Re: Re: speech/bulbar/Thurza/Galen

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/18/2004 6:34:20 PM Pacific Standard Time,

don-wilson@... writes:

We received the information on the Assistive Technology EXPO for this

year and find that Bettie Jo is scheduled to make an hour

presentation from 1:30 to 2:30 on November 5th in Salon G of the

North Raleigh Hilton. The title of the her class will be " The How-

To's of Adaptive Gardening " .

Don---thanks for your very detailed insight. I'm sure that Thurza

and Kathi, with Bettie Jo's permission, would like to add this

to the calendar on Synapse and SPF News Bulletin.

Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.

Helen Keller (1880-1968)

[Guest guest]

Greetings, all,

As many of you know, Bettie Jo also uses an Enkidu Impact D. We have

had it since April of 2002. Thurza, not all insurance companies

consider speech augmentative devices as durable medical equipment.

When we purchased hers, Bettie Jo was evaluated by a certified speech

therapist and the report of that evaluation (which required 14

specific questions to be answered) was used to satisfy requirements

of Medicare. Medicare did pay their portion, 80%, however, when we

submitted a claim to Partners, it was denied. I appealed that denial

by asking " If a person is unable to speak in a manner to be

understood, and is unable to use American Sign Language or write

because of involvement of the hands and arms, then how should that

patient communicate their daily needs to physicians and caregivers? "

I received a reply -- " Claim Denied " . It seems that they had the

foresight to specifically list speech augmentation equipment on their

" non-covered " items. A call to the State Insurance Office did not

help.

That aside, the Enkidu is an amazing piece of equipment. Yes, it is

intuitive, meaning that the computer will " guess " the word that you

are truing to type and if the correct word is shown, a touch moves

the word to the active line. The selection of words is based on the

users vocabulary used on the machine. This will not necessarily

speed communication, but it does reduce fatigue.

Galen is correct, there is a learning curve for the listener. A bit

of time is necessary to be able to understand DECtalk text to speech

software, one of the first developed. There are newer programs on

the market, however, Enkidu Research and now Dynavox has not elected

not to consider updating the Impact D, and the other items that they

distribute for that matter.

Before leaving this area, I must note that the Enkidu will serve as

PLS progresses. A library of 5,000 pictures can be used to

communicate needs and wants after the ability to type fails. Even

further down the road, the Enkidu also can be used in a scanning

mode, where each letter of the alphabet is highlighted until the

correct letter is shown, then the user would select that letter with

a simple switch or even a " puff/blow " system.

Now, what can you do with the Enkidu? Each of the last two winters,

Bettie Jo has participated in Bible study programs at church.

Actuality, she began the Disciple studies before she needed the help

with speech. While it took a bit of work. For the last course,

Jesus in the Gospel, Bettie Jo would invest up to two hours a day at

her computer reading and writing down her comments. She would enter

specific comments into the Enkidu for playing at the next meeting.

It did take the other members of the class a few weeks to become

accustomed to the machine speech, but after that, no one had

problems. I did not take the class, but often sat outside the door

when I was there a little early to pick her up. Many of her comments

brought howles of laughter.

After attending the Assistive Technology EXPO last November, a

comment was made about Bettie Jo doing a presentation on gardening.

Early this spring she was advised that people liked the idea and she

began planning. In June she was asked to make a presentation to the

ALS Support Group. To accomplish that, she wrote her presentation on

her computer. We added a text to speech program on a lap top, added

a slide show and we were off, hauling computer, projector, tools,

plants, potting soil, and handouts. The program on the lap top is

TextAloud MP3, which I like better than DECTalk, plus AT & T has about

10 other voices that can be purchased.

The appointed day arrived, and the presentation went off without a

hitch. Bettie Jo demonstrated how to prune or deadhead a plant and

with the help of a volunteer made a hanging basket which was then

given to one of the ALS people attending.

We received the information on the Assistive Technology EXPO for this

year and find that Bettie Jo is scheduled to make an hour

presentation from 1:30 to 2:30 on November 5th in Salon G of the

North Raleigh Hilton. The title of the her class will be " The How-

To's of Adaptive Gardening " . The lap top will speak her verbal

portion, and she is again loading special comments into the Enkidu.

Got carried away there. The thing boils down to how much effort one

wants to make in continuing to be an active part of the community.

It is well worth the effort.

