Factsheet
Communication Aids
Introduction
Communicators are portable electronic devices that are intended to provide individuals who have
limited or no ability to speak with the ability to take participate in direct, face-to-face, real-time
conversation. These products speak when the user presses a button or touchscreen icon, types on
an alphanumeric keyboard, or activates a specialized control switch designed for people with
physical or neurological disabilities. They are sometimes referred to as portable electronic
communicators as “speech generating devices” or SGD. Other names for them include voice output
communication aids (VOCA) or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.
Communication is necessary for practical purposes, and perhaps more importantly, communication
is necessary for social interaction. Humans are social beings, and communication is an essential part
of each person’s life. We need to communicate with others in almost every aspect of our lives—at
work, while shopping, at school, and at home.
Although the need to communicate is universal, many people with disabilities have additional
communication needs. For example, people with severe physical or neurological disabilities may
require assistance in activities of daily living and must be able to make their needs known to
personal assistants or caregivers. Similarly, individuals whose disability is the result of a medical
condition such as stroke need to communicate frequently to share information on their condition
with medical professionals.
Portable communicators can benefit individuals with a wide variety of disabilities or conditions that
impair that person’s ability to speak, including:
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Aphasia (inability to speak following brain injury or stroke)
Autism
Brain injury
Dysarthria (difficulty in articulation, common among individuals with brain injury, CP, or MS)
Laryngectomy (surgical removal of the larynx or vocal cords)
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Muscular dystrophy
Quadriplegia or high level spinal cord injury (SCI)
Severe cognitive disabilities
Stroke
This fact sheet describes the different types of portable electronic communicators, including single
message communicators, direct selection communicators, keyboard communicators and scanning
communicators, as well as the features that are available. It discusses how communicators can be
useful for individuals with specific disabilities and presents considerations in choosing a
communicator. This fact sheet provides contact information for manufacturers and distributors; a
bibliography; and, finally, a list of organizations and Internet resources that can provide additional
information on communicators and communication disabilities.
Types of Communicator and Their Features
Single Message Communicators
Some communicators offer only one message per device. The user presses a button, and a digitally
recorded message is played back. Since many single message communicators consist of a large
electro-mechanical button with recording and playback capability, they are sometimes called
button communicators. The buttons tend to be large (two inches or more in diameter) to
accommodate users with limited fine motor skills, as they are often used by children with severe
physical or neurological disabilities.
Figure 1: The Big Talk from Enabling Devices is a single message communicator, playing one recorded message
up to 20 seconds long. ABLEDATA Fact Sheet on March 2008 Page 3 Communicators
Messages can be recorded by a parent, teacher, or other caregiver directly on the communicator.
Often, there is a slot or plastic pocket near the button or cell, into which a photo, picture, word, or
icon printed on a slip of paper is inserted to identify the message. On some communicators, the slot
or pocket is located directly over the button or cell, which is pressed through the icon or picture.
Message icons are similar to icons on a computer desktop. They consist of a drawing, often with a
single word or phrase as a caption. The drawing can be abstract (symbolic), but the icons used on
single message communicators tend to have drawings that are easily understandable. For example,
the icon for “yes” might be a smiling face with movement lines above and below the face, while the
icon for “no” might be a frowning face with movement lines to the right and left of the face. A
photo of the child’s favorite food might be used to identify the message “I am hungry,” while a
photo of Mom might be used for some other message. Software is available for creating icons or
printing them from icon libraries.
It is possible to use two or more single message communicators together so that more than one
message can be communicated with them. For example, to enable someone with severe physical
disabilities who cannot speak to answer questions, two single message communicators can be used,
one with the message “Yes” and the other with the message “No.” Similarly, a household or
classroom might have one single message communicator to enable a non-verbal child to
communicate the message “I am hungry,” and another to allow the child to communicate the
message “I need to go to the bathroom.”
Single message communicators come with buttons in a variety of bright colors, so it is also possible
to use colors to distinguish different messages, without photos or icons.
Some individuals cannot press an electro-mechanical button, no matter how large. For these
individuals, a motion-sensitive single message communicator is available, and some button-input
single message communicators can be connected to special switches designed to allow individuals
with severe physical or neurological disabilities to operate electronic devices. Scanning
communicators are also designed for switch operation; for a fuller explanation of switches, see
below in the section on scanning communicators.
Figure 2: The No Touch Talker from Attainment Company plays its single recorded message when the user
moves near to the device.
