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Lory

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My father was diagnosed about 9 months ago, limb onset. He has extremely limited use of his arms now and within a few months will have no use, the doctor is predicting. My brothers and I are thinking about getting him an iPad mini for Christmas, as it's something he's wanted for awhile. I don't have an iPad and don't know a lot about them. I was wondering if other Pals with limited to no arm movement use iPads, and if there is some kind of voice control app I could get for him? Dad loves to read and I hate that he can't hold and turn pages anymore. :( I was hoping that he could read books and go online using voice commands.........

I am so thankful for this site. Reading everyone's posts gives me a lot of hope for my dad!
 
I am not sure that the iPad offers control without the use of finger?

Perhaps someone else will chime in...
 
you can get many types of switches for the ipad, talk to a speech pathologist or OT to get some help choosing directions there?
 
When i could no longer use my arms, i just used my smart phone. It's important to get one with a small enough screen for him to hold it in his hand and use just the fingers. I posted about it here, on my blog. They have reading apps. And text to speech apps are incredibly useful.
 
There is an app for the iPad called Speakit I am not sure if it is one word of two but it converts text to speech. I am thinking about getting one shortly. there is also a new Tobii product that allows one to use there eyes to control a laptop or desktop computer. It will not work with iPads because I am told that they do not have a USB port.
 
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I have bulbar ALS onset & use an I pad mini. The bigger keyboard makes it easier to hit the right buttons. I got the mini so it would fit in my purse, otherwise i would have gotten the larger ipad for even bigger screen. I use the apps Verbally (text to speech), it is geared for adults. I also use Flip Writer (type on one site & type shows up on the other side so someone sitting across from you can read it). Very helpful in loud places. It also has a Verizon text app i use for texting.

I still have use of hands & legs. I have heard of pals using a mouth stick to operate. Seri would be useful if you still have your voice, but you would still need a way to push the button to activate Seri.
 
my wife used an ipad until her fingers could no longer work.

We then gave the ipad back to our daughter who bought it.
 
I use an ipad mini with Proloquo2Go. I can still type with my fingers, but when the use of them fades, I'll have to look into an eye-gaze type setup.
 
I just wrote an extensive reply but lost it..
Here's the summary, don't buy an ipad, buy a tablet that runs a full version of windows 8 not android. Its about $400 more but far more adaptive later on when he can no longer use his hands and you need to hook up a smart nav or eye tracker etc..
Ipads have very limited adaptability because everything made for it have to be ok'd by the overlord app Le.
 
Tobii just introduced an eye gaze unit that works with most Windows eight tablets. It's on the Tobii assistive technology page. Medicare might cover the eye gaze unit. You should ask your speech therapist at your ALS clinic.
 
This thread is an example of the "blanket statements are seldom helpful in considering assistive technology" truism.
My husband has no limb use. Nonetheless, he enjoys his iPad mini, which we operate for him, e.g. set up a movie for him to watch on Netflix or his music w/ iTunes. We use a Levo stand so he can use it in his chair, sling or bed. Since he only has one eye, the mini is optimal for him. He also has a mouth mouse (Tetramouse) for our Macbook. He can use SwitchXS and KeyStrokes.
He is losing speech but I doubt very much will be able to use eye gaze or head tracking, due to other pre-existing conditions. For someone like him, a tablet w/ Android would be a paperweight. iOS7 (the iPad operating system), as others have pointed out, is switch-capable and also has a head tracking option for those who can benefit. And yes, voice control has been upgraded as well. For users without voices, Proloquo To Go is the mobile version of the leading Mac text-to-speech app.

Before purchasing technology, consider the PALS' current hardware/software use/desires and what s/he wants to do with a computer and/or mobile device. Do not rely on clinics, as they do not have the time /staff/expertise to consider fully your home life and what would work best. That's the only blanket statement about technology that I could make.
 
Surface Pro 2 is now out. I like it and it is easier, I think, than the iPad
 
I mom has an iPad she can use to communicate. She has SpeakIt and the free version of Verbally+ . Verbally+ has many more options and seems to be a more comprehensive program.

For her purse I purchased a 7inch Android table. The free software package she uses on it is called TalkNow. TalkNow seems to work well. It can also be installed on many Android phones and Android tablets. The Android tablet was cheaper than the iPad - the Android tablet I purchased for her was $79.95 at Walmart.
 
This thread is an example of the "blanket statements are seldom helpful in considering assistive technology" truism.
My husband has no limb use. Nonetheless, he enjoys his iPad mini, which we operate for him, e.g. set up a movie for him to watch on Netflix or his music w/ iTunes. We use a Levo stand so he can use it in his chair, sling or bed. Since he only has one eye, the mini is optimal for him. He also has a mouth mouse (Tetramouse) for our Macbook. He can use SwitchXS and KeyStrokes.
He is losing speech but I doubt very much will be able to use eye gaze or head tracking, due to other pre-existing conditions. For someone like him, a tablet w/ Android would be a paperweight. iOS7 (the iPad operating system), as others have pointed out, is switch-capable and also has a head tracking option for those who can benefit. And yes, voice control has been upgraded as well. For users without voices, Proloquo To Go is the mobile version of the leading Mac text-to-speech app.

Before purchasing technology, consider the PALS' current hardware/software use/desires and what s/he wants to do with a computer and/or mobile device. Do not rely on clinics, as they do not have the time /staff/expertise to consider fully your home life and what would work best. That's the only blanket statement about technology that I could make.

A tablet with windows 8 would be able to be adapted to do everything that you described plus run eye tracking, head mouse, any switch and probably any future technology developed later on if needed .. I also have no limb and very little head movement and I've discovered the best all encompassing single device for long term use and planning is a full windows tablet, iphones and android tablets are now gathering dust at my place .. Agreed that technology experts at clinics are usually pretty useless though ..
 
I guess my point was a little obscure. 1) I have no time to babysit Windows, which from my work experience is far more time to maintain than the iOS and Apple OS. 2) My husband has very limited energy/vision to do full-on computing and/or to learn new mousing modalities, so a virtual kb is as far as we will ever be able to go (vs. head/eye tracking, scanning). Should he learn to deal with switches, both OS are switch-capable.

I also should have pointed out that Voice Dreams, our TTS app, runs only in iOS. With this app, he can read and listen simultaneously to (and potentially highlight, bookmark, annotate, navigate) any text (e-books, his own writing, Web news) using the speed, voice, setup, colors, etc. that he wants (very important for someone w/ his ocular issues). I encourage those on iOS to try it.
 
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