RE: A Question?? I hope someone can answer

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone! My name is . I have been lurking for a while and I have gotten a lot of good information from everyone. My mother was dx with MSA about 2 years ago, she will be 53 this July. A lot of the information and ideas I get here I send on to my Dad and sister who are her primary caregivers. My question is about a device that would help her with her speech, she has completely lost her ability to talk. On her good days her speech is barely above a whisper and it's slurred together. And even if you are very close to her, it's still very hard to understand her. It's very frustrating for her especially and my sister and father. I've seen it before, but don't know the name of the machine. It works by her typing a sentence into the machine will repeat it. Does anyone know what this machine is called?? And do you think it is something insurance will pay for?? I would appreciate any information anyone can give us?? Thanks, in Phoenix

[Guest guest]

I can't say what will work for ur mom. Get a referral to a speech

language pathologist that is experienced in augmentative or alternative

communication.

http://www.mayer-johnson.com/

I can not speak for their prices of their devices. I do like the quality

of their pics though.

This company deals with self-sticky pics as other companies most likely

sell pics also. I am retired now. I use to work with autistic and multi

handicapped children and teens. I made a simple board for myself to use

before or after fatigue sets in. The board is very basic with a picture

of a toilet, wheelchair, ect. It is about (6 " X 8 " ) pics are 1-2 inches

apart. Picture placement was based on eye gaze, finger pointing ability,

all sorts of things the speech language path. takes into account when

making a board.

Patience is a toughie for all. By the time I exhale and inhale

sometimes, my husband can be on another topic:) My son learned to gauge

his speech by timing and counting how many words I said at a time. He

didn't count out loud:) He got use to the pattern and communicated with

me that way. Everyone was trying to polite waiting and getting

frustrated at the same time.

The speech language pathologist may be able to assist ur family and mom

on ways to communicate.

Other things I have done or still do.

1)send a short and simple email or voice mail from the computer ? 'Hi'

or 'nite', for example, would be sent and it was read when the person

was on their computer.

I find Laptops keyboards easier to type on. I can't raise my hands to

type and the smaller keyboard lets me rest my hands while my fingers can

slide on the keys to type.

I have my laptop on a laptop desk. It was sold at Sears. My sister

adapted my recliner in such a way that the desk wheels roll under the

reclining Lazyboy chair.

2) eyes or pinkie or some part of my body movement is used for

communicating.

Ask a speech language path. that can come to ur home and eval. ur mom

and the family in the setting everyone is use too.

nancy m.

Scrapbookmom67@... wrote:

>

> Hi Everyone! My name is . I have been lurking for a while and I

> have gotten a lot of good information from everyone. My mother was dx

> with MSA about 2 years ago, she will be 53 this July. A lot of the

> information and ideas I get here I send on to my Dad and sister who

> are her primary caregivers. My question is about a device that would

> help her with her speech, she has completely lost her ability to talk.

> On her good days her speech is barely above a whisper and it's slurred

> together. And even if you are very close to her, it's still very hard

> to understand her. It's very frustrating for her especially and my

> sister and father. I've seen it before, but don't know the name of the

> machine. It works by her typing a sentence into the machine will

> repeat it. Does anyone know what this machine is called?? And do you

> think it is something insurance will pay for?? I would appreciate any

> information anyone can give us?? Thanks, in Phoenix

> If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

> unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

>

> shydrager-unsubscribe

>

>

[Guest guest]

I can't say what will work for ur mom. Get a referral to a speech

language pathologist that is experienced in augmentative or alternative

communication.

http://www.mayer-johnson.com/

I can not speak for their prices of their devices. I do like the quality

of their pics though.

This company deals with self-sticky pics as other companies most likely

sell pics also. I am retired now. I use to work with autistic and multi

handicapped children and teens. I made a simple board for myself to use

before or after fatigue sets in. The board is very basic with a picture

of a toilet, wheelchair, ect. It is about (6 " X 8 " ) pics are 1-2 inches

apart. Picture placement was based on eye gaze, finger pointing ability,

all sorts of things the speech language path. takes into account when

making a board.

Patience is a toughie for all. By the time I exhale and inhale

sometimes, my husband can be on another topic:) My son learned to gauge

his speech by timing and counting how many words I said at a time. He

didn't count out loud:) He got use to the pattern and communicated with

me that way. Everyone was trying to polite waiting and getting

frustrated at the same time.