Many single message communicators can also activate a toy or other device at the same time the
message is spoken. This capability can support cause-and-effect training for children born with
severe physical disabilities, such as spasticity in all four limbs, who may have trouble learning that a
certain action that they take has a particular effect in the outside world. Once this lesson is learned,
the child may be able to communicate in a more complex way.
Button communicators are not the only kind of single message communicator. For example, some
single message communicators resemble greeting cards or passports, with a slot for a picture on the
cover (and/or on the inside of the front cover) and a button on the inside. The resemblance is
appropriate, since one possible use for single message communicators of this type is to allow a nonverbal individual to introduce him- or herself.
Figure 3: The GoTalk Card from Attainment Company is a single message communicator in a wallet-style format.
It holds two pictures—one on the front and one inside the front cover.
Who Can Benefit
Because of their simplicity, single message communicators are often used by individuals with severe
cognitive disabilities. They are also used to train young children with communication or speech
impairments who are just learning to communicate. For example, a child with severe speech
impairments due to cerebral palsy can be taught to communicate using a single message
communicator; then, once the child has learned the principles of a communicator, he or she may
begin to use one with more message choices.
Direct Selection Communicators
A direct selection communicator offers the user a choice of recorded messages. Depending on the
model, the selection is made by pressing an electro-mechanical button, a flat panel cell, or an icon
on a touchscreen display. A direct selection communicator may have as few as two recorded
messages to choose from, or it may have hundreds of messages.
To allow for more messages to be stored in a single communicator, many direct selection
communicators have multiple levels, each with a different set of messages. Levels are selected by
pressing a supplemental button, cell, or icon dedicated to level selection. Some users put related
messages on one level; for example, on a three-level communicator, one level could be devoted to
eating and dressing, another level to school work, and the third level to conversational messages.
Direct selection communicators include four types of communication units:
 units with an unchanging arrangement of buttons or cells (a fixed or static display) on a
single level
 units with a fixed layout on multiple levels
 units with multiple levels and a display layout that can be changed by replacing an overlay
 units with a dynamic display.
Static Display Layout, One Level
The simplest direct selection communicators have a limited number of raised electro-mechanical
buttons or flat panel cells in a fixed or static layout, with one message for each button or cell. The
user selects a message by pressing the button or cell for that message. Although the arrangement
of buttons or cells is static, icons may be changed either individually or by means of an overlay, a
sheet containing icons for all the cells on the display. Buttons or cells may be arranged in a line (“inline” configuration), in columns and rows, or in other configurations such as a semi-circle.
Figure 4: Partner Four from Advanced Multimedia Devices Inc. (AMDi) is a four-message, inline-display direct
selection communicator with a 1 inch by 4 inch layout on one level and actile feedback for visually impaired
users. The layout is static, but the icons can be changed.
Direct selection communicators with a limited number of messages (for example, 2, 3, 4, 8, or 16
messages) usually have built-in recording capability, allowing a family member, caregiver, teacher,
or therapist to record messages that are appropriate for the individual user. Messages can be rerecorded as a person’s needs change. The available recording time may be as little as a few seconds
per message, enough for a phrase or short sentence. When a manufacturer states how much
recording time is available for a communicator, it is important to notice whether the stated
recording time is per message or a maximum total for all messages.
Static Layout, Multiple Levels
A second type of direct selection communicator has a static layout of buttons or cells, but with
multiple levels holding different sets of messages. Communicators of this type are sometimes
described as having fixed or static displays, but only the arrangement of the icons is fixed, not the
icons themselves. For example, a static display communicator with multiple levels may have nine
icons arranged in three rows, with each row containing three icons. If the communicator has three
levels, the layout is the same on each level, but each level may have a completely different set of
icons and messages from those on the other two levels. As a result, the communicator can express
as many as 27 different messages.
Levels can be adapted to different situations in daily life. When a user or caregiver changes levels so
that the communicator’s messages are appropriate to the user’s current surroundings (such as
going from home to school), he or she also changes the communicator’s overlay so that the icons
correspond to the new messages.
Figure 5: The Go Talk 9+ from Attainment Company has a fixed display layout with 9 changeable message cells,
plus 3 cells for messages that remain the same on every level. It has 5 levels for a total of 45 changeable
messages. Software is available for creating icon overlays for the 9 changeable cells.
