“I have always used a scanner, and a very fast one at that, but scanning is always slow,” said Brad. “I could type a page in about an hour, but now, with the Accent 1400, I can type a page in about ten minutes or less.”

“This increase in speed has allowed so many doors to open for me with communicating to others and with my job,” said Brad.

Brad owns and operates his business, BBradley.net LLC, and offers web development and maintenance services.

“I do all of the consulting with clients, getting their website up and running from start to finish, as well as maintaining their website,” said Brad. “I also develop custom programs, consulting with the client to find out what exactly they are looking for and figuring out how to make the program as streamlined as possible.”

The Accent 1400 has increased his ability to communicate with clients, helping them in real-time. “I am now able to use the phone to provide tech support to the PRC consultants more realistically,” said Brad. “While scanning, if I had tried to help somebody over the phone during a consult, it would take up way too much time. I am also able to participate in meetings a lot better. Again while scanning, I would be minutes behind the conversation with any responses I gave.”

“It has greatly improved my quality of life,” said Brad. “The ability to communicate with others, whether slow or fast, is vital for anybody. I would argue that with people in my situation (I have to have people do a lot of my personal care needs), it can be even more important since I have to instruct people on what to do and how to do it.”

If someone were to ask your opinion on a topic such as religion, sports, or politics, you might have quite a lot to say. It is important that we recognize that those who require the use of a computer device to communicate also want to join the debate. They also have an opinion that they would like to share and it might not be the same as yours.

Brad wants others to understand and respect the fact that those who use computer devices to speak, have something to say. “The best way for someone to show respect is to listen,” said Brad. “This means having patience and encouraging them to use their device, of course, but the most important aspect is to show the person that what they have to say is important.”

While it may take a little bit of extra time to share your thoughts using the device, Brad wants to encourage you to use it and speak your mind.

“The best advice I could give to those using a device is that it doesn't matter how long it takes to type something out,” said Brad. “When you say what you want to say, in the exact way you want to say it, it demands respect from others. It tells people not only do you have something to say but it also demonstrates that you don't cut corners or give up when things aren't necessarily easy.”

That is a powerful message and one we can all learn from. When faced with the challenge, we should find a way to persevere. The end result is worth the effort, which leads us to Brad's advice for success. “I think down to a core attribute for someone with a disability, device user or not, is that you must accept the fact that things will be more difficult, take longer, and at times might not be "fair," said Brad. “By accepting this, I mean it has to be a part of who you are. I hear a lot of people say "I don't consider myself to have a disability.” I've never understood this. If I truly considered myself to not have a disability, I would wake up every morning, go to walk to the bathroom and fall flat on my face. (Brad uses a wheelchair).

“Likewise if I didn't consider myself to have a disability, my first inclination wouldn't be to go to my communication device when I needed to communicate,” Brad continued. “When you accept that you have a disability, you have more mental capacity to do everything else, which includes whatever to be more successful.”

Brad, you are an inspiration to us all.

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine searching through a dictionary that is divided into eight groupings of words. A computerized voice reads through the list of words until you hear the one you want. You click on the word and then begin the search again to find the next word in sentence you wish to communicate.

Xavier's amazing mind has managed to memorize the word groups so that he can quickly move through different selections to string together, not only his needs, but also his opinions, his comments and even funny observations.

In fact, not long ago he was playing the game Hungry Hippo with his father, Nick, and in the end, trounced his dad, becoming victorious. Laughing, Xavier commented, “I'm good, he needs practice.”

Xavier loves school and is looking forward to the new year of learning and making friends. His device has enabled him to be more communicative, opening his world to amazing new possibilities.

“When people see Xavier, they want to interact with him but they aren't sure how,” said Kristy. “They are fascinated by the device and surprised and pleased when he greets them. The device is a great conversation starter and enables him to communicate, not just his needs, but to also participate in the discussion.”

Kristy explained that in some cases the words that Xavier wants to use are not in the device and she has been fascinated to watch him find alternative words to communicate his needs.

“The device doesn't have the word blanket and so Xavier searched through the listing of words until he found the word 'wrap,' which he uses to let us know he wants a blanket,” said Kristy. “In some cases, he purposefully chooses different words which have been a great way to learn more about his personality and his view of life.”

The Diagnosis: Rett Syndrome

Throughout her pregnancy, everything was normal, said Sam, including birth and Macy's early months. She eventually returned to work, and Macy went to daycare. But when Macy was nine months old, Sam noticed that she wasn't sitting up like she should.

Sam and her husband took Macy to physical therapy right away. However, noting her low muscle tone, the therapist recommended a neurologist – something the couple weren't expecting.

“It was our first clue that it may be something serious,” she said. “We weren't prepared.”

