Teens Shy to use AAC in Public? Check out Selena Gomez!

To all of you out there struggling to learn and teach the use of dynamic devices for AAC:

Here is a must-see for any hesitant users that are teens and think it is “uncool” to use a Dynavox – Selena Gomez of Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” just blew that theory all to pieces – check out this video – gave me goose bumps to see a device used conversationally – from the Dynavox Website.
Dynavox used by Selena Gomez video
Here are more videos of successful users by health diagnosis category.
Thanks to all of you that are helping kids communicate everyday!

All the best,
Lon

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Use Fun Activites to Integrate AAC and School Curriculum

How do you teach a crystal-making project using a Dynavox V?

I sat down with an SLP last week and we began to piece together the elements of a science activity using a Dynavox V that a girl has recently acquired to accommodate her speech. (Note: these ideas could be applied to any AAC - not just a V or VMax). The team of 2 SLP's I am working with on this project are pretty innovative and have used lots of motivating activities and integrated curriculum topics to use as the medium to teach their speech concepts and skills.

Design your folders and pages

We thought about what we needed and mapped out the pathway to get to the activity. We built several pages, but we started with a root folder with a directory page inside. We called it "Speech activities". We put this in this child's school category folder under a "classes" folder she has along with her science, math, reading, etc.

Once we had the root folder page made, we labeled buttons and turned them into folders so we could put the crystals activity on one and have more for future activities. We went onto Google and searched "making crystals " and found a picture like the one above. We put it on the top level button for making crystals.

We did a materials page to show all the supplies needed. We labeled them and made them so the student could tell us using the V, what each item was and test her ability to identify them We also made a step by step direction page with images of getting materials, measuring contents, stirring the mix, putting in the string, checking the minerals growth and recording data and taking digital images. (These could be shared through the V on pages for an oral presentation at the end.)

Finding and adding graphics is easy with Google Images!

The SLP needed Borax so we went on Google images and added that to a flash drive to import images to the V. Once we got going, we thought it would be easier to make a shopping list of all the images and then see what ones might be on the V already and what ones we needed to find. For example, the Borax would really be something to find through an image search online, where a bowl or spoon or string would be in the image library ready to put on a button.

There are several ways to add images to a button on a V or VMax. One is to reduce the window of the Series 5 software with the page open and the button you want to add an image onto visible. You can insert a jump drive or go to My Document/My Pictures and click/hold/drag them onto the button - an easy task.

Another way is to go to the modify button and select your button, then choose "symbol" and then import an image. You can select "Show all files" and see the jump drive, open it and import the pictures, then they are accessible again and again through your symbol searches. The only thing to remember is that you need to re-name each image to be what you want on the button. The image file name will transfer and be on the button and in the file directory unless you change it. Might as well do it when you first save it.

Building and using activities like this makes learning to get around a V lots of fun if you are new, uisng it to do something of value at school where the lesson elements are at a students fingertips. The time spent will pay big dividends in buy in with kids. I have used worked with students on building model rockets, pizza, sandwiches, etc.

An SLP at another school has a boy with a new V that loves motorcycles. She is going to get a motorcycle model and have him label parts, get materials and work with him to use the V for building the model.

The more we can use AAC in school environments to access the curriculum and learn through motivating activities, the more effective we can be at connecting the use of a device to everything kids do all day. Oftentimes we work on wants and needs and socialization, but forget that there are plenty of topics rich with vocabulary and activities found right in front of us in school units and the curriculum. Why not try integrating some curriculum activities into your programming the AAC device for students you work with and see what happens.