Figure 6: Some communicators have carrying handles, like this Smart Talk from Advanced Multimedia Devices,
Inc. (AMDi), an 8-cell direct selection communicator with a fixed layout and 6 levels.
Multiple Cell Layouts, Changed by Inserting an Overlay
A third type of direct selection communicator has multiple levels with different layouts on each
level. Each layout may feature a different number of icons and/or different arrangements of the
icons. To change the layout, the user or a caregiver changes the overlay. In some models, the
communicator automatically detects a new overlay and changes the level accordingly while other
communicators require the user to indicate which level is appropriate for the overlay in use.
There are several possible uses for a communicator with various layouts on multiple levels.
The different layouts can be used to adapt to a child’s increasing level of understanding, or to the
decreasing manual dexterity of an adult with ALS or MS. To learn how a communicator works, a
child can start with one message on the first level; then, to learn about choosing a message, the
child can advance to two messages on the second level. When ready, the child can advance to levels
with more choices. An adult with a condition that can result in changes in manual dexterity over
time might prefer to purchase a communicator that can be adapted as the individual’s dexterity
decreases and it is easier to choose from a smaller number of larger cells.
Figure 7: The Talara from Zygo Industries is a direct selection communicator that offers several layouts including
1 row with 2 buttons; 1 row with 4 buttons; 2 rows that each have 2 buttons; 2 rows that each have 4 buttons;
and 4 rows that each have 8 buttons. The layout is changed by replacing one overlay with another.
Dynamic Displays
Many communicators today have dynamic touchscreen displays that allow the user to change the
content and layout of what appears on the communicator’s touch screen electronically, without
overlays. With multiple levels, it is easy to go from one type of display to another. For example,
message icons can be replaced by words, letters, or pictures, and one set of message icons can be
replaced by another. The number of icons on the screen and their arrangement can also be
changed, allowing the user to choose between an onscreen display with fewer but larger message
icons or a display with more message icons of a smaller size. For example, the display could be set
up to have 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 message cells. Changes can be made separately by level.
Figure 8: The Vantage from Prentke Romich is a direct selection communicator with a dynamic display that
includes 4-, 8-, 15-, and 45-location display options.
In order to provide more message options, dynamic display communicators have multiple display
levels. The number of possible messages equals the maximum number of message cells on the
dynamic display multiplied by the number of levels. However, users may choose to have less than
the maximum number of icons on their dynamic display, resulting in fewer messages.
Dynamic display communicators can be purchased pre-loaded with icons and digitally recorded
speech, but generally the user can also add other icon sets or personal images such as photos.
Figure 9: Easy Talk from The Great Talking Box Company is a dynamic display communicator with icons for
recorded messages and an alphabetic keyboard for synthesized speech.
Icons and Recordings
Like single message communicators, most single-level direct selection communicators have built-in
digital recording capability so that a caregiver or family member can record the messages to be
played back on the communicator. However, it is impractical for a caregiver or family member to
personally record all the messages on a communicator with more than a limited number of
messages. For this reason, most multi-level direct selection communicators and all dynamic display
communicators use icons with prerecorded digital messages, loaded onto the communicator from
icon library software. Some dynamic display communicators also have a keyboard communicator
level that produces synthesized speech.
Who Can Benefit
To use a direct selection communicator, it is necessary to have enough hand control to touch the
desired button or cell. The larger the button or cell size, the less control is required. Direct selection
communicators may not be appropriate for everyone. For a person with upper extremity spasticity,
for example, a scanning communicator may be more appropriate as it uses a special switch or other
input device designed to be more easily accessed by someone with severe physical or neurological
disabilities.
A direct selection communicator also requires that users possess enough hand strength to press the
button or cell. Larger buttons and cells require as much strength as small ones. An individual
without enough strength to depress the communicator’s buttons or cells may also do better with a
scanning communicator with which they can use a specialized input device that does not require a
button or switch to be pressed or otherwise moved.
Children and adults with cognitive disabilities are likely to do better with simpler direct selection
communicators; that is, those with fewer messages on fewer levels. Inline configurations may also
be easier for some individuals with severe cognitive disabilities.
Keyboard Communicators
A keyboard communicator has an alphabetic or alphanumeric keyboard. The user types whatever
he or she wants to say, and the message is produced by text-to-speech (TTS) software combined
with a sound card. For this reason, keyboard communicators are sometimes called text-to-speech
or TTS communicators. The synthesized speech produced by means of TTS often has a poorer sound
quality than the digitized (recorded) speech used on single message and direct selection
communicators, and synthesized speech is often less intelligible than digitized speech, especially to
individuals with hearing impairments and those who are not used to it.