Despite a battery of tests, the family wasn't receiving any answers. Macy continued to progress; however, her progress was extremely slow. By the time their little girl was 15-16 months old, frustrated by the lack of answers, the family went through genetic testing. When Macy was 17 months old, they finally received the answer: Rett Syndrome.

For Sam, the call from the genetic counselor was devastating.

“In my eyes, that was the worst of the worst possible diagnosis,” she said.

Sam's New Mission

The family quickly learned that Macy's genetic variant of Rett Syndrome was atypical. Unlike other Rett girls, Macy hadn't gained skills only to lose them – she had never gained the skills to begin with, making the diagnosis that much harder to obtain.

The news was devastating to Sam. It took her approximately a year to come to grips with the diagnosis and all that it entailed.

“How is she going to be able to tell me anything?” she remembered thinking, worrying for Macy's future. And so in order to help her daughter, Sam set out to learn as much as possible about Rett Syndrome.

With the help of her SLP, Sam was first introduced to AAC, which in turn inspired her to action.

“Here's my new mission,” she determined. “Here's my new battle.”

Macy, Rett Syndrome and AAC

In early 2017, Sam and Macy traveled to Topeka to have an AAC evaluation done and Macy took to the Accent + NuEye right away.

“She just blew me away,” said Sam, describing Macy's reaction to the device. “We have loved it ever since.”

And so does Macy. “She can't stop talking with her device,” said Sam. “Right now her favorite word is 'Read.' She loves to have the device read a story to her.”

Additionally, the device has helped Macy progress from 28 one-hit to 36, and this fall she will be moving to the 45 one-hit – at only 3-1/2 years of age, marvels Sam.

“I feel like Macy is really learning,” she said.

It's not all hard work, however! Macy, notes her mom, loves to play games on her device. In fact, she's already mastered the available games and will be giving the Timocco-on-Accent games a try.

At school, Macy's teachers have incorporated her device into their teaching, whether it's creating a page with all her classmates' photos for easy identification, or using the device in music class to sound out instruments during discussions.

Gwen has used Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices for several years, but recently switched to the NovaChat 8, a portable communications system built on an Android™ platform, with great results. According to Krista Davidson, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Iowa's Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Clinic where Gwen attends speech therapy, the NovaChat 8 is a perfect fit because of the core vocabulary available on the device's main screen and how the words are organized.

“Her previous device didn't support the type of vocabulary organization she needed to be the most effective and efficient communicator,” Krista says. “After completing a full AAC evaluation and examining several devices, we reached out to Saltillo for a 'loaner' device that Gwen could trial at home.”

Gwen quickly adjusted to the loaner and it quickly became her new personal communication device.

“She is extremely bright and independent,” says Krista. “Gwen constantly challenges us to find engaging and motivating activities to create the context for communication. When we hit the mark, she builds short sentences like 'I drink water', 'you turn it on', and 'I like popcorn'. Ann has added personalization such as favorite foods and tv shows to the device too. We work together as a team, and the family and school support has been so rewarding.”

While Gwen still uses signs occasionally, and continues to work on developing oral speech, the NovaChat 8 remains her main method of talking with others. And the rest of the family uses it, too.

“Her little sister uses NovaChat to talk with Gwen, and even her grandmother uses it to help,” Ann says. “A lot of times with autism you feel like you are having a hard time reaching your child, but with this technology it opens up a new understanding. We're all speaking the same language now, and it's helped us become closer as a family.”

Ann says that while Gwen has made amazing progress, the entire family is committed to help her advance even further. “Our goal is for her to bring the NovaChat to use to initiate conversation,” she says. “We would love to know what is going on in her brain – why she does certain things and why she does them in a specific order. One day, we hope she'll be able to tell us those things. That's what I'm excited about.

Early on, Cole was a little overwhelmed with the noise at big events, but his incredible desire to meet new people and enjoy every day has kept him going back for more. Over the years, Cole has progressed from using lower-tech to more complex devices. He currently communicates using an iPad® with the TouchChat app from Saltillo. The app is specially designed for people who have difficulty using their “natural voice” due to medical conditions like Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down Syndrome, ALS, Apraxia and Stroke. Cole uses the app to ask and respond to questions, make comments, say what he wants and needs, and share his interests. He offers his unique perspective on, well, just about everything!

He also utilizes iMessaging on his iPad to communicate with family, teachers, and friends. It is exciting for his family to receive a text from Cole about what he is doing at an event, or that he'd like to invite a friend over to play video games. Cole can easily transition from the TouchChat app to his photos and videos, or the Internet, to show something he's “talking” about.

The Jeffries family and those close to Cole warmly refer to his iPad as his “talker.” With TouchChat, Cole asks Dad if they can go to his high school's Friday football game. He “talks” with his big sister Maddy, who recently graduated from The Ohio State University, about the Buckeye's football team. He “speaks” to the waitress in a restaurant after learning that she has a special needs sibling who could use communication assistance.