We will have the Enkidu and a Link available at Autumn in Carolina,

and those attending will likely have a chance to see the part of the

presentation planned for the EXPO.

Don

[Guest guest]

Don:

Bettie Jo and you are truly an inspiration to all.

Thank you for sharing your story.

Jo

Re: Re: speech/bulbar/Thurza/Galen

>

> Greetings, all,

>

> As many of you know, Bettie Jo also uses an Enkidu Impact D. We have

> had it since April of 2002. Thurza, not all insurance companies

> consider speech augmentative devices as durable medical equipment.

> When we purchased hers, Bettie Jo was evaluated by a certified speech

> therapist and the report of that evaluation (which required 14

> specific questions to be answered) was used to satisfy requirements

> of Medicare. Medicare did pay their portion, 80%, however, when we

> submitted a claim to Partners, it was denied. I appealed that denial

> by asking " If a person is unable to speak in a manner to be

> understood, and is unable to use American Sign Language or write

> because of involvement of the hands and arms, then how should that

> patient communicate their daily needs to physicians and caregivers? "

> I received a reply -- " Claim Denied " . It seems that they had the

> foresight to specifically list speech augmentation equipment on their

> " non-covered " items. A call to the State Insurance Office did not

> help.

>

> That aside, the Enkidu is an amazing piece of equipment. Yes, it is

> intuitive, meaning that the computer will " guess " the word that you

> are truing to type and if the correct word is shown, a touch moves

> the word to the active line. The selection of words is based on the

> users vocabulary used on the machine. This will not necessarily

> speed communication, but it does reduce fatigue.

>

> Galen is correct, there is a learning curve for the listener. A bit

> of time is necessary to be able to understand DECtalk text to speech

> software, one of the first developed. There are newer programs on

> the market, however, Enkidu Research and now Dynavox has not elected

> not to consider updating the Impact D, and the other items that they

> distribute for that matter.

>

> Before leaving this area, I must note that the Enkidu will serve as

> PLS progresses. A library of 5,000 pictures can be used to

> communicate needs and wants after the ability to type fails. Even

> further down the road, the Enkidu also can be used in a scanning

> mode, where each letter of the alphabet is highlighted until the

> correct letter is shown, then the user would select that letter with

> a simple switch or even a " puff/blow " system.

>

> Now, what can you do with the Enkidu? Each of the last two winters,

> Bettie Jo has participated in Bible study programs at church.

> Actuality, she began the Disciple studies before she needed the help

> with speech. While it took a bit of work. For the last course,

> Jesus in the Gospel, Bettie Jo would invest up to two hours a day at

> her computer reading and writing down her comments. She would enter

> specific comments into the Enkidu for playing at the next meeting.

> It did take the other members of the class a few weeks to become

> accustomed to the machine speech, but after that, no one had

> problems. I did not take the class, but often sat outside the door

> when I was there a little early to pick her up. Many of her comments

> brought howles of laughter.

>

> After attending the Assistive Technology EXPO last November, a

> comment was made about Bettie Jo doing a presentation on gardening.

> Early this spring she was advised that people liked the idea and she

> began planning. In June she was asked to make a presentation to the

> ALS Support Group. To accomplish that, she wrote her presentation on

> her computer. We added a text to speech program on a lap top, added

> a slide show and we were off, hauling computer, projector, tools,

> plants, potting soil, and handouts. The program on the lap top is

> TextAloud MP3, which I like better than DECTalk, plus AT & T has about

> 10 other voices that can be purchased.

>

> The appointed day arrived, and the presentation went off without a

> hitch. Bettie Jo demonstrated how to prune or deadhead a plant and

> with the help of a volunteer made a hanging basket which was then

> given to one of the ALS people attending.

>

> We received the information on the Assistive Technology EXPO for this

> year and find that Bettie Jo is scheduled to make an hour

> presentation from 1:30 to 2:30 on November 5th in Salon G of the

> North Raleigh Hilton. The title of the her class will be " The How-

> To's of Adaptive Gardening " . The lap top will speak her verbal

> portion, and she is again loading special comments into the Enkidu.

>

> Got carried away there. The thing boils down to how much effort one

> wants to make in continuing to be an active part of the community.

> It is well worth the effort.

>

> We will have the Enkidu and a Link available at Autumn in Carolina,

> and those attending will likely have a chance to see the part of the

> presentation planned for the EXPO.

>

> Don

>

>

>

>

>