assistive technology clinic (voice banking)

[Zaphoon]

Hey Capt Al,

I enjoyed the tale about grandma and her lean-to attempts!:mrgreen:

Very funny!

Zaphoon

 

[DgtofTNfan]

Thanks Rose! By the way, my Dad's voice is pretty much what you described as yours.

 

[MtPockets]

No amount of money can every repay what the Forum has done for us.

Thanks everyone for all the good information. Can you imagine all the knowledge we have gained on this Forum,

IF WE HAD TO RESEARCH IT FOR OURSELVES? Never!
Git R Done. :roll:
Keep sharing those wonderful ideas and info.

Rose this info is vital. Thanks again.

I will try that program Barry. I noticed I am getting more noise from a fan that has dust on it, maybe out of balance. I will try that also.
I built my own computer, so I should be able to fix the problem. I also had a ceiling fan on behind me and did not notice. :-?

 

[BarryG]

Hi Rose, I got a reply back from my DynaVox rep. She says that the only voices that can be used with the Palmtop3 Impact software are the ones it comes with (DecTalk and Accapela).

So my options for having the same voice on all my speech devices are just Ryan and even then I have to pay another $35.00 to buy him for my desktop (and an open, SAPI version of Ryan that will work with E-triloqist is $190). I hope that you can find a voice that you like on your Palmtop because that's all there is. The one drawback to an otherwise great machine.

 

[JamesMcC]

Hi all,
I just got back from my clinic in Uni of Salt Lake and it was recommended to me by the MDA rep and speech therapist toget the mini notebook they offer with touch screen and eye control.They said the expensive ones are hard to operate and its free from Mda $800 worth with all the speech software.Imo these and the specialist opinion these $7-12k devices are a waste of money and the one the mda recommends does the same.I'm receiving mine this coming week.Mda covers $2k for speech and $2k for other.
James

 

[BarryG]

Something else that just occurred to me, will your banked voice from Model Talker work with the Palmtop3 Impact software? I would check on that before I decided on a device.

In my opinion DynaVox is the Microsoft of speech devices/software, it's "use our stuff exclusively because there isn't anybody else and even if there was our hardware/software won't work with theirs"

 

[rose]

Barry,

Thanks so much for posting this ~ and it is NOT what the SLP told me at Hopkins when I was down there. She'd said any of the touch screen ones would accept my voice. I don't have the palmtop yet, so now on Monday I"m gong to call Dynavox and also the Prentke Romich Company and find out which models they say will accept outside software.

This is another really good reason to borrow a device before buying ones own.

I really wish I'd been given the correct information at the clinic. Like I'd posted earlier, when I was there, she seemed so much more geared for showing me the various communication devices, but did not seem prepared to help me choose the correct device as far as voice banking. It was like we were going round in circles.

 

[rose]

Barry, you were posting while I was responding to your last. I will find out specifically about which devices will work (as best as I am able) by contacting Dynavox, and Prentke Romich, and will send Model Talker an email.... After giving this a little thought here, they (MT) probably will know which ones I can use it on. But I need to be sure.

I agree that Dynavox is a "Microsoft shop" but, the model talker needs a windows platform as well, so maybe that is a good sign.

 

[rose]

James,
Were you able to actually try out the devices? The SLP had a suitcase of various models for us to look at.

What my main issue is concerns being able to add my own synthesized voice onto the device.

It is true the MDA will give all PALS $2,000 toward a communication device, but in addition to this, Medicare is said to pick up the remainder of the tab, but will only pay for a new device every 5 years. Hence, I don't think choosing the device something where price should guide the decision, as much as getting something that fits with what the person wants or needs.

Another forum member just got his dynavox eyemax, it will be interesting to get his feedback on using it.

If a person is not going to be able to use their own voice, then other features would rise in importance.

 

[rose]

A FYI for those who have been following this thread with interest in the voice banking. After I get my synthesized voice, I will find a way to provide a link for forum members to be able to hear it and compare it with my natural voice.

Its such a race against time. Today my voice is really better than most, but nevertheless, the downhill slide can't be ignored anymore. I was able to spend a good while recording yesterday, because many needed entries, (after the first section) were not sentences or phrases, but rather mostly one or two word combination's. I was able to rest frequently in between each one, and even though I expended a lot of time, it did not tire my voice particularly. My family was kidding me saying I'd taken a vow of silence, because I would not talk to anyone on the phone or anything, was determined to only use it for recordings, and the strategy worked!

..... then I accidentally closed my inventory file (oops) I sent MT an email asking if they could re-open it. I really really REALLY don't want to have to start over again. Of course with it being a weekend, I probably won't hear back from them before Monday.

I did add some custom sentences and phrases too. I do not know if there is a limit to how many custom ones it will accept.

 

[DgtofTNfan]

A note to add ... the SLP told me that Medicare will cover the device at 80% and my Dad's supplement may pick up the 20%. If not and there is a need to go through the MDA, she said the MDA has to do their own physician evaluation. She said this will slow down the process and seems redundant in getting this additional appointment set up but worth it for the $2,000 assistance. Has anyone else heard this?

James I will be interested in your opinion of your mini notebook. I too am concerned the devices with all the bells and whistles will go unused by my Dad if they are too complicated.

 

[JamesMcC]

The great thing about this notebook is your internet is not deactivated.Its a 9 inch ,they add a rw device for storage.Its light.So you ca use any software on it as it a regular pc with internet.Other devices do not have internet activated.You can try any speech software.They provide eye control device,touch screen,speaker ,microphone.best of both worlds as its a normal pc.I couldnt believe it when they mentioned it to me.The clinic nurse said the only person that she ever saw work the "so called" great expensive machines was the rep ...lol
I cant wait to get it.
James

 

[BarryG]

James, what make is the netbook computer, can you give us details about what you're getting?

Barry

 

[MtPockets]

What size type is on the screens?

I have bad eyesight. If I remove my glasses I can barely read a stop sign. I am concerned about the ease of reading the screens on the various devices we are talking about here.
I was hoping to get a big screen laptop so I could increase the type size large enough to be easily read. Is that possible? Sounds like we are getting mixed signals from some of the sales reps who want us to buy their stuff?

My concern is because I have sat in this same wheelchair for years now. When I bought it I saw a picture on line and said yes that is what I want. Turns out the salesman who was showing me the pictures had that model sitting on his showroom floor for some time and wanted to sale it. It was not "sized" to fit me. I have since learned that there are people who measure you and build the chair to fit your frame. Two examples:
1. The back of my chair only comes to the bottom of my shoulder blades. When I lean back to try to reduce the swelling in my ankles, it digs into bone. (Just added 2 pictures of my swollen feet in my User CP if you want to see)
2. The articulating leg rests do not go out far enough because my legs are long. I am 6 foot tall.
When I tried to have a new top end put on the chair that would fit they wanted $18,000.
I hope we all can learn from things like this and get it right the first time if possible.
I thank God for you all.

 

[sharonca]

Capt Al - I have heard that Medicare pays for a new chair every five years. Hopefully you can get a new one. That is awful that it does not fit.

Sharonca