2001 Conference Proceedings
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WHAT'S NEW AT PRC?
Barry Romich
Russell Cross
David Hershberger
Introduction
This popular annual presentation at CSUN highlights new
developments that have occurred at Prentke Romich Company since
the previous CSUN Conference. Those to be shared this year are
particularly exciting because they represent a broad range of
initiatives. Pathfinder, introduced at CSUN '99, has been further
enhanced with the availability of Unity 32. Vanguard software has
been updated to include new features. A Minspeak application
program is available for people with ALS and other neurological
disorders. Web-based self study courses complement the
synchronous distance learning previously available. Language
activity monitoring (LAM) has evolved into a commercially
available tool useful to support evidence-based AAC clinical
practice. PRC was awarded a grant by NIH to study the feasibility
of a digitized speech LAM. Various sources of Minspeak therapy
materials make learning and working with this system easier than
ever. The Minspeak picture set CD has been enhanced. Other
innovations, not completed as of this proposal, will be
introduced at the CSUN Conference.
Pathfinder
Pathfinder was introduced as the first high performance AAC
system to combine the communication power of a static selection
area (keyboard) for core vocabulary access using Minspeak with
the touch screen dynamic display for fringe vocabulary access
using single meaning pictures and/or word prediction. Pathfinder
was immediately embraced by the AAC community as offering "the
best of both worlds." Now one year into it's product lifetime,
Pathfinder has been enhanced through the introduction of Unity
32. This Minspeak application provides for 32 keys instead of the
usual 128. This means larger icons for people with visual
impairments and/or less accurate pointing skills.
Vanguard
Vanguard was the first AAC system to offer all three language
representation methods (single meaning pictures, alphabet-based
approaches, and semantic compaction) in a single device. Vanguard
has been updated to include new features. These include saving
and loading pages, which allows for pages to be shared among
users. Also, text can be loaded, allowing among other things
access to songs and other items that have been prepared either in
other AAC devices or on a computer. Finally, the language
activity monitor (LAM) (see below) is now available as a built-in
feature.
AQLS
Since CSUN '99, the Alphabetic Quick Learning System (AQLS)
Minspeak program has become available. This program is intended
for literate individuals who may not have the time to learn a
higher performance language representation system but need to
communicate faster than is possible using spelling and word
prediction. Some have mastered it in under fifteen hours of
therapy.
Web-Based Self-Paced Courses
The notion of distance learning as applied to the process of AAC
system training was introduced at CSUN '99. Since then, PRC has
continued to move ahead with this work and presently offers
several courses ranging from "Funding Assistive Technology" and
"Introduction to Minspeak" to Unity trainings and individual
device trainings. The original PRC distance learning program was
based on Internet web site training in a real time synchronous
virtual classroom environment. For many applications, this
approach replaces the old method of getting in a car and driving
to some training venue to attend a workshop. A negative side of
the virtual classroom approach is scheduling. All students and
the instructor must be logged on at the same time. Also,
participation requires both a speakerphone and Internet access.
In 2000, a graduate student intern in instructional technology
helped PRC establish a set of self-study courses based on the
work previously done. These courses can be taken at the
convenience of the student. Explore the PRC web site
www.prentrom.com for more information.
Language Activity Monitor
At the 1999 CSUN Conference, Katya Hill (Edinboro University of
Pennsylvania) and Barry Romich introduced the concept of
automated language activity monitoring (LAM). With support from
National Institutes for Health, the feasibility of LAM was
explored and positive results were reported. Concurrently and
coincidentally the concept of evidence-based practice has been
evolving. LAM data now is being used to support AAC
evidence-based clinical practice. Language activity monitoring
(LAM) is the recording of language events (one or more letters
and/or words) together with the time of day in a 24 hour format
with one second resolution. This information can be gathered in
structured settings as in a traditional therapy session or in the
natural environment over the course of several days. Here is an
example of a logged utterance: 07:17:38 "I want " 07:17:43
"something " 07:17:49 "to drink ". The LAM function is available
in three forms: 1) as a built-in feature of modern high
performance AAC systems, 2) as an add-on device for use with
older AAC systems that have a serial port representation of
language events, and 3) as PC-LAM, software that allows a PC to
serve the LAM function. PC-LAM is useful in the clinical
environment where the AAC device can be connected to the
computer. Once uploaded into a computer, LAM data can be edited
and analyzed to produce summary measures of communication
performance. Another CSUN presentation focuses on these summary
measures. NIH recently awarded Prentke Romich Company another
grant to explore the feasibility of the LAM function for use with
AAC devices that use digitized speech. With these devices, no
textual representation of the content of the language event is
available.
Minspeak Therapy Materials
Several speech-language pathologists and others working in the
field of AAC are now offering Minspeak therapy materials. These
items can be invaluable in implementing Minspeak. For a current
listing, visit the PRC web site www.prentrom.com.
Minspeak Picture Set
The popular Minspeak Picture Set CD is used for creating various
Minspeak materials such as overlays, flash cards, labels, etc.
The CD has been updated to include all Unity icons (128,
condensed, Pathfinder, and AlphaTalker), Words Strategy, IEP+,
and LLL. A manual allows generation of a hard copy of the icons.
Readers are invited to visit the Prentke Romich Company web site
www.prentrom.com for more information on these and other
innovations.
Contact
Barry Romich Prentke Romich Company 1022 Heyl Road Wooster, OH
44691-9786 Tel: 330(or 800)-262-1984 ext. 211 Fax: 330-263-4829
Email: bromich@aol.com PRC:
http://www.prentrom.com
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