The speech language pathologist may be able to assist ur family and mom

on ways to communicate.

Other things I have done or still do.

1)send a short and simple email or voice mail from the computer ? 'Hi'

or 'nite', for example, would be sent and it was read when the person

was on their computer.

I find Laptops keyboards easier to type on. I can't raise my hands to

type and the smaller keyboard lets me rest my hands while my fingers can

slide on the keys to type.

I have my laptop on a laptop desk. It was sold at Sears. My sister

adapted my recliner in such a way that the desk wheels roll under the

reclining Lazyboy chair.

2) eyes or pinkie or some part of my body movement is used for

communicating.

Ask a speech language path. that can come to ur home and eval. ur mom

and the family in the setting everyone is use too.

nancy m.

Scrapbookmom67@... wrote:

>

> Hi Everyone! My name is . I have been lurking for a while and I

> have gotten a lot of good information from everyone. My mother was dx

> with MSA about 2 years ago, she will be 53 this July. A lot of the

> information and ideas I get here I send on to my Dad and sister who

> are her primary caregivers. My question is about a device that would

> help her with her speech, she has completely lost her ability to talk.

> On her good days her speech is barely above a whisper and it's slurred

> together. And even if you are very close to her, it's still very hard

> to understand her. It's very frustrating for her especially and my

> sister and father. I've seen it before, but don't know the name of the

> machine. It works by her typing a sentence into the machine will

> repeat it. Does anyone know what this machine is called?? And do you

> think it is something insurance will pay for?? I would appreciate any

> information anyone can give us?? Thanks, in Phoenix

> If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

> unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

>

> shydrager-unsubscribe

>

>

[Guest guest]

Greetings !

You mentioned:

> ... she has completely lost her ability to talk. On

> her good days her speech is barely above a whisper

> and it's slurred together ...

Sounds as if it is time for her to see a speech therapist. Her insurance

should at least pay for the initial consult. If the speech therapist finds

no amount of speech therapy will help, the therapist should be able to help

with alternative communication devices.

However, speech therapy can and does help. But it takes constant work for

someone with a degenerative neurological problem. So, your mother will need

your obvious concern and help.

Regards,

=jbf=

B. Fisher

[Guest guest]

Greetings !

You mentioned:

> ... she has completely lost her ability to talk. On

> her good days her speech is barely above a whisper

> and it's slurred together ...

Sounds as if it is time for her to see a speech therapist. Her insurance

should at least pay for the initial consult. If the speech therapist finds

no amount of speech therapy will help, the therapist should be able to help

with alternative communication devices.

However, speech therapy can and does help. But it takes constant work for

someone with a degenerative neurological problem. So, your mother will need

your obvious concern and help.

Regards,

=jbf=

B. Fisher

[Guest guest]

A system I think is celled Pathways. That is the name of the software.. I

don't know much about it yet. I just tried it. but I really liked it. I

don't know yet about ins. Yet either but 'm thinking Medicare will. I've

completely lost my ability to communicate, too

Re: A Question?? I hope someone can answer

<< File: ATT00024.html >> Hi Everyone! My name is . I have been

lurking for a while and I have

gotten a lot of good information from everyone. My mother was dx with MSA

about 2 years ago, she will be 53 this July. A lot of the information and

ideas I get here I send on to my Dad and sister who are her primary

caregivers. My question is about a device that would help her with her

speech, she has completely lost her ability to talk. On her good days her

speech is barely above a whisper and it's slurred together. And even if you

are very close to her, it's still very hard to understand her. It's very

frustrating for her especially and my sister and father. I've seen it

before,

but don't know the name of the machine. It works by her typing a sentence

into the machine will repeat it. Does anyone know what this machine is

called?? And do you think it is something insurance will pay for?? I would

appreciate any information anyone can give us?? Thanks, in Phoenix

[Guest guest]

There are a couple of machines made for that purpose, but there is also

software that will do the same thing on a computer.

http://www.microsoft.com/speech/news/How.asp

http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/davies/mvatappl.html

http://www.share.umassd.edu/share/products/products.htm

Cards with Yes/ No - Pain / stiff - eat / drink and other questions can

also help as the patient can look from one side to the other.

Take care, Bill Werre