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September 2004
Contents:
Introduction
Giving a child a voice (even at a very simple level), enables him / her to join in and take part actively in a story, group task or game, and to make him / herself heard and noticed. (Even children who can speak find it fun to use voice output devices!)
There are now quite a few different and reasonably inexpensive options to choose from. Every class or home should have at least one!
When it first appeared (how did we live without them), somehow BIGmack - which is actually a trade name for one device – become the generic term, widely used to stand for all simple tech devices of this type.
But things are moving on! If you limit your concept to just the ‘BIGmack’, you may be missing out. Even a BIGMack itself has changed. New types and models of simple-to-use single and double message recorded voice output communication aids are on the market. Browse them online from the manufacturers catalogues to update yourself (if you are searching, remember BIGmack is all one word, no spaces).
CALL has some but not all of these for loan. We are working on the principle that as long as our old devices work, there is no need to replace them. However, as we buy in new devices, the new models will gradually take over.
Here is a summary of the main types:
- Single message voice output devices:
- AbleNet BIGmack (£83)
(some of the old model are still on sale from Liberator at £35)
- AbleNet LITTLEmack (£83)
(looks like what used to be called a One–Step Communicator)
- ERi Partner/One £75)
- Adaptivation Chipper (£80)
- Tash Talking Buddy button £70)
- Two Message devices:
- AbleNet iTalk2 (£99)
- ERi Partner/Two (£99)
- Sequenced message devices, for example:
- AbleNet BIGstep (£116)
- AbleNet LITTLEstep (£116)
(formally known as Step by Step Communicator)
- ERi Partner/One Stepper (£115)
- Adaptivation Sequencer (£120)
- Sequenced message devices with levels:
- AbleNet LITTLEstep with Levels (£135)
(formerly known as Step by Step with Levels)
- More messages
(now starts to get more complicated / different features etc.):
- AMDi Tech/Four (£149)
- Go Talk 4 (£112)
- ERi Partner/Four (£149) (LED and vibrating models available)
- 4Talk4 (£225) (scanning version available)
Suppliers
All of the above are sold through various companies (except that only QED Ltd. sell the Tash and Adaptivation devices), eg:
http://www.liberator.co.uk (communication aids)
http://www.inclusive.co.uk (access devices / communicators)
http://www.qedltd.com (communication aids)
How to use simple voice output communication aids?
Single message devices allow you to record and store only one message at a time. They are very simple and useful in a number of situations. For example – calling for attention, saying ‘good morning’, bringing a news message home from school, and to school from home, saying the repetitive line in a familiar story, nursery rhyme or song (or just saying ‘turn the page’, while teacher is reading from a book). These devices should be used repeatedly throughout the day, with the message changed to match whatever activity is in progress -it is a terrible waste to use a single message device just once a day!
Sequenced message devices allow you to record and store a series of messages one after the other. For example, you can program in a whole story, and have a child retell it line-by-line or page-by-page. You can store a rhyme or song, or a recipe, step by step, so non-reading older children can take themselves independently through a food preparation activity. It could be used to allow a child to deliver their lines in a play or concert. Recording messages into sequenced message devices takes a little more planning and time (and staff training), so you might keep a device the same for longer, rather than changing it. You can have only one set of sequenced messages in the Step by Step, but two in the Sequencer and several in the Step by Step with Levels (the most complicated to programme), so you can switch between stories/songs etc. without having to re-record.
One device only is not much use if you are trying to encourage interactive communication; it is always much better to have at least two - or ideally, more - in a classroom, so that a child can work with a partner or in a small group, where each learns to listen to the other, take their turn, and time their communication. Special classrooms ideally need to have both single and sequenced message devices available, as they are useful in slightly different ways. Using a mixture of both types of device strategically, children of different levels of ability can interact well within the same activity.
With more than one of each type, you need to think about colour-coding them so that you can tell at a glance which is single message and which is sequenced, as the different versions look identical. CALL has yellow, green, red and blue single message devices, but all our sequenced message devices are purple. Put strips of hooky Velcro on the bottom of all devices to secure them at any angle to mats or mounts as required (more practical than screwing them down, which is possible with all but the Talking Buddy).
Why choose one type rather than another?
All the devices are good, and there is sometimes a good argument for sticking with what you know, but there are small differences between them that might just be significant, for some users:
The new BIGmack and the BIGstep have the biggest surface and are the heaviest– which might be useful or a might be a disadvantage. The new design is slightly lower/flatter on one side, which may be easier to access and use than the older model, which was higher.
The LITTLEmack, LITTLEstep, and LITTLEstep with Levels have a smaller surface and are all set on a raised, angled base. This can help access for some users – but the angle and height can be exactly wrong for others! This base makes them much less flexible than the other devices, because they cannot just be stuck on to a switch mounting block at whatever angle suits the user. All the LITTLE devices also have a plastic base plate that allows you to link them together in a curved line, if you wish to do so (but it obscures the ‘quick look’ programming instructions on the base of the device, and can be a fiddle, or keep getting lost if you don’t want to use it all the time).
These devices all also have a base/rim around the outside of the active surface, which means that children with very small hands/short fingers sometimes - especially if they cannot lift their arms up - cannot reach the active surface reliably but are left scrabbling at the inactive rim.
The Talking Buddy is slightly stiffer to press and its speech seems slightly less distinct.
The Chipper and Sequencer are marginally cheaper than the other devices (but is the voice quality quite as good…?). They are square in shape, which means that – unlike the other round devices - two or more can be mounted side by side, close together, or they can be easily mounted vertically/sideways on their edge, to allow for a user to slide a hand sideways to operate them, rather than having to lift and lower their hand to press down.
The Partner and Tech devices are lightweight but MUST have a symbol or picture displayed on the top (whereas all the others have coloured tops that can be used on their own, although most also have ‘caps’ that can be snapped on to hold a symbol in place). While it is good practice to have a symbol, it may restrict the use of the device to that one function, whereas the others can be reprogrammed and use din many different ways throughout the day.
Please contact our Information Officer with questions or comments
© Copyright CALL Centre, University of Edinburgh
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