Figure 10: The Allora, from Technology and Integration Inc. (TNI), is a keyboard communicator that speaks word
and sentences typed by the user.
Who Can Benefit
A major advantage of a keyboard communicator is that it does not depend on pre-recorded
messages. It can speak anything the user can type. Because it provides the ability to create new
messages that have not been previously recorded, a keyboard communicator may be very attractive
to a speech-impaired individual with full cognitive abilities and sufficient manual dexterity to
operate a keyboard.
For individuals with severe upper extremity disabilities who wants the advantages of a keyboard
communicator but who cannot operate a keyboard directly, a scanning keyboard communicator
may be an option. A scanning keyboard communicator uses a specialized input device, such as a
single switch, to select a specific key and type the corresponding letter.
Text-to-speech software is language-specific, so a keyboard communicator that supports English
may not support Spanish or other languages. When purchasing a keyboard communicator, it is
important to make sure it supports whatever languages are needed.
Listeners with hearing impairments often have more difficulty understanding synthesized speech
than do individuals with good hearing, so this should be taken into account if the user’s spouse,
family members, friends or co-workers have hearing disabilities.
Scanning Communicators
Many individuals with physical or neurological disabilities have difficulty pressing a button, key, or
touchscreen icon. To overcome this problem, a scanning communicator presents the user with a
series of buttons, icons, or keys to choose from, and allows the user to make a selection indirectly,
by activating a special switch or other input device designed to be more easily accessed by someone
with severe physical or neurological disabilities. The switch or switches are attached to the unit via
an input jack. During the scanning process, each message icon or key becomes the focus of
attention in turn. A light may appear next to or above the focus icon or key, or the icon or key may
be framed in light or illuminated in some other way. There is a pause before the scanning process
moves on to the next icon or key, and during this pause the user can activate a switch in order to
select the message and have it played.
Figure 11: On the Scan4, from Traxsys Inclusive, a red LED (light emitting diode) lights up over each message icon
in turn, and the user activates a switch when the desired message is reached.
Some scanning communicators have audible scanning output for users with visual disabilities who
cannot see icons or keys identified through illumination. For example, different buttons may be
identified with different tones. The first button may be identified by the highest tone, the second by
a slightly lower tone, and so on.
Switches come in many different styles to accommodate different needs. Some are designed to be
activated by slight pressure or through specific movements such as a squeeze or a touch. Others are
designed to be activated by a specific part of the body, such as the head, eye, chin, tongue, or foot.
Pneumatic or sip-and-puff switches are designed to be activated by breathing or blowing. Some
switches are extra large to accommodate individuals with spasticity or limited control of arm
movements. Other switch types include joystick switches and eyegaze or blink-controlled switches.
Figure 12: The wireless Jelly Beamer switch, from Ablenet, has a 2.5-inch-diameter activation surface, which can
be pressed during scanning by a user with fine motor disabilities.
Figure 13: The Pneumatic Switch from Prentke Romich is a sip-and-puff switch that can be used by an individual
with quadriplegia or other severe physical disabilities to operate a scanning communicator.
Figure 14: The Grasp Switch, from Tash, is held in the user’s hand and activated with a squeeze.
Figure 15: The Pillow Switch, from Tash, has a smooth, soft surface that makes it a suitable switch for head or
cheek activation.
For more information on the variety of switches available, see Control Switches under “Controls” in
the Products section on the ABLEDATA Web site.
Scanning communicators can be operated in various scanning modes, which differ by what path the
scanning takes through the buttons, keys, or icons; by whether a single switch or two or more
switches are used; and by whether scanning is completely automatic (“automatic scanning”) or
partly user-directed (“directed scanning”). Scanning modes include linear scanning, circular
scanning, row/column scanning, and block/row/column scanning. Many units can be operated in
more than one scanning mode, selected by the user.
Linear Scanning
Linear scanning proceeds item by item automatically. The communicator starts at the left of the top
row of icons or buttons, proceeds across each row, and moves down to the next row as each row is
completed. Linear scanning requires only one switch, which is used to select the message when it
comes up on the scan.