All the best,

Lon

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From Recipes to Rockets: AAC - Part 2

The process of funding a device, the SLP report, Medicaid applications, etc. can be daunting for some. Put on top of that, the time invested in the trials and matching an appropriate device, and you can be sure that when you see the device in a student's hands it is time for celebration.
I shared in Part 1, how we developed activities to get a middle-school boy using a Dynavox V.
We were discouraged after all our work, having Medicaid deny our claim. I have to say that all through this, the Dynavox team in Pittsburgh held our hand and the area consultant kept us in the loop as they did detective work to find what we needed to fix and re-submit our request for funding. Finally the word came back about August that we didn't do 2 things: the diagnosis for the student had a code number that had a .0 after it - we had not put it down. For example, 2145 would not be good enough. It HAD to be 2145.0! Then, for some reason, the screener of the claim wanted to not only see that there was an AT specilaist (me) overseeing the initial implementation and training, but they wanted the NAME of the AT specilaist in the description.
Past experience on everyone's part never showed that this had been necessary before - but - OK, we re-submitted and waited...
September came and went, October came and went, and then the first of November - at last! The device was approved and would be shipped out. We were ready to go down the next road, which is the set up and implementation piece.
I got a call this week from the family - they had the device and were SO excited. They wanted to know when I could come to help them get it set up. I drove over and met with them for a couple of hours and we built the student's user profile. I showed them how to edit buttons and some beginning strategies to get it up and going. Dad took a picture on his phone of his son with the device to send to the SLP that had done all the hard work of getting this boy this device (He had been transferred to new students in a new community in our region and would no longer be working with this student).
It was so exciting to leave the family with a device up and running so they could help their son express himself with his new voice for Thanksgiving break. I drove away with that great feeling that you get when you know you are in a career with some great rewards that are truly the non-financial and intangible kind. I was truly thankful.
I have another student waiting for his new device as well in another town. His didn't get denied, but we have been puzzle-piecing the funding from various sources and it has also come together in the past week or so - and he will be getting his for Christmas!
All the best to you!
Lon




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From Recipes to Rockets: Building a Fun Foundation for AAC use

One of my biggest thrills is getting to be there when students get their "voice". It is extra special when it happens over the holidays, making them ones to remember. I have been working with a speech pathologist and a family for over a year trialing devices and doing activities to develop skills with a middle school boy in order to have a speech device. We decided on the Dynavox V, and designed activities for him to use coordinating communication boards we designed.
This student had a history of short attention span, getting bored quickly with everything. I had tried working with specialists through elementary years to design a binder, picture exchange systems, use recordable symbol boards like with a Go Talk, but he would refuse an nothing could be developed.
So... last year, in a new school in a new district, we embarked on the Dynavox trials. Our first activity was building a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Since food is the way to a middle school boy's heart, we graduated to a build a pizza activity as well. As we did these, we had a partner for the student be a helper and we set out all the ingredients. We had a folder in a snacks category that was "Build a Sandwich" or "Build a Pizza". We had all the ingredients pictured and listed with voice output and also had directive buttons labeled and pictured with a sequence of tasks to complete the activity. We went through all the items and directions with the students and checked him out on them by having him show us and "tell" us each button.
Then he used the buttons to tell the partner what to get and what to help him do to finish the recipe and then the reward...eat the finished product.
We video-taped each of these and with permission from the family, showed them to the fellow-SLP's in staff meetings.
Last spring our culminating activity for the year was pretty ambitious. We bought a simple beginner level rocket kit and took digital photos of all the parts and sequences to building it. We built pages in his school/classes/science area and followed the same process of teaching him the parts identification, labeling and sequences to the finished product. We then took him out with his class to the football field to launch the rocket. We even had the countdown and lift-off ready for him to use on the device.
We saw a boy that never would use a device to communicate, begin to get the connection that this could be fun and be used to do things and work together. It went beyond the usual run-of-the-mill buttons we tend to use at school - "I'm thirsty", "I'm done", "when is recess?", "I need to use the bathroom" - with the picture of the toilet on the button - how exciting!
We began the actual funding piece with awesome support from the Dynavox team in Pittsburgh, and our area consultant. We applied to Medicaid, got the SLP report, all essential pieces in the packet and off it went.
About July, we heard back that Medicaid had denied the claim and we were back at square-one having to re-submit the claim. Summer turned to fall and still no device. There had been 9 months of school dedicated to training and trialing, we had all our ducks in a row, but still no device.
Was all our labor in vain? I received emails from the rep and the company that they were trying to find out why Medicaid denied it and we just had to sit tight until we knew what was wrong so we could correct it.
Part 2 is coming up with the end results...

All the best,
Lon

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Dynavox has Merged with Blink Twice!

