If we must have this disease, we are indeed blessed to have it now.
Perhaps more than any other area, this truth is shown by recent advances in adaptive technologies.
In my case, losses of strength, dexterity and motor skills in my right hand have caused me to embrace voice recognition and speech-to-text applications. I am currently using Dragon Dictation and like it a lot (a great improvement over the one-handed, hunt-and-peck method, that's for sure). It takes some getting used to, though.
Are there any other members in the group who are using such aids, to access the world of modern communication, personal correspondence, news and data sources? If so, what program(s) are you using, and how would you rate them?
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GasLight
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I do use dragon, and whatever the dictation is on my iPad and iPhone. Immensely helpful unless I'm up too early and don't want to disturb the rest of the household.
Lately my typing is full of errors, but so is dragon and the other software. Need to proof read! How accurate r u finding dragon to be for u GasLight ?
erash , here are my related experiences and/or impressions:
-- Dragon seems to get much better on the accuracy front, the more that you use it (I'm not sure whether this is a case of me adapting to better enunciation, or the program's adapting to a Southern drawl );
-- accuracy seems to be improved when a headset is used; and
-- even allowing for editing time, the program is still a tremendous time saver for me.
I don't. My notebook and phone both have speech to text. But l have days l slreer can't spell today 😕😅 maybe l do need it. But l don't want to hear myself talk 😅😅😅 l have a hard enough time understanding myself, let alone a machine😑😁
Jesmcd2 I think I remember you have not been diagnosed for very long? Is your speech worse? Any chance it could remit? Before my diagnosis, I was so confused about the words coming out of my mouth, the slurs I heard, the word stumbling. Its all gotten better as I have learned to take care of myself, slow myself when I feel confused. It still happens but just not as much.
Karen-x l have been dx'ed for almost 2yrs now (l say so l try not to have a major panic attack) But the slurring comes and goes gets worse the more tired l get. And takes more concentration.☺
So l don't think it's anything to be worried about. It's one of my "it'll go away" things 😁
Jessmcd2, it's Fancy1959. I find that any of the symptoms I have get much much worse when I get tired. I can hardly walk when I get tired my hands become clubs when I get overly tired and my speech gets worse when I get overly tired and the list goes on and on. So don't panic about your speech slurring worse when you get tired. It's all part of the fun and the path that MS leads many of us down. When your words start to slur just reach over and grab me by the hand that is it I'm not laying on the ground. Haha. Perhaps together we can help each other get through another trial along this MS path. Remember partner, together we are stronger!
Funny, my hubby uses dragon for work. He does federal background investigations. He loves it but I am his official proof reader. I can attest that it has its limitations. However they seem to be related to dialect.
I do use the voice recognition in my car for phone and text. It works very well. And since we have 8 million kids, 😃, we are always in the car.
I have had this program for awhile. I used it for my law firm. A lot attorneys and doctors use this program. When it first came out I tried it at tech show and fell in love with it.
I used Dragon for awhile, but I was slurring my words so much due to medical reasons that it became more frustrating to use than the hunt and peck I have to do now. I think I should give it another try as I understand it will adapt to your voice/accent over time. Another disadvantage is the lack of privacy. My phone understands me better than Dragon did but there is still the privacy issue.
Exactly bavery207 the privacy issue is a thing with me also. Granted l don't hide anything from my bf, but he doesn't need to be up my butt either.😅😅 Especially when all they hear is a one sided conversation.😕😅
This Dragon I heard it is very good. I use another method to make easier for me to type:I ordered two brands of mobile bluetooth keyboard, both foldable with batery last 3months, just open and type. One from Mocrosoft and another for other brand. I also recently both a third one a mouse keyboard which can ve use in mobile phone and at Smart TV,to make easier fo type on TV, it is a game keyboard mouse. I can not use Voice Recognition because my speech is not in American English. Gets annoying for me. The mobile keyboard s are very small, light and do not make any mistake in typing.
I still making mistakes because right now I am not using my mobile keyboard. I also bought special pens with soft metal rubber like to be use to type instead fingers, becasuse if fhd fingers are cold, the cell phone sensor does not work well. These pens are great and precise in choosing small hyperlink to type without mistakes also.
One more suggestion, I use Grammarly to correct my mistakes when I am in my computer. Works great for me.
Miriade l had no idea that you didn't know American English! Your doing very well! What is your language? And where are you from again? I think you might have told me, but l forgot. I always forget. Ugh☺ What is grammarly? Maybe it can help with my spelling. You know it's bad when google can't figure it out😁😅😅
My hands are turning to ice lately and they hurt so much. I'm ordering some tipless gloves just to wear in the home.
Good evening GasLight, it's Fancy1959. I use text to speech a lot with my notebook. I have such a Midwestern slang / Cincinnati mixture of Southern talking and I'm very hard to understand by the voice to text. On Friday I discovered something kind of cool. I was trying to catch up and do a little work on the notebook with the chat room and I happen to be munching on some M&M's and guess what. Speech to text hardly missed a word the whole time I had food in my mouth. I might've made a very big discovery for myself. I plan to test it out later this weekend I'll let you know how it turns out. If I could figure out to make it more fool proof it would indeed be a fantastic tool for me to use. Hope the world is treating you right GasLight. Take care of yourself and keep your stress low if possible as always I'm thinking about you. Fancy
Lois, do you have a smart phone? If you do it's probably programmed on it somewhere. If you have a smartphone take it by the dealer you bought that and get them to show you where it is and how to use. If you're still stuck on the old flip style non-smartphone hit your husband up for an upgrade it's way past due I would say. Haha
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Free or next to free equipment.
How cold people have become. What to common sense and compassion.