Cole also mentors elementary school students through modeling the use of his AAC device. The teachers say Cole is a great role model because the kids connect with him in a manner in which they can't always connect with an adult. And as a Saltillo Ambassador, Cole meets with graduate-level college students studying to work in speech pathology and early intervention. Through TouchChat, he shows them the power of AAC communication and technology.

“Interacting with others has always been very natural for him, and so has using the AAC devices,” Sharon says. “He's absorbed it like a sponge and he even programs his own words and phrases into TouchChat to expand his language. He loves it and knows it's his voice. It's the first thing he goes to when he wakes up and the last thing he touches before he goes to sleep at night.”

When asked what advice she has for other parents exploring AAC for their children, Sharon recommends starting early and focusing on possibilities rather than limitations. “Never fear the technology, even when they are little, because they can surprise you,” she says. “As a parent it sometimes feels easier to continue talking for your child. I've been there myself. It's important to think about what their potential down the road might be if they can speak for themselves. Give them your time, love and resources and you will see their confidence and skills build.

“Throughout his development, Cole has benefitted from great collaboration between his family, speech therapists, educators and medical teams,” Sharon continues. “Those who have walked alongside Cole through this journey have seen what a happy, well-adjusted young man he has become. There is no greater reward in life than to experience a hug and a warm smile from a happy Cole.”

At school Miles uses his NovaChat – a light, portable communication system built on an Android™ system – to name colors, numbers, shapes and people. At therapy, he makes choices about toys and plays his favorite songs. And at home, he's able to tell his family what he'd like to do, where he'd like to go and if he'd like a snack.

How does it work? There are many ways to access and activate the vocabulary in a communication device, but in Miles' case he uses a touch screen to tap the buttons – much like you'd tap buttons on your smartphone to open an app. When Miles selects the button for 'hungry' a NovaChat voice says the word so that others know he'd like something to eat.

Initially, Miles used NovaChat with switch scanning as his access method. With switch scanning, NovaChat scanned through choices and Miles could make his selection when the scanner highlighted that specific option. This is a method typically used with individuals who have limited motor control. But during a speech therapy session, Saltillo consultant Lisa Timm watched as Miles reached out to touch the device with his hands.

“With that movement, I asked if we could explore direct access with a keyguard, so Miles could actually touch the screen to make a selection without accidentally tapping the wrong buttons,” says Lisa. “Sarah and Miles' speech therapist agreed to give it a try. In the end they both felt it was a good fit, and it seems Miles has made faster progress with this type of access.”

Sarah says that NovaChat has definitely helped take the guesswork out of talking with Miles. “It's neat to see him stop, look, concentrate and successfully hit the button he's trying to hit, even with his motor impairments and vision difficulties,” she says. “I am so proud of him when he works hard to accomplish something.

“There are so many things that we as parents have to figure out by trial and error – by using our own creativity, doing research and getting advice from others,” Sarah continues. “With communication, there are so many options for people with varying challenges. Not all children will succeed with the same communication methods or device, but thankfully there are a lot of options to try to give our children their voice.”

At first Quinn tried a device that had the capabilities of a typical tablet. Classmates often borrowed it to use for other purposes, leaving Quinn without a voice again. After learning about NovaChat 8 through an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) group working with the school, Kalle and Lynn agreed that it might be a good fit for Quinn. NovaChat 8 is a communication system built on an Android™ platform. It can be customized with a variety of vocabulary configurations based on the needs and abilities of the user. And it's just for “speaking”, so his classmates lost interest in borrowing it.

Quinn has used NovaChat for about two years. He “chats” with staff members at school while he does deliveries around the building and helps out with other school chores like laundry and washing dishes. One of his primary goals is working social conversation into his daily activities.

With this practice, Quinn's communication abilities are exploding. “Today he uses a more complex vocabulary than what he started out with,” Kalle says. “He's able to answer questions we never thought he would have known, just because he didn't have the words to express himself before. It's been awesome to see this transformation.”

Because Quinn can now share what he's thinking, it's also easier for him to participate in group work activities and have his learning assessed by his teachers. This simply wasn't possible for Quinn before NovaChat.

At home, Lynn says that communication is much easier between Quinn, his parents and with his four adult siblings. “Quinn lets us know what he wants and we're able to easily understand him and answer right away. The greatest gift is that Quinn has something that is uniquely his own, and it challenges him to grow.”

Quinn agrees. He's excited about expanding his knowledge of the device and his vocabulary. And, he admits that he's not just proud of him mom. He's pretty proud of himself, too.

“I'm most proud of being able to express my feelings,” Quinn says. “I want to keep playing with NovaChat to see what it can do.”