vantage vs dynavox (minspeak vs interaact)

May 14, 2010

Hello listmates,

I'm relatively new here, learning lots, many thanks!

Big question, perhaps people here have some experience choosing communication

devices or know of a list they could point me to.

My just turned 3 year old has mild CP and a bunch of motor planning problems,

with oral motor being the most involved. He has a mix of apraxia in addition to

overall poor motor function. We've been working to encourage speech with

regular speech therapy and he really took off with learning signs once I put a

concerted effort into learning/teaching him. Has well over 100, maybe

approaching 150 or more now. But many, only I can read, and then only in

context. He's extremely creative at efforts to convey meaning, he's extremely

social, and very persistent in his efforts. Hid only real verbal word is mama,

and has a few other sounds we associate with a particular thing.

So, in effort to help him be able to communicate in the short term while

continuing to work on verbalization, we're moving toward a device. He's past

the emergent stage of communication so no point in getting one of the entry

level devices as he would very soon out grow them once he's learned how to use

it. We've been advised to go with a more advanced machine and hide extras, eg,

modify it to simplify the vocabulary and make it easier to learn the machine,

and have the potential to add back in the more advanced things so the device

will serve him for a few years.

We've been loaned the dynavox, and currently have the vantage lite on loan.

We've been given a retired mini merc, but it's in such bad shape that I really

can't evaluate that companies devices/software, perhaps he'll be loaned their

new generation (Tobii).

The machine itself, and ability to program/customize it seems easiest on the

vantage compared to dynavox. But really I think it will come down to which

software/communication system is the best. His current PS sp therapist is most

comfortable with the springboard/vantage with the minspeak. So alot is pointing

toward choosing that one. But I wonder if people have experience and opinions

about these. In someways the minspeak seems like a big leap, on the other hand,

I'm pretty confident he can learn what ever system we end up with. Just want

what's best in terms of overall communication and in helping learn language,

literacy...

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Many thanks in advance for any feedback on machines or where there may be a

group that talks a lot about the different ones!

Jess

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