Industry Leaders have Joined Forces to Better Serve Individuals with Speech, Language and Learning Disabilities.

DynaVox Mayer-Johnson has announced they have merged with Blink Twice, effective today, July 6, 2009. DynaVox and Blink Twice are now one company with the broadest range of products in the industry.

Here is the infomation I received today:

"DynaVox is the leading provider of symbol-based communication software and speech generating devices for children and adults with speech, language and learning disabilities. Blink Twice is the developer of the Tango, an innovative, synthesized symbol-based communication device designed primarily for children and teens. Today's merger reinforces our joint commitment to providing the appropriate communication solution for each client's unique needs.
DynaVox recognizes that augmented communicators have different needs, and our goal is to offer the right product to best meet the needs of each individual. DynaVox is excited to have the Tango as part of its product offering. We admire the innovative approach that Blink Twice has taken towards creating an easy to access, aesthetically pleasing device, along with engaging symbols and voices which are particularly appealing to children and teens.

For more information about the Tango, please visit the DynaVox Website at dynavoxtech.com.

Sales, support and manufacturing activities for the Tango will be integrated into DynaVox, with all key employees of Blink Twice joining the DynaVox team. With the Tango as part of the DynaVox family, customers will enjoy the benefits of DynaVox's industry leading support capabilities - what we like to call the DynaVox Difference. Tango customers will now benefit from:
• Increased local support through our team of over 100 North American Sales Consultants - find yours online at dynavoxtech.com
• Enhanced technical support coverage, now provided by the DynaVox Tech Support team, from 8 AM to 7 PM Eastern time. 866-DYNAVOX (396-2869)
• Expedited and accurate management of the reimbursement process, with the DynaVox Funding Team handling all Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance processing.
• Tango's inclusion in the DynaVox DREAM and rental programs.
• High quality manufacturing and the DynaCare service you've come to expect from DynaVox.

Dynavox is ready to assist you with all of your needs for the Tango.
All new orders should now be placed with the DynaVox Customer Support Team at 866-DYNAVOX (396-2869).
They are also working to expedite the delivery of all Tango devices currently on order."

Full Press Release

All the best to you!

Lon



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Augie Nieto's Inspiring Story and Use of EyeMax on The Today Show

Augie Nieto, fitness entrepreneur, appeared on The Today Show yesterday (video below). Diagnosed with Lou Gherig's Disease several years ago, Augie has been raising money for research. He now uses a trackball to access the computer with his feet. He demonstrated the use of the EyeMax from Dynavox for communication and computer access. He is planning for additional access strategies early, as his body continues to deteriorate.
You will find this video inspiring and encouraging. The code to embed it here wouldn't copy, so I am linking it below...

Augie Nieto Video from The Today Show

Also: Dynavox site page with focus on Augie Nieto

Enjoy!
Lon



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AAC Featured on NBC's "The Today Show"

I received this email from Dynavox today on some AAC exposure on the NBC Today Show:

"Today, March 30, AAC solutions will be highlighted on NBC's Today Show. The segment features Augie Nieto, vice president and co-chairman of the ALS division of the MDA and founder of Augie's Quest, who was diagnosed with ALS almost four years ago. Augie will be communicating in the segment with a DynaVox EyeMax System. In addition, we expect the segment to discuss how AAC solutions can help people with many different conditions, including autism, Down syndrome, stroke, cerebral palsy, and traumatic brain injury. It will be a great introduction for anyone who knows an individual who is struggling with communication.

Augie's segment is scheduled to air between 8:30 - 9:00 AM. We hope that you will be able to watch it live or set your DVR to view it later.Later on Monday, you will find a page on the DynaVox web site with a link to the Today Show video and other information that will be of interest to those new to AAC. Please feel free to forward this on to any families, SLPs, teachers or others that might be interested. "

I will link to the video and more info when it comes out later today,

All the best to you!
Lon




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Eye Max Tested in the Field Last Week

I had the opportunity to put the Eye Max by Dynavox to work in a field test last week. Our field consultant from Portland drove one out to set up with a VMax for Halloween Day. We callibrated it with a high school boy who has trialed many access methods with his laptop over the past two years. We had loaded Boardmaker with Speaking Dynamically Pro on his laptop and tried using his head array to access communication boards. I even set up Mp3 files of his songs to play on an Mp3 player board (that would make a fun tutorial here sometime) and we hoped for some extra motivation factor with that one.

