Assistive Technology

For sometime now, the Technology Center has been looking at the Proloquo2Go as an augmentatuve communication device as we make all attempts at keeping the Center on board when new devices or applications appear.

Many of our parents have come across the information regarding the Proloquo2Go communication solution and have inquired at the Technology Center. The Proloquo2Go  is a new product from Assistive Ware that provides a full-featured communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking. It brings natural sounding text-to-speech voices, up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, and a default vocabulary of over 7000 items, full expandability and extreme ease of use to the iPhone and iPod touch.

The price is reasonable but we do not just look at the price of a device for a student, when we are performing an assistive technology assessment. We are looking at several aspects such as vocabulary, access, weight, and voice output for example, before recommending purchase of a device.  Prior to recommendation, we will provide a device trial, collect data and make sure the device is accessible in all of the student’s environments.  Access or how the device is made to speak is a major concern.  Many of the students have poor fine motor skills, which makes accessing or activating a device overlay the difficult. We then look at other creative ways for accessing such as the use of a switch, maybe a piece of assistive technology such as a t-bar or even their eyes!

We are not saying that the device is not an appropriate means for communication but we may say it may not be appropriate for a specific child. We do not want to add additional frustration to a child by giving them a communication device that they can’t use.   We have been placed in several situations where an outside therapist makes a recommendation for a specific device, the district purchases it and then the device sits for months, maybe longer, because the therapist and or parent neglected to communicate with the child’s school based therapist with regards to the device prior to purchase. That is way we trial devices. Our assessments may take loner than others but we want to assure that the child is using the most appropriate device for them. 

Some of you may have gone web surfing and have come across the product website. Yes, you have many of the gurus of AAC speaking about the device.  We are all saying that is a good device, but they are forgetting to stipulate the limitations (access issues, size, ease of being lost or stolen etc).

Please feel free to contact the Assistive Technology Center with regards to this device or another communication device.  We are here to answer your questions and concerns.  The Technology Center is located in the Mercer Elementary School, second floor.  The phone number is 609-570-1177 or 570-1170.