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Home › Articles › Assistive Technology › Speaking Up

Speaking Up

A Voice for Every Child

By Kim Moccia

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Randy Pavesich is a busy young man who lives in Rochester, Minn., but when he was asked to sing the National Anthem at a Honkers ballgame he accepted. It was a warm July evening the night Randy steered his bright yellow power chair onto the ball field.

"Ladies and Gentleman, please rise and join Randy Pavesich in singing our National Anthem," the announcer said. "Randy will be singing using a special device called a Dynavox."

Randy inched his chair closer to the microphone. He paused for a moment and looked at the crowd. Smiling, he pushed his cheek against a small switch connected to his Dynavox and a few seconds later a computerized voice began singing. When the National Anthem ended, the crowd cheered.

Randy's mom, Eve Pavesich, sees the Dynavox as a way for Randy to communicate independently and says he uses his device for many things. "He loves to tell jokes and sing," she says. "He also uses it to control his television."

Technological Advancements
Today's technology can be a voice for a child who is struggling to communicate. Whether it's using an inexpensive single message device, an expensive electronic system or specialized software, technology options exist to help children increase their ability to express themselves.

That's good news, since according to the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, more than one million school-aged children received special education program services for speech and language impairments during the 2000-2001 school year. Many of these program services fall into the categories of low-tech devices, high-tech devices and specialized software.

Low-tech Devices
The term "low tech" refers to devices that can be quickly programmed and are easy to use and maintain. Low-tech communication devices may be a single message button or a multi-message unit with several levels. Because picture symbols are routinely used to identify the message, the child does not have to know how to read to use the device. For instance, when a child touches a picture of a book the message might say, "Please read me a story."

Since messages are recorded onto the device for the child, it is important to identify the child's needs and goals. Having a classmate or sibling who is the same gender and close in age record the messages can personalize the device to sound more like the child's own voice.

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