Siobhan’s speech generating device is worn out and malfunctioning. The race is on to find a replacement, but nothing available suits her needs.

1. Siobhan
And the Wizard of Ounces
Linda Karr O’Connor
oconnor@law.ucla.edu
Joseph Karr O’Connor
@AccessibleJoe
https://www.slideshare.net/josephoconnor/
http://accessiblejoe.com/wizard

2. “Everyone has a right to communicate with
others and to be communicated with.”
Joseph and Linda

3. “For her own well being, safety, and greater
enjoyment of life it is vital that we support
Siobhan’s communications systems.”
Joseph and Linda

4. PictureExchange
Communication
System(PECS)
Using PECS methodology
helps us teach vocabulary
and communicative routines
and helps Siobhan modify
her behavior.

5. PictureExchange
Communication
System(PECS)
Siobhan’s communication
protocols are implemented
through the use of picture
schedules and speech
generating devices (SGDs).

6. Picture Schedule
Siobhan knows
what’s next.
Promotes
frictionless
transitions.

7. October 29, 2017
Siobhan using
Dynavox Xpress

8. Dynavox Xpress Summer 2018
Speakers popped off, taped back on.
Backup not working. Screen cracked. The system is failing fast.

9. AcquiringA
NewSystem
The race is on to:
1. get an AAC evaluation of Siobhan,
2. evaluate systems, choose a system,
3. submit insurance funding request,
4. take delivery, do the configuration.

10. AcquiringA
NewSystem
The Center for Applied
Rehabilitation Technology (CART) at
the Rancho Los Amigos National
Rehabilitation Center, Downey,
California, provides a number of
services and one of them is
evaluations for AAC systems.

11. AcquiringA
NewSystem
At CART Carlene Yonemori
and team members did a
speech evaluation of Siobhan
and recommended that she
continue using AAC systems.

12. AcquiringA
NewSystem
They then made some
suggestions about new systems
and with our input selected
potential systems. They arranged
for trials of the systems. They
even 3D printed a case for one!

13. FormFactor
A small form factor is critical for
Siobhan. It is most unfortunate that
SGD form factor design has been
engulfed by the design characteristics
of the Apple iPad. “Just like an iPad!”
chant the sales team. This is not the
form factor Siobhan is looking for.

14. SymbolSet
From the experience gained
through 22 years of experimenting
with symbol libraries it is essential
that a new device must have a
license to use Picture
Communications Symbols (PCS).

15. Simple home page
with PCS symbols.

16. Voice
A new device should have a
license to the Loquendo voice
pack with the Susan voice. This
voice, or an approximation of
it, is essential to her identity.

17. BatteryLife
Unfortunately, new systems
have built-in batteries that
only last a portion of Siobhan’s
talking day. A new SGD should
have interchangeable or easily
charged batteries.

18. Software
The software that runs on the
device should be easily and
quickly configurable. The
companion computer software
should run on any OS.

19. Software
A new device should have word count
as a software feature. If
communication is up we know that
our methodologies are working, if
down we need to pinpoint the cause
and devise and implement a strategy
to encourage communication.

20. Software
To prolong battery life,
devices can be set to sleep.
Touch-to-wake is essential.
Waking that requires a
button push can be tricky.

21. Hardware
Trials
1. NOVA Chat 5 by Saltillo
Ultra light small form factor, PCS, word
count, one voice approximates Susan,
battery can be recharged by USB
battery pack, software easily
configured. Waking requires button
push.

22. NOVA Chat 5
6.25 x 3.19 x 1.19 in, 11.2 oz

23. Hardware
Trials
2. Tobii Dynavox Indi 7
“Like an iPad” form factor, PCS, word
count, one voice approximates
Susan, can only be recharged by AC
charger, software easily configured.
Waking requires button push.

24. Tobii Dynavox Indi 7
9.6 x 6.9 x 1.4 in, 1 lb 11 oz

25. Tobii Dynavox Indi 7
9.6 x 6.9 x 1.4 in, 1 lb 11 oz
NOVA Chat 5
6.25 x 3.19 x 1.19 in, 11.2 oz
FormFactor

26. SymbolSet
PCS symbol set available on
Indi 7, as add-on for NOVA
Chat 5.

27. Voice
The Nuance Loquendo voice pack
with Susan isn’t available for Indi 7.
We approximated with Acapela
Tracy.
Not fair to Communicator Local 1!

28. Voice
The Nuance Loquendo voice Susan is
available for NOVA Chat 5! (Ask us for
workaround.)
Much thanks to:
Belva Holman, Saltillo;
Derek Clarke, Nuance;
Melanie Endres, CodeFactory

29. BatteryLife
The NOVA Chat 5 recharges
with a USB cable. Battery life is
reasonable. Can be recharged
with a small external USB
battery or in the car.

