may be too difficult mentally. His dexterity is fine. Or the FTD may have robbed him of the words spoken or written? Does anyone have experience with a pFTD using something successfully?
 
Why not consider the new iPad, the same apps will evidently work on it and the keys are huge compared to iTouch/iPhone. Which may be important as his dexterity decreases as mine has done. Anyway check them both out. The ipad isn't available in Oz yet.
I have an iTouch with ProloQuo2 but mostly use a Lightwriter as I am too slow on the iTouch.
revelee2
 
I don't have any direct experience with this, but if you go to the proloquo2go web site, they have a section on children using the program. It seems to be very easy to use with lots of colorful icons. Depending on how the FTD develops this might be a good option.
 
Web and I "talked" about this very issue today. His speech is so difficult to understand now and I wanted him to look at the Ipad with the Proloquo2go apps only to have him tell me that he doesn't want any machine at all! WHAT? He said that he would begin writing and when that was gone he would just be silent! I am devastated. I will give it a few days and then ask again to make certain that he has really thought this through and it truly is what he wants...He does not have FTD but is not a fan of technology and becomes easily frustrated just with using the computer. I can not imagine not communicating. heavy sighs and sniffs
 
Oh KM, I am so sorry. Technology is difficult for a lot of people even with no issues. Maybe when the time really comes, he will change his mind. If not, we communicate in other ways so much more than we realize. As a horse owner, my remaining mare only has to move an ear, lower her head an inch or soften her eye and I know what she is telling me. I think my post was a last-chance effort to postpone the inevitable. Funny though, I posted it Tuesday and yesterday he spoke better that he has in a month! Just to prove me wrong?!

Thanks for the info everyone. Maybe I'll get an iPhone for me and let him try Proloquo2go. Worst case, I have a new phone!

KM, I always get a lot of joy when I see your avatar. I'm a huge Oz fan and it applies to my life daily. We aren't in Kansas anymore!
 
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I don't have any speech problems yet, but , being a computer geek by trade, I've studied the AAC options for PALS for the last year and a half. The best option that I see these days is to buy one of the smaller netbook computers running one of the Windows operating systems. The reason I recommend this is flexibility.

1) There is a ton of free accessibility software out there for Windows machines. Programs to help with typing. Programs that replace the mouse buttons. Programs that allow you to use a webcam to control your mouse pointer. Programs that will allow you to type a certain key sequence and see a whole sentence appear onscreen. And many others. All free.

2) When your PALS becomes more disabled, there are all kinds of commercial AAC software offerings out there, and the overwhelming majority of those commercial programs run on Windows. Things like eyegaze control of the computer. Natural sounding synthetic voices.

3) Comparatively speaking, netbooks are dirt-cheap. I've seen some good ones on sale for as little as $300 US.

4) If your PALS is already comfortable with Windows PCs, there is nothing to learn but how to use the new AAC software. If you use free AAC software , you can install your PALS preferred software on every computer in your house, which provides instant redundancy. If your PALS' primary communication device fails, then you have backup devices for your PALS to use until the primary device is repaired or replaced.

5) Bigger devices are better. iPhones, iPods, etc. are small and cute and portable, but they only work for your PALS as long as the PALS has reasonably normal use of his/her hands. If you want to know how it's going to work when your PALS's hands start going, put on the thickest pair of gloves you own and see how it works. After you struggled to type a single sentence for about ten minutes and you want to rip off the gloves and throw them across the room, stop and think "The spot I have picked for my gloves to land-- that would look like what with an iPod/iPhone/Palmtop sitting in the middle of it -- possibly in a couple of pieces?" This PALS may not be able to operate all the fiddly little buttons on one of those cute little gadgets, but I can still fling them across all the rooms in my house.

Just a few thoughts from one of your gadget-friendly PALS.
 
Indigosd - my mother made a similar decison to Web. She didn't like using an electronic device, so she had some little whiteboards and she has communicated with those for about 5 months now.

However her hands are now very weak, and she's doing a lot more hand signals, pointing and thumbs-up and so on. When she writes she likes to write in full sentences, but it is getting harder and harder.

We have the speech therapist visiting on Monday to talk to us about Communication Boards. Even if she is silent she will need to be able to point to something that can communicate that her legs are uncomfortable or she wants a pillow under back, or her pain needs to be dealt with.

sesl
 
We are using a Dynavox Express and it is great! very small and easy to use.
 
TUSSEN TAKK for all the incredible support, advice and information! We do have two Dell computers and also a Dell notebook and all three have Windows as the operating systems-one is Windows XP and that is the PC that Web is the most comfortable using. My PC and the notebook use Vista. He has used the notebook a few times. Which freeware would you suggest? Maybe I could install it on the PC that he uses [Windows XP] and just let him try it and see? Or would it be better on the notebook that uses the Vista program? HE TRULY DOES NOT LIKE THE COMPUTERS :[ I could not survive without them! He has large hands, hates typing and has little patience these days for issues that frustrate him. I wonder if his refusal is partly depression or maybe just a little denial...? I HATE THIS DISEASE.
 
Kay Marie,
It is very late but I will get back to you later with speech device info but you can download a free program called E-triloquist that will work on a windows computer, preferably Windows XP.

Barry
 
I went but maybe it is just this head cold kicking my brain-I am tooo overwhelmed. hugs, Kay Marie
 
Don't feel bad Kay Marie! It is difficult when you are trying to help your pALS decide on things that will help them. What YOU may think works, doesn't always work for them. At least that is my experience.
 
Every new piece of equipment we get sits for awhile before it gets used. I think it is the reality of this !@#$ disease that scares them when something new is needed. We just got a hospital bed, and he won't use it. It's here for when he is ready, but he is depressed because he knows he will need it. It is hard to know when to push something, and when to just let it go. HUGS Lori
 
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