We moved to a reflective dot on a cap with a head tracker and stabilized his head with neck support. We worked with a sip and puff but he couldn't get his mouth to curve and grip the straw without air leaking out...so, enter the EyeMax.

The Dynavox rep/field consultant placed the unit on a stand. The EyeMax snaps into the battery compartment of the VMax from the back and has a lens and 2 lights that stay on when it "sees" both your eyes - or one or the either corresponding to each individual eye. Once callibrated, the lens sees you and locks in on your head movement and by dwelling on a button, you can click and open it. When your gaze moves across the board, a blue frame show up on a button. If you dwell there, the frame gets thicker and begins to move inward to fill the button until it clicks to open the linked board or say the message, etc.

Our student had a rough time callibrating because of several things. One was that he has used a head array for years and he has a habit of moving his head instead of just his eyes. Getting him to keep a soft body and just work with his eyes will take him some practice.

Another issue is that he has some problems with holding his head still and we have him braced up every way we can think of short of a halo. Our PT and OT have done a great job of collaborating in a team setting wiith the SLP, myself and the case manager and mom to get this far.

He was able to callibrate it enough to get access started. He played a concentration game, opening and matching squares. He also used a simple yes and no button with large target size.

We have scheduled a loan in January to do a more extensive trial. The devices are being bought as soon as they are ready and the company can't keep them coming fast enough according to the rep. Needless to say, the wait list is long for the loans as well, so if you are interested, check with your regional Dynavox consultant to get a reservation set up.

We are going to be practicing the eye gaze technique in the meantime. I am encouraged by what I have seen.

I would encourage you to check it out if you have a student that has been unable to access a device through any other means. I don't have a price at this point. I know the team was talking about it and I just was busy working with the student and the device. You can find out by calling your Dynavox rep as well.

All the best to you!

Lon

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A Closer Look at the Dynavox InterACCT System

Yesterday I had a great interview with Linnea McAfoose from Dynavox. She shared on the InterACCT system that is the foundation of the Series 5 software on their AAC devices. I made the comment on yesterday's blog that I thought they sold the software for laptops as a stand-alone item, but they don't. Through some comments and emails, I was alerted to my error - I stand corrected. I am so glad some of you took the time to inform me. It is nice to hear from folks and get your input on things. You can get a trial CD with the full version on a 180 day expiration through a Dynavox representative. I would suggest going to their website: http://www.dynavoxtech.com/ to find out who a representative in your area would be.

During the interview Linnea clearly shared her passion about communication development and language growth with students. I asked a couple of hard questions: "Why did you choose Dynavox?" "Being an expert, what is your conviction as to why you chose to work with the Dynavox system? What reasons do you have that support the Dynavox AAC over other devices?"
Linnea shared that the software on the devices has been developed in conjunction with researchers and groups that use devices and know what really needs to be there. She also said that the team that designed the new software had let themselves dream big as to what they would want if they could "have it all" in a high-end AAC device. They wanted to be able to make the system easily understandable and quickly accessible - not something that is always possible with technologies today.
The way that a beginner is taught to use an AAC device has just as much to do with the success of the device as the bells and whistles and elements in the system contained in the device.
Linnea stressed that we use age-appropriate content and situations to teach and use the device. There are over 2000 new vocabulary words added to a child's vocabulary each year at school and at home in the k through grade 12 years. This includes curriculum content and new trends, pop culture terms and other words that crop up in daily life as well. Trying to keep up with this is a challenge in using an AAC device, but the company is striving to work on developing a way to include this element through the InterACCT system.

The interview with Linnea is crammed full of good concepts on developing language with a device and I would recommend listening to the archive. You can access this segment on the No Limits 2 Learning live player on the sidebar of my blog or at the Blog Talk Radio Site for the show.