30. BatteryLife
The Indi 7 requires a bulky AC
charger. The first day out battery
lasted 5 hours. We learned to
use sleep more effectively. This
lengthened battery life, but
Siobhan couldn’t make it wake.

31. Software
The software that runs on
the Indy 7 and NOVA Chat 5
is relatively* easily and
quickly configurable.
*Not for newbies.

32. Software
Both systems companion
computer software only
runs on Windows.
Both systems have word
count as a software feature.

33. Software
We use our own layouts to
approximate Siobhan’s
communication book. This legacy
approach assures confident
stable communications. Both
systems allow for this flexibility.

34. AcquiringA
NewSystem
Nova Chat 5 good for
handheld use, battery life
adequate, charging easy,
wake is problematic.

35. AcquiringA
NewSystem
Tobii Dynavox Indi 7 too
bulky for handheld use,
battery life too short, needs
AC charger, wake is
problematic.

36. AcquiringA
NewSystem
We chose the
NOVA Chat 5.

37. AcquiringA
NewSystem
Our heartfelt thanks go to
CART and Carlene Yonemori.
We couldn’t have done this
without them.

38. AcquiringA
NewSystem
Thanks very much to Steve
Lee of the W3C and Jamie
Knight and Lion of the BBC
who helped Joe explore open
source free AAC software.

39. AcquiringA
NewSystem
If you're looking for a symbol set to
use with your #AAC software then
give open source Mulberry Symbols
a look. "Symbols and design process
originated by Garry Paxton who then
assigned copyright over to Steve Lee
in 2018." mulberrysymbols.org

40. AcquiringA
NewSystem
If you are looking for an
Augmentative and Alternative
Communication (AAC) app
that's open source and free
then check out @cboard_io at
https://www.cboard.io/

41. AcquiringA
NewSystem
If you are looking for an Augmentative and
Alternative Communication (AAC) app that's
open source and supports Picture
Communication Symbols (PCS) then check
out @CoughDropAAC. Prices are very low
and you can use it on any device. Thanks very
much to @swahlquist and @whitmer.
https://www.mycoughdrop.com

42. Conclusions
The
Whirling
Blades

43. Whirling
Blades
This whole process
is way too complex
and difficult.

44. Whirling
Blades
Whirling Blades #1.
Siobhan frequently asks to
listen to the Wizard of Oz
soundtrack.

45. Whirling
Blades
After setting up the NOVA
Chat 5 the Wizard of Oz was
speaking as the Wizard of
Ounces.
Raise your hand if you know
how to fix that.

46. Whirling
Blades
It took some poking around
but we finally found a
pronunciation table. Oz was
set to speak as ounces.

47. Whirling
Blades
We went on to set up the
SGD so that Siobhan can ask
Siri to play the Wizard of Oz
and all her other music.

48. Whirling
Blades
Whirling Blades #2.
Each time we get a new device we
have to make all of the pages
from scratch. (Again CART helped,
but someone had to provide the
labor.)

49. Whirling
Blades
The grids, all the buttons, all
the button behaviors, all the
pages, all the links between
the pages, find and import the
photos of people, everything
has to be remade from scratch.

50. Page Schematic
Showing page
names and icons.

51. Whirling
Blades
It’s just a database! How hard
could it possibly be to make it
interoperable? It’s not
interoperable, even between
devices and versions from the
same manufacturer!

52. Whirling
Blades
Whirling Blades #3:
Siobhan found it difficult to
use wake with a button
though she did it on the
Xpress for years.

53. Whirling
Blades
Whirling Blades #3:
Siobhan is confused by the
wake button on both
systems.

54. Whirling
Blades
Whirling Blades #3:
CART created a wake button
extension on the 3D printed
case but Siobhan isn’t using
it yet.

55. Whirling
Blades
Whirling Blades #3:
It’s not intuitive like touch
to wake is. One caregiver
didn’t turn it on for hours,
so Siobhan couldn’t talk.

56. Action
Join Joseph on the World
Wide Web Consortium Voice
Assistant Standardisation
Community Group and push
for AAC system standards.

57. Action
Coming to Anaheim soon!
PECS Level 1 Training
April 1 and 2, 2019
Cost: $429 Professionals/ $329 Parents
Workshop Hours: 8 am - 4 pm
Presenter: Jesseca Collins, M.Ed., BCBA

58. 1. I want: hand reaching for box;
2. PECS: handing ball symbol to
communicative partner;
3. training: trainer leading class
(shout out to Andy Bondy!)

59. ThankYou!
Carlene Yonemori and team, CART;
Steve Lee, W3C;
Jamie Knight and Lion, BBC;
Scot Wahlquist and Brian Whitmer, CoughDropAAC;
Anders Mathisen, Tobii Dynavox;
Belva Holman, Saltillo;
Derek Clarke, Nuance;
Melanie Endres, CodeFactory.