Circular Scanning
If the communicator’s message choices are arranged in a circle rather than in rows and columns,
scanning goes around the circle (circular scanning). Circular scanning also uses just one switch for
message selection. If no message is selected, the scan may repeat automatically, providing the user
with an opportunity to consider all the options before making a selection on the second go-around.
Row/Column Scanning
Row/column scanning starts at the top row of buttons or message icons and moves down row by
row. When the user selects a row, the scan starts moving through the columns in that row, pausing
at each, and when the desired button or icon is reached, the user selects it. On a QWERTY
keyboard, for example, the user might first select the second letter row then pick the letter in the
second column, S. Row/column scanning is quicker than linear scanning, since many items are
skipped on the way to the desired item.
Row/column scanning can be done with one switch or with two or more switches. In one-switch
row/column scanning, as rows are being scanned, activating the switch selects a row; then, as
columns are being scanned within the selected row, activating the switch selects the message. In
row/column scanning with multiple switches, one or more switches are used for navigation, that is,
for moving up or down the rows or left or right within a row. Scanning is user-controlled. One
switch is reserved for selecting the message.
Block/Row/Column Scanning
Block/row/column scanning is similar to row/column scanning except that the user first selects a
group of rows and columns (for example, the numbers, the letters, or the pictures), then selects the
row and column as in row/column scanning.
Single switch scanning generally involves automatic movement from one message choice to the
next, with the single switch being used to select messages. In directed scanning, the user employs
multiple switches to direct the focus of the system to the desired item, and then selects it with a
switch.
Who Can Benefit
As noted, scanning communicators can provide access for individuals with physical or neurological
disabilities who cannot choose messages through direct selection or type them on a keyboard.
Many individuals with ALS, cerebral palsy, or quadriplegia may find a scanning communicator
useful. However, other considerations affect the degree to which an individual with severe physical
disabilities can benefit from a scanning communicator, including the types of switch the individual
can use, the scanning methods the individual can handle, the individual’s cognitive abilities, and the
kind(s) of communication in which the individual wishes to engage. For example, direct scanning on
a keyboard is simpler but more time-consuming than block/row/column scanning. If the user’s
physical and cognitive abilities make the simple scanning option preferable, the user may have to
forgo a scanning keyboard in favor of scanning icons with recorded messages.
Communicators with Multiple Options
Many single- or multi-level fixed display direct selection communicators and keyboard
communicators offer scanning as an option. Dynamic display communicators often go one better,
offering direct selection and keyboard entry, with scanning as an option for both the keyboard and
the message icons.
Who Can Benefit
Direct selection and keyboard selection may be useful to the same individual in different
circumstances. The former is useful for commonly repeated expressions, while the latter is useful
for unique or uncommon expressions. A user may therefore wish to have both options available.
An individual who has the physical capacity to use direct selection or a keyboard, but who is
concerned about the possibility of losing this capacity in the future, may wish to have a device he or
she can continue to use as time goes by.
Eye-Controlled Communicators
An eye-controlled communicator (often referred to as an “eyegaze communicator”) is a
communicator that allows the user to select messages by focusing his or her eyes on an icon or
letters. A camera is pointed at the user’s face, and software determines where on the screen the
user’s gaze is focused. Until recently, eye-controlled systems have not been truly portable, since
they have had at least three components (a monitor, a camera aimed at the user from next to the
monitor, and a computer running the software), but today systems are available in which the
camera and computer are built into the same unit as the monitor. The user may be seated in bed or
in a wheelchair.
Figure 16: The MyTobii P10 from Tobii Assistive Technology Inc. is a portable eye-controlled communicator. The
camera and software are built into the monitor unit.
Who Can Benefit
Eye-controlled communicators are useful to individuals with severe upper extremity disabilities,
including quadriplegia.
Computer-Based Communicators
A computer-based portable communicator is a handheld computer loaded with communicator
software. Three types are available:
 A “dedicated” computer that comes pre-loaded with communicator software but is not fully
functional as a computer
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A fully functional computer that comes pre-loaded with communicator software
A fully functional computer loaded with separately purchased computer software.
With a Windows or Macintosh operating system and applications, a computer-based communicator
can be fully functional as a handheld computer. However, Medicare has determined that it will not
cover a computer-based communicator unless it can only be used as a communicator, not as a
computer. A system of this sort is called a “dedicated” communicator. As a result of this decision by
Medicare, companies that offer computer-based communicators usually offer customers a choice of
purchasing them as dedicated communicators or, for more money, as systems with full computer
functions. If an individual already owns a handheld computer, communicator software may be
purchased for loading onto the computer.
