The Gift of Communication

As a speech pathologist, I suppose I am biased, but I have always felt that to lose one’s ability to communicate would be the most devastating disability a person could experience. Even a very mild speech impairment can affect self-esteem, self-confidence, and the ability to share thoughts, ideas and the essence of one’s personality.

Unfortunately there are many diagnoses and diseases that can significantly and permanently affect a person’s ability to speak, and sometimes it is necessary to look to alternative means of communication. The good news is that with recent advances in mainstream technology, people with impaired communication can access alternative forms of communication more easily than ever before.

“Talking boxes” have been around for at least a generation, but until very recently, the best voice output communication aids (VOCAs) were very expensive, custom made devices that were accessible only through a slow ADP funded prescription process at one of only a few clinics in the province. They also tended to be large, cumbersome, and well…. ugly!

The good news is that with the introduction of small, powerful tablet computers like the iPad, the world of VOCAs is rapidly changing. Applications have been created to turn them into highly effective communication devices. The even better news is that NGH now has one of these devices to be used to demonstrate and trial with patients!

The day that Denis in IT called to say the iPad was ready to go, I ran downstairs like a kid at Christmas, brought it back to my office and turned it on. Alas, my first outpatient of the day, was already waiting, so I first thought I had best put it away for the moment. But my patient, Ken, was a gentleman who lost his speech as a result of a stroke about 2 years ago, so instead I decided to give it a try with him.

At first he thought it was just a cool toy, and then I opened the communication app “Proloquo2go”. He began tapping buttons randomly and when it spoke the words aloud, he tried to repeat them, thinking that it was a form of speech therapy exercise. After a little more explaining about how it could be used to say things and communicate in place of talking, he tapped on a message “I want + diet coke”. He looked at his wife, who repeated the message back, and the lightbulb went on….he realized that his wife had understood his message. This was a device for talking, for communicating!! With this knowledge, a tear came to his eye as he began to imagine the potential for a device like this to help him. A whole new world had just opened up to him!!

He has since purchased an iPad for himself…

Pam Whalen