All the best to you!
Lon



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Options for Using a Latop for AAC

I get email questions from time to time. Folks ask a variety of questions concerning equipment, software and AT evaluations, advocacy, etc. I recently received a question that I felt might be good to share with everyone:

"What software can you purchase that would make the laptop function similarly to the Dynavox. So far, we're interested in Speaking Dynamically Pro. What do you think of this program and do you have any other suggestions?"

Great question! With the prices on dynamic display devices upwards to $7000, using a laptop can be an alternative. I have used laptops with Boardmaker Speaking Dynamically Pro, and it has a lot of potential. There is a lot of work that has to be put into building the communication sets/pages you want - but it can be done. A lot of thought and planning go into the software that comes loaded on devices and you can get ideas off of demo software and Internet sites to spark your own ideas with SDP. The program is about $649.
Dynavox sells its Series 5 software to load on a laptop. This gives you a chance to demo the whole system on the Dynavox devices on your laptop to get a feel for how it works. I got a free trial CD from our Oregon state representative from Dynavox. You might want to give the trial a try and see what you think. Also, if you do get the Boardmaker SDP, there is a CD called Velocity for about $399 that has sets ready to go - but you have to use the SDP with it and by the time you get the SDP @ $649 and the Velocity at $350 - you are in the $1000 range - maybe the Dynavox System 5 software is comporable.
Another thing to think about is that Dynavox has the Boardmaker Bridge that allows you to add sets you build with the SDP onto a Dynavox V Series. Since Mayer Johnson (which makes the Boardmaker products) and Dynavox are the same company now, there have been efforts to blend the devices with the software tools to provide a complete package. This effort has seemed to pay off. There are some great tools available through this company.

I have built speech device style branching topics with PowerPoint, although there is no way to access the choices other than a mouse. There is no scanning to make choices in PowerPoint. I am working on some basic communication pages with Powerpoint to provide in the future so check in for more on that as I get them put together. I have a video tutorial on how to assign sound and set up the basics of a communication board on the link above. You might want to check that out.
There really is no substitute for a dynamic display device, but if you are up to the challenge of building your own communication pages on a laptop to save money, it can be done.

All the best to you!
Lon




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Guest Shares Strategies for Develolping Language and Communication with AAC

Developing AAC supports for students with communication disabilities at an early age is becoming an important strategy for me in my region. We have several students at the high school level that are finally getting devices that are way overdue for them. If we can begin to support our students early on, in kindergarten and first grade, we can lay a foundation for them to grow and develop with their peers.
Linnea McAfoose, CCC-SLP, is an expert in developing strategies for language development and communication. In fact, she has been working on the Dynavox team as co-designer of the software series that is placed on the dynamic display devices. She has played an important role in the InterACCT system which is a part of the Series 5 software for the Dynavox V Series.
Linnea will be on No Limits 2 Learning Live tomorrow, Wednesday, September 3 at 10:00 a.m.
You can call in and ask a question on the live stream or access the archive after. I am looking forward to hearing her share about the system and how it moves from supporting beginning communicators all the way through advanced communication. The system grows with the user and has many adaptable features.
Join our visit and hear strategies for developing language and communication with the students and dependents in your care.

All the best to you!
Lon



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HIghlights from Whitfield Interview Raise Interesting Questions

I had Kristin Whitfield from Dynavox as a guest yesterday on No Limits 2 Learning Live (see archive). During our conversation, we discussed some topics that raised some questions for me:
When do we introduce AAC to early learners with significant impairments in communication?
Do children REALLY need to have certain prerequisite skills before an AAC device is introduced?
How does research support the answers to these questions?
How do we move into getting AAC in the hands of toddlers and early learners as quickly as possible?
These questions and more were addressed in our interview and it spurred me on to some further research that I uncovered and am sharing the rest of this week on my blog. I hope you will check back daily as I piece together some sites, research, and further probes into these questions.
I have put together a pdf file of notes and links from Kristin's interview, that is available for you free here.
All the best to you!
Lon



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Education & AAC Implementation Expert on No Limits 2 Learning Live Segment Today

Language & Literacy: Kristin Whitfield on No Limits 2 Learning Live today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific

Do you know how to start a beginner out on an AAC device? Do you know how the Dynavox literacy program is built in to the device to foster reading as well as communication? Would like to know more on funding avenues for devices? What things do you need to consider in an AAC implementation process?
Find the answers to these questions and more this morning at 10 a.m. Pacfic, when Kristin Whitfield joins me for a half-hour of conversation. Kristin is the manager of the Education Development & Implementation Training department at Dynavox. She will be sharing on her experiences with AAC and tips for specialists, parents and users. If you have a question, go to the show link and call in with the caller number on the screen. The archive will be available here on the sidebar player after the show is over as well.
Hope you join us!
All the best to you...
Lon




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Building Language & Literacy: Kristin Whitfield to Share

"Why don't I just put you in touch with the expert?" was the response I got as I was asking our Oregon Dynavox representative to share on a podcast about some of the software and devices at the recent AT Summer Institiute on the Oregon Coast. I don't know about you, but I am always ready to talk to the expert, so Ellen Witham, who shared a few months ago on No Limits 2 Learning Live, my Blog Talk Radio show, put me in touch with Kristin Whitfield.
Kristin is the manager of the Education Development and Implementation Training department at DynaVoxMayer-Johnson. In addition to her clinical practice working with adults and children with AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), she has presented on the topic of AAC at local and national conferences and has had several articles appear in AAC publications.
Kristen will be my guest this next Monday, August 25 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time on No Limits 2 Learning Live.
I am excited to hear her share on several topics surrounding the assessment of where a beginner should start with AAC, the types of tools and techniques that are available to develop literacy and how to implement a new device. She has suggested some conversation about funding options as well.
If you are a parent or specialist looking for a device or exploring the option of AAC, this should be a very informative visit. Please go to the link above to listen to the live stream on Monday, or you can always pick up the segment on my sidebar player after the show. I will put a link and reminder on my Monday post as well.

All the best to you!
Lon



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New and Exciting Topics Update No Limits to Learning During Summer Months

I am happy to say that I have FINALLY set up wireless Internet on the mountain here in Oregon where my family spends most of the summer and fall. I have been writing posts at my office and doing 2 or 3 days at a time to post automatically so I could save a little gas expense of driving to town everyday (30 miles) to do a post (since I am supposed to be in summer vacation mode). Because of having to work that way the past 2 weeks or so, I feel like I have kind of lost some continuity and relevancy in my daily posts, but now that I am sitting in my easy chair up on this beautiful mountain enjoying writing to you from my favorite setting, I can breathe a sigh of relief, relax and enjoy sharing with you on a more personal and daily level again. I can work a short amount of the day and play the rest!

New Projects, News and Interviews Coming...
Dynavox: I have had some very exciting highlights this past month, and getting to share with Ellen Witham on the AAC strategies she used with her son was one. Since she works for Dynavox, I am coordinating a Blog Talk Radio interview through them with the SLP that designed the InterACCT software for Dynavox. We will discuss the levels of communication you can graduate through and how to get the most use out of each level, as well as some of the foundational principles around the InterACCT system. Ellen will join us as well, so it should be a dynamic session for anyone using the Dynavox system or anyone considering it. I will give you more on a date as the session pulls together.

Kidthing: I have received breaking news from kidthing that is very exciting. The news was just released yesterday (July 8) and it will be my post for tomorrow. Since kidthing posts have been top-read posts and my interview with Larry a top-downloaded interview for me on Blog Talk Radio, I have wanted to keep everyone up on what is happening there - so check in tomorrow for all the details on what is going on with them.

gh Accessibility: I have been working on an interview with the CEO of gh Accessibility. We have just have to nail down a date for the interview and it should be coming up the end of July or first of August. ghAccessibility provides a player for digital talking book files that are compatible with DAISY and NIMAS formats.

DAISY Consortium: The interaction between the DAISY team and this blog has been a jumping off point for some nice correspondence via email and an invitation for the DAISY Consortium to share in an interview on No Limits 2 Learning Live. It is a go, and the plan is to have George Kerscher, the Secretary General, on to share, but again, we are coordinating schedules to get the date set and layout our topics. You can look forward to this interview sometime before summer is over - hopefully in August.

