Alternative Communication: Text-to-Speech
by Aditi Sowmyanarayan, ION India
I oftentimes get this question – you are able to type independently on Avaz, the text-to-speech app on the iPad that I use to have conversations, my talker, so to say. How did you achieve the skill to type independently?
Here are a few things that my parents and educators did differently, which helped me achieve independence, not just in using avaz to have a conversation, but also in using my laptop for my writing and my phone to network and stay connected.
I was first introduced to spelling as a mode of communication when I was six. It was not on a letter board. When my educator asked me a question, for example , “which is your favourite animal?”, and my answer was “cat”, I would have to find the alphabets c, a and t from the pack of alphabet tiles that comes as a part of Scrabble , and arrange these in the sequence c-a-t to spell cat. While it does require greater focus, there is no question of any prompts. It also helped build on core skills like visual perception and focus, which are important from the perspective of academic learning as well.
I was introduced to learning apps on the iPad to supplement academic learning, since writing was a bit of a challenge, when I was seven. So, by the time Avaz, the communication app, was introduced to me, I was adept at reading what was on the screen and navigating through the device.
With the text-to-speech communication app, Avaz, was first introduced to me at my learning center, my educator did not hold the device in her hand. It was placed on a table, like one would place a laptop.
I was given verbal instructions and gestural pointing while I was learning to type. Like if I typed ‘a’ instead of ’s’ the educator would say- ‘check and to the right’ or point to the correct key. I have never had hand on hand or physical prompts while learning.
As an alternative, for those with greater perception challenges, an iPad stand can be put on the worktable and the iPad can be put on that stand. The key thing is to ensure that the educator or the communication partner doesn’t have to hold the device.
Most text-to-speech apps have an extensive predictive text feature. It works pretty much like the predictive text feature in WhatsApp where suggested words appear as soon as you type the first two alphabets of a word. I use this extensively as it makes my typing faster.
The transition to using a laptop for my writing and work was easy since the keypad on the text to speech app is the same as that on the laptop. Same goes for using a phone as well.
The key thing to remember is that it is a skill that can be acquired and perfected with consistent practice. The AAC device is a ‘talker;’ put simply, it’s something that will do the talking for you in all situations – at home, school and everywhere else. Using it consistently, across all situations, will help you get more adept at using it.
