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April 2002
About CALLtalk
Children with disabilities who cannot speak may require ‘high tech’ augmentative communication aid systems. CALLtalk was created by Sally Millar of the CALL Centre and Janet Larcher, Independent Consultant and co-author of the Ingfield Dynamic Vocabularies. It is designed particularly for use by Primary age children with severe communication difficulties but relatively good cognitive levels, who are expected to learn to construct sentences and, ultimately read and write (though they may not quite be there yet), in mainstream schools. It may be found useful by other types of users, (even, perhaps with some modifications, by adults), Use in the educational context and emerging literacy are emphasised within its structure.
A full scale communication aid package is composed of three essential elements: hardware, software, and vocabulary. CALLtalk is the last of these – ie. a vocabulary package only. It is valuable for teachers, therapists or parents to have access to a suitable pre-stored vocabulary that specialised and reputable professionals have created, as it demands too much time and effort for them to start from scratch with ‘a blank screen’ and themselves create a personalised vocabulary of thousands of words, on linked screen pages, for each child.
The new CALLtalk vocabulary is essentially a carefully selected set of picture symbols and words structured and organised in a particular way into colour-coded pages and popups by topic, frequency of use and by grammatical category. It consists of over 100 pages, with 3,000+ words and phrases, so it is one of the most comprehensive language bases available, and it can be expanded and personalised as required. It has a highly consistent colour-coded structure, to make it as quick and easy as possible for teachers to teach and for the user to ‘find’ where particular messages are stored.
Features
Innovative and unique features of CALLtalk include:
- A communication section (joined up language, involving several linked pages) and a ‘School Stuff’ section organised into curriculum areas, with ‘all on one page’ worksheets for classroom/curriculum linked activities.
- Inclusion of onscreen keyboard and a predictive typing facility (in the Speaking Dynamically Pro and DynaVox versions only) inside the dynamic symbol page structure.
- In some versions (again depending on the software used) the capacity to launch other educational software from within CALLtalk (and to return to CALLtalk after use of the other software (e.g. a maths layout program, a worksheet, or a word processor).
The CALLtalk vocabulary on its own is not functional: it must be implemented within a dynamic screen communication aid software application, on a computer or dedicated portable computer-based device. It has been developed to run with a range of different software, on various computer platforms. There are very slight differences between the versions, as adaptations had to be made to reflect the different features of the different hardware and software. However, the overall structure and content of CALLtalk remains the same whichever version you use. CALLtalk is now available (or very shortly will be) from the commercial suppliers of these systems, who will supply a CD or install CALLtalk within a dedicated communication aid, provide a user manual, and provide ongoing technical and software support to end users.
Please contact the suppliers shown below for more information. Further new versions may be implemented in other software in the future.
If you want to talk about whether CALLtalk might be suitable for a user that you are working with, phone Sally Millar on the CALL Centre Information and Advice line: 0131 651 6236.
CALLtalk Suppliers
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Hardware Platforms
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Software Applications
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CALLtalk Available from
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- Apple Mac:
Desktops (eg. iMac) or Laptop (e.g. iBook); Dedicated portable touchscreen comm. aid device (e.g. Freestyle, Gemini)
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Speaking Dynamically Pro
(+ BoardMaker)
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Don Johnston Special Needs Ltd., 18 Clarendon Court Calver Road, Winwick Quay Warrington WA2 8QP
Tel: 01925 241642
Fax: 01925 241745
jmunro@djsn.u-net.com
www.donjohnston.com/uk
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- DynaVox dedicated touchscreen communication aid devices (e.g. DynaVox, DynaMyte)
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DynaVox 3100
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DynaVox at Sunrise Medical, Snrise Business Park, High Street, Wollaston, West Midlands DY8 4PS
Tel. 01384 446789
Fax. 01384 446799
david.morgan@sunmed.co.uk
www.sunrisemedical.co.uk
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- Windows PC:
Any Windows PC - desktops, laptops or touchscreen portables (e.g. Norand Penkey 6642 Windows CE); Touch screen portables (e.g. Zygo Arti)
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Winspeak
The Grid (to be available)
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Sensory Software International, 26 Abbey Road, Malvern, Worcs WR14 3HD
Tel: 01684 578868
paul@sensorysoftware.com
www.sensorysoftware.com
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- Windows PC:
Any Windows PC - desktops or laptops or touchscreen portables; Dedicated touchscreen comm. aid device (e.g. Cameleon II)
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Symbols for Windows
(to be available)
Talking Screen
(to be available)
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Cambridge Adaptive Communication, 8 Farmbrough Close, Aylesbury Vale Industrial Park, Stocklake, Aylesbury, Bucks HP20 1DQ
Tel. 01296 481591
info@cameleon-web.com
www.cameleon-web.com
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