Hi all,as my wife's speech gradually gets worse I was wondering if there is an I pad type device on the market that just displays the alphabet letters that can be selected by touch.Don't know if it would work for her but I am always up for trying anything to improve things.
Acorneater.
Written by
acorneater
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
The Apple store has a few apps listed under Speech Therapy but I haven’t actually tried them out yet. Please let me know if you find a good one.
My sister-in-law calls my husband once a week on FaceTime and she communicates with him quite well. It gives me a break and she is very patient with him. Hubby looks forward to her calls because they focus on childhood memories that they can both relate to and he enjoys it. I’m not sure if you have anyone who might have time to chat with your wife. When hubby is on call he seems to be at his best, he’s got his “show time” on. Of course I have to make sure that I’m there to work the iPad for him but for the most part, once the connection is working, I can leave the room. I hope that this might be an option for you?
Our speech therapist has lent us an iPad with an app called 'Predictable' £159.00 seems a lot to pay but we will see. I willlet you know how we get on with it. First impressions are it is too complicated.
Look at the Verbally app. There is a free trial version to see if it would help. Does she see a speech therapist?
I think that as speech is lost so is the ability and/or eyesight to operate anything as complicated as a keyboard. Usually someone with PSP isn't able to release a key fast enough to keep from getting multiple characters if they can even strike the correct key. Their eyesight makes seeing a keyboard quite difficult. You will need to keep it simple for her. A large laminated sheet held at eye level with large letters or pictures that she can point to will probably be more manageable for her.
Now, while you are still able to communicate is a good time to start planning for this. You can start to think of appropriate pictures that could represent her needs as you are responding to them now, for instance. I didn't do this and I wished many times that I had. No way did I think that our communication would become completely nonexistent, but that is what happened. None of this gets easier as the illness progresses.
There are several devices available. I think some on this forum might be able to recommend something. An OT is a good resource as well should you have no luck here.
Im practicing with AAC software on my Android. Im sure there is something like that for the Apple devices.
I've also heard of people using a Ouiji board (board only) because it has letters numbers and answers for simple questions. Such as Yes/No. The benefit is that it is large.
Sorry don’t know of any device,, I used flash card with the letters it did work for a while, then went to thumbs up or down, wish I would have recorded his voice while he could still talk.
Ì use a speech app on my phone and now have a tablet that works using my eyes I can do loads on it e.g. operate tv turn on light and talk it's amazing,
That sounds amazing - what app is it?. How easy is it to learn how to use it? Mum seems to really struggle with remembering and following instructions now - is that more a CBD feature than PSP? Just working the menus on her freeview box confuses her constantly.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.