Speech keyboards

[Tusker1953]

Hi, Alan is finding it harder to speak and be understood and I have asked the speech therapist for one of those keypads that also have short sentences on them. My problem is I don’t know what they are called but I have seen them being used at MSA meetings. Our ST has said she can get something to use on our iPad, but it is an iPad mini, and I don’t think Alan will be any good with it because he finds putting his finger on the right spot impossible. Can anyone help with the name of the keypad and where I can get one from please. Thanks. Jan

[Janeyl]

The SLT prescribed an App called Predictable for Chris and we weren’t allowed to put it on his iPad - it came loaded on an NHS iPad (so that they could retrieve the “asset”).

[Tusker1953 in reply to Janeyl]

Thanks that is good to know x

[Keycode in reply to Tusker1953]

My mum got given an iPad to use from the SLT with the app put on it. Unfortunately she struggled to use it though because she also struggled to point to the right symbols/letters. We enquired about a device which you can communicate using your eyes, similiar to the one Stephen Hawkins used I know a lot of patients with motor neurone disease use them but the SALT was not able to supply one. (Think it was probably down to budget). In the end mum relied on a simple alphabet board to communicate with. She used to manage quite well with it except when she was tired and pointing to the letters would become a bit difficult. I hope you manage to get something sorted. Being unable to speak is the worse thing about this condition and can be so frustrating for everyone.

[chester2107]

my dad had one , but couldn’t press right buttons , also his vision isn’t good , so didn’t work

it is so frustrating as some days i will understand a whole sentence and others days , nothing

my mum finds she doesn’t really talk as it is too hard to understand him

it’s so cruel this disease

elaine x

[Daleston10]

My late wife got one of the Speach therapist that worked with the eyes but had a hard time using it cannot remember what it was called it’s about the size of a iPad

[TK-67]

my mum is really struggling with communication, she too can't co-ordinate her hands with her eyes so anything like this wouldn't work for us - we have a neuro OT visiting soon so hoping she might have some ideas for us, it's such a huge frustration for her in her home that the carers don't understand...

[phamwales]

hi

we also used Predictive text software on a SALT iPad

it worked for some time and i appreciated th period when it did work. Gill could express more complex things although it took time and we all had to be patient. As with everyone it seems.. the system requires some mobility and accuracy of placing a digit and as time progressed Gill simply couldn't use it and in the end i used a letter board and asked gill to blink when i was on the right row and again when we hit the letter. All very slow but we could then share key words from which a question and blink response got us to the issue or word.

Gill and I never stopped "talking" in one way or another.

my advice would be that if it works even for a little bit, take it and make the best of it while you can.

[Tusker1953]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I sometimes just don't know what to do for the best and your input has been very helpful. I especially like "take it and make the best of it while we can". True in all things especially when dealing with MSA. Best wishes to you all. Jan

[Beverley52]

I may be a bit late with this reply, see your post is from 2 months ago, my partner had one supplied by SALTS. It was called a Litewriter. He was able to use it for around a year, he too had problems with the iPad app, for the same reason. And although re often had letters repeated on the litewriter, we were able to make out what he was saying, .

[Tusker1953 in reply to Beverley52]

Thanks for replying. Hopefully we will get one but the SALT has said that it is on hold while the CV is here 🙁