Vol. 5, No 3 May/June 1997	Previous Issues Subscribe to AT Messenger Download PDF Viewer
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Communication Isn't Always Easy...

Maureen T. Schweitzer, M.A. CCC/SLP
ATRC Coordinator

Mary and Tom were enjoying retirement and all of the wonderful events that come with being grandparents. They are very active people, very involved with family and friends.They have been married 52 years and, after so many years, you sometimes don't even need to communicate certain things—at least that is the way it seems until the ability to speak becomes limited by a stroke.

Mary was 64 years old when she had a mild stroke, which now limits her ability to use speech to communicate. She received speech/language therapy and learned to use some gestures and a word book to help her communicate. The problem with the word book was that Mary liked to talk to Tom in the car, which meant that Tom had to read the word Mary selected while he was driving. At other times, Mary would write the word in the air or on a table top using her finger. Occasionally, Mary was able to speak a word or two, but this was not consistent. She was also able to understand what she was reading even though she was unable to read the words out loud.

For five years Mary continued to do the best she could with no change in her ability to speak. A neighbor referred her to a speech/language pathologist who had experience in augmentative communication systems. Mary and Tom were willing to try anything to help with communication because they still were very busy people and wanted to be able to interact more than they had been since Mary's stroke. Mary particularly missed talking to her grandchildren and family.

Mary's communication skills were reassessed, and Mary and Tom were shown a number of different communication devices. These devices were like little computers that allowed Mary to communicate a message (a whole sentence) to Tom with the press of a button. Since Mary could read, key words were printed on the keys and messages like “let's stop at Marshalls” or “what's new at school?” were spoken. As Mary and Tom became familiar with the different systems, they started to compare what they liked about the different devices. The speech/language pathologist realized that their input on the features of the device was very important to the successful and long term use of the system. They also thought more about the circumstances in which Mary would use a device; this helped them realize that they wanted a device that was portable so she could carry it without too much effort.

After using a few different devices in therapy and at home with Tom, her children, and her grandchildren, a device called the EasyTalk was selected.

In the meantime one of Mary's sons offered to buy the system for his mother. (Funding for communication devices should be so easy!!!)

Now that Mary has been using the communication device for nine months, she and Tom say that “There really isn't anything they don't like about the device. It really helps her say what she wants to say and it makes her feel more confident in situations.” When asked about the messages that she uses the most, Mary and Tom agreed that Mary tends to use the messages that allow her to talk about herself, her disability, and her family the most. Every Sunday she tells the Pastor at her church that she “enjoyed the Mass” and Tom says that Mary still tells him that he drives too fast...the difference is NOW he listens!!!!

There are several different hand-held communication devices available that have features similar to the EasyTalk. For more information on those devices as well as the EasyTalk, call the ATRC in your county or consult with a speech/language pathologist who has experience with augmentative communication.