AT Summer Institute from Seaside, Oregon:
August 11, 12, & 13 I will be at our state-wide AT workshops. I will be doing a day workshop on designing interactive activities and using switch accessibility with them. While there, I will have the unique opportunity to get some folks on live for some interview sessions, so I will be planning a couple of those either as live podcasts or live interviews on Blog Talk Radio. More specifics will be coming. If you are in Oregon or Washington state and want to attend a session or all three days at Seaside, the sessions are open to anyone. Go to the summer institute page on the OTAP website for more information.

Special Education Pioneer Interviews:
I have the great fortune to have an amazing pioneer in my own family. My uncle, Hubert Thornburg, is a retired special education teacher in Oregon, now in his late seventies and living outside of Portland. While visiting he and my aunt last fall, I began to ask him questions about his past experiences in teaching. What he began to tell me was amazing. I realized that I was talking to a man who started teaching special education in the late 1950's when no one knew what it should really look like or what was best for kids. He was starting into a new field of study where special needs kids were still puzzles to be figured out. There were no protocols in place and certainly no assistive technology.
I will be going down to spend several days with family in Portland, mid-July and will be taking the time to interview him, so there is an archive of his recorded history. My plan is to release these interviews as a series of podcasts this fall so we can enjoy hearing his reflections on an era most of us can't relate to. I know I was floored to hear about things we take for granted daily in our work with special needs in education that didn't even exist at that time.
You will not want to miss these interviews. I think they will give us a huge reference point to see where we have been and what we have accomplished over the past 60 years or so. Something to look forward to - I am excited about doing that series of interviews!

Also...The Assistive Technology Blog Carnival Edition 5 will be up Monday, July 28. If you would like to submit a blog post on AT - we will just keep it open on what you would like to share - please send the link to me by Friday, July 25 at: lonthornburg@nolimits2learning.com

There is much more, but...
There are more projects, more posts, interviews and reviews planned, but I won't write anymore about them right now. I do want you all to know though, how grateful I am that you read this blog. I don't take for granted that you have a choice of many online blogs and podcasts to read and listen to, and that out of them all, you choose to spend some time here at No Limits to Learning.
I think of many of you as family more and more as I hear from you through comments, emails and even some Mp3 voice files! My hope is to provide you with a fresh perspective on AT, special education and news about the folks that are providing us with so many great tools and services.

All the best to you!
Lon

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Ellen Witham on Lessons Learned as a Parent of an AAC User

Today on Blog Talk Radio, my guest will be Ellen Witham, a representative from the Dynavox Company, but also a mother of a soon-to-be-10 year-old that is a succesful augmentative communication user. I am finding more and more that there are parents who are now either in an assistive technology role as a profession or have become the CEO of some company they have founded because of the active role in advocacy and development to meet the needs of a spouse or child. These folks base their work on valuable past experience and can be a assett to us all if they are given a chance to let us hear their wisdom and lessons learned. That is my goal today with Ellen and I would encourage you to listen in on the interveiw. It should be very valuable and I will try to gear the questions towards the parents listening so that you can get some good tips and ideas.

(I am adding a note to this after the fact - We had some difficulty getting the call in from Ellen and so I spent a few minutes at the front introducing her and telling about future guests until she got through. The interview was GREAT - but...you have to hang through a couple of minutes while I get her on - so don't give up! Put it on and let it run in the background while you do something else and she will be on within the first 5 minutes or so. Sorry for the inconvenience. Because of the dynamic nature of the live stream, I can't edit and clip out a section - but I guess that is what happens sometimes with live recording. The interview went for about 45 minutes or so after that. You will not be disappointed!)
Here is the link to the segment archive.