Sequential Message Communicators
A sequential message communicator, also called a sequencer, is a one-button communicator that
plays a series of messages. The first time the button is pressed, the first message is played, then the
second message is played when the button is pressed a second time, and so on. A common use for
a sequential message communicator is to support a simple conversation. For example, the first
message might by “Hello!”; the second message might be “My name is ___. What’s yours?”; the
third message might be “How are you today?”; and so on.
Figure 17: The Sequencer, from Adaptivation, plays a series of messages. Each time the button on top is pressed,
the next message in the series is played.
Who Can Benefit
Sequential message communicators are useful to individuals with severe cognitive disabilities who
have difficulty carrying on a conversation without prompting, including children and teenagers who
are still learning to communicate.
Communicator Options
Common communicator options include wheelchair mounting hardware, special carrying options,
and environmental control unit (ECU) capability.
Many individuals with speech disabilities, such as dysarthria, also have physical disabilities that
prevent them from carrying a portable communicator with their upper limbs. As an alternative,
some units are designed to be worn on other parts of the body, for example, around the waist.
Others can be mounted on a powered wheelchair, positioned so that the user can operate the
communicator buttons, keyboard, or switch.
Figure 18: The Hip Talker, from Enabling Devices, is a two-message direct selection communicator designed to be
worn by a child around the waist.
Figure 19: A Macaw direct selection and scanning communicator, from Zygo Industries, can be mounted on a
wheelchair using a swing-away mount from Daedulus Technologies.
Some communicators are available with the ability to interface with environmental controls for
operating household systems (such as lights or a thermostat), appliances and electronic devices
(such as televisions and computers). The communicator uses infrared signals to relay commands
remotely to the environmental controls or to electronic devices. For some home entertainment
products that often come with their own infrared remote controls (such as televisions and DVD
players), some communicators are able to interface with them using the same command codes as
are used by the remote controls.
Selecting a Communicator
As the preceding discussion shows, there are many choices to be made when selecting a
communicator.
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Single message, sequential message, or message selection?
Select messages using direct selection, scanning, or keyboard entry?
Number of messages?
Symbols, pictures, photos, words?
Recorded or synthesized speech?
Fixed display or dynamic display?
One level or multiple levels?
Buttons, switches, or touchscreen?
If a person needs switch input, what type of switch?
Because there are so many different types of communicators with such a variety of features,
determining the right communicator for a given individual can be difficult. Which communicator will
benefit a user depends on that person’s situation, communication needs, and wishes, in addition to
their cognitive and physical abilities. This combination of factors must be matched to the right type
of communicator, taking into account the complexities of dynamic displays, scanning modes, and
switches. The notes presented in this fact sheet on “Who Can Benefit” from each type of
communicator often only scratch the surface.
To identify the right communicator, it is advisable to contact a speech and language therapist or an
assistive technology specialist with knowledge of augmentative and alternative communication. The
professional should help the user, that person’s family, and other concerned parties to make a list
of relevant needs, wishes, and abilities. If the user is a child, parents and teachers should be
involved; for a married adult, the spouse should be involved; and it should never be forgotten that
the user must be involved too. One of the disadvantages faced by people with communication
disabilities is that their wishes may not be recognized by others because of their inability make
those wishes known. Even a single message communicator chosen for a child with profound
cognitive disabilities will not succeed if the child rejects it.
Many of the companies that sell communicators allow users to try the device for a period of time
before purchasing it. Since many communicators are quite expensive, it is wise to determine if a
company makes this offer, and to take advantage of it.
The following Web pages provide guidance for consumers on the communicator selection process.
From the United Cerebral Palsy Association Web site: “Selecting an Augmentative and Alternative
Communication (AAC) Device for Your Child”
http://www.ucp.org/ucp_channeldoc.cfm/1/14/86/86-86/3916.
From the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Web site: “Information for AAC Users”
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/InfoAACUsers.htm.
This factsheet is sourced from information provided by AbleData, an assistive technology information service provided by the
U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Neither the Department
nor ICF Macro, which operates AbleData, has examined, reviewed, or tested any product, device, nor information contained in
AbleData. The Department and ICF Macro make no endorsement, representation, or warranty express or implied as to any
product, device, or information set forth in AbleData. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the opinions of
the Department, NIDRR, or ICF Macro.