If you miss the show this morning it will be archived in the segment listing above to listen to anytime. Until I have a new show, which is scheduled for Thursday, July 3 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific with Gayl Bowser and Penny Reed, AT pioneers, you can listen to the interview with Ellen on my sidebar here on the blog as well. It gets updated each new show automatically, so today's segment will be there awhile.
Hope to hear from you or hope you listen to the archive.
Have a great day!
All the best to you!
Lon

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Wildhorse Grant Received for Funding Low & Mid Tech AT

Thank you Wildhorse Foundation! Our OT/PT department and my A.T. department, received an $11,000 grant from the Wildhorse Casino's Foundation for funding mid-tech speech devices and assistive equipment for the Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education programs in our region. About 530 children will be expected to benefit from this donation and the training and equipment it provides.
We were able to purchase Boardmaker software for every classroom last year and I went around and held training sessions to use it. We were finding that our 2, 4 and 8 cell recordable talking devices, like the Super Talker, were being checked out for trials and then we were having a hard time getting them back because they were working so well to support students. We finally decided that it was time to find a way to purchase a speech device for each classroom and train the staff on implementation along with low tech projects for using the Boardmaker software.
We had a low-tech "Make one, Take one" workshop this spring where teachers came up to our offices and we had all the laminators, laptops and printers, velcro, felt pens, cardboard, foam, etc. ready. Teachers made 2 of each project so we had one for a checkout library and the teacher could take one with them. We are trying to build a low tech materials sample library so SLP's and Autism specialists have some samples to take out and show to teachers, assistants and have for examples in IEP meetings.
My recent conversation with Ellen Witham, who will be my guest next Tuesday, led us to discuss the important prerequisite steps in developing low-tech picture symbol recognition and tying it to cause and effect and language development. We discussed the development of that into the next step of using a Tech Talk type device, a Super Talker, Go Talk devices (try the Go Talk One as an inexpensive tool @ $12 each), etc. as a transfer into more advanced mid-tech speech output. Our conversation moved on to the high-tech devices such as a Dynavox V with a sequential series of levels that allows the device and the user to grow through 3 phases of language skills and communication through their InterACCT Language Framework .
I have loaded a 180 day demo copy of the Dynvox software on a laptop that can go out to schools and be used as a trial for a while. If it looks like something that could fit, we can have the Dynavox sales rep customize one and bring it out for up to a 2 week trial on the actual device.
I am excited to see the possibilities of working with the tools made available to us through the Wildhorse grant and the development of high-tech devices for younger learners.
We have students in middle school and high school that have not accessed a device for communication yet due to past practices that steered away from items because of high price tags. We are aware of many avenues of funding now that takes the burden of cost away from familiies and school districts. We can begin to relax and work on implementing a good supportive communication program that supports and trains our SLP's in AAC use and also gets students who are ready for it, a device as early as first grade to start supporting literacy and language development where they can grow and move along with their peers. Wouldn't that be great?
If you are interested in hearing our conversation along these lines, listen to the No Limits 2 Learning Live segment on Blog Talk Radio on Tuesday, June 24th at 10:30 am Pacific time.

All the best to you!
Lon

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Developing AAC for Non-verbal Communicators

Going over emails a week and a half ago, I had one that really stood out from Ellen Witham, the new Oregon Dynavox sales representative: "I am going to be in your area over the next few days, have read your blog and would like to meet with you if at all possible." I happened to be free and emailed back and we set up an appointment.
Ellen, I found, has some interesting life experience that sets her apart from a lot of AAC and speech device sales folks. She has a non-verbal 10 year-old son that she walked through the entire communication readiness to speech device process with an SLP and the school disctrict, from when he was small. She knows advocacy, process, financial resources and how to look at the preparation for and implementation of a speech device from the ground up.
As we spent time that morning in my office, I heard a very qualified parent share how she became the Oregon representative for Dynavox. Because the position was open and she was referred by several SLP's, she applied - and got the job. We discussed various students in my region, their needs and her experiences. I was so impressed with her knowledge and experience as a parent, I asked her if she would share on the No Limits 2 Learning Live show on Blog Talk Radio.
I have set the show to be next Tuesday, June 24, at 10:30 am Pacific time. I will be setting up the segment and some more info over the weekend, but wanted to get the word out to you early. We agreed that although we will mention the Dynavox AAC system and plug the equipment, the REAL reason for the interview will be for her to share her story about her son, life-lessons and advocacy tips for parents. If you are or you know, a parent of a child that needs communication support, you will definitely want to tune in and check this interview out.
I will have more details on this interview on my Monday post.

Have a great weekend and all the best to you!

Lon

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