FOR USING OUR MESSAGE AND SIGNAL DEVICES

These problems and solutions from our customers' experiences may suggest similar uses for yourself or for those you teach or care for. If you have interesting or different uses that might help others, please tell us and we'll try to pass them along. Note: Gender is used as told to us - we intend no discrimination.

Attainment Talkers, Companions, Vocal Assistants, or other multiple-message units.

Problem: A student with Attention Deficit Disorder can't remember instructions for homework. Solution: The teacher can instantly record instructions on a message device and they can be played back as often as needed. Useful in any situation where verbal information or instruction is desirable but brain damage or other condition makes it difficult for someone to remember what has been said.

Problem: A student has a nice computer/communications system at home, another at school - but no way to participate verbally in the car or bus going back and forth. Solution: Appropriate messages are pre-recorded on a small, relatively inexpensive, easily portable message device.

Problem: A salesman has a psychological block as he first speaks to a prospective client on the phone. Once the conversation is begun, he is OK, but the 1st sentence is slow and broken - a poor start with the customer and emotionally agonizing for the salesman. Solution: He pre-records his opening line on his message device - "Hello, Mr. Peterson - this is John Smith" - and plays it when the phone is answered. Then he can take over speaking directly. (Our message devices and many others can be connected directly to the phone with our Telephone Terminal for ease in handling and good sound quality.)

Problem: A person with severe aphasia cannot use the phone to call for help or to take a message. Solution: Appropriate messages are pre-recorded for her on a message device, connected to the phone with a Telephone Terminal.

Problem: A person with dysarthria cannot easily request what is wanted from a librarian, store-keeper, etc. Solution: A family member quickly records useful messages for upcoming needs on his small, easily carryable message device. One, several or all messages can be re-recorded instantly when new messages are appropriate. Especially good for use at a fast-food drive- thru order station - user may have to hold device out toward the mic, depending on mic position and ambient noise.

Problem: A young child should start using a communication device, but he is intimidated by the idea of calling verbal attention to himself and also cannot work with many choices. Solution: Start with the Attainment Two-Talker, with one or two word messages, and then work up. An ideal use - program a button with the song Happy Birthday so the child can join in at a birthday party. Also, use a message device for verbal participation in game playing.

Speak-A-Tag

Problem: A child has severe allergies. Well meaning room-mothers at school parties often insist that she try some treat she knows she shouldn't have. It is hard for her to stand up to adult pressure. Partial solution: Her mother's serious adult voice has been recorded on the Speak-A-Tag stating that the child MUST not have ANY of the forbidden substance, giving emergency steps to be taken if she does. The child can play the message for other adults to reinforce her refusal to "try just a little."

Problem: On-the-go person who is blind does not have a quick/easy way to leave a message for other family members or to receive messages from them if their schedules don't mesh. Solution: Speak-A-Tag hangs in a designated spot in the kitchen. Messages are left and listened to easily by everyone. Also useful for those who are illiterate.

Problem: Laryngectomee wants a "regular voice" way to explain his speech limitations before using his artificial larynx. Solution: A message recorded in the Speak-A-Tag does the job.

Wireless Personal "Beeper" Page and Vibratory Pager/Ring Extender

Problem: A woman laryngectomee does not want to have to go "up, down and all around the house" to call her husband for meals or other needs. Solution: She "beeps" him with the Pager.

Problem: A student frequently has medical problems that require immediate hands-on attention. Catch 22 - the teacher can't leave him to call for help - indeed, she is not legally allowed to leave the classroom - but she MUST have assistance for the student and/or the rest of the class. Solution: She placed the receiving section of the Pager in the school office, keeps the transmitter on its cord around her neck. Just a press of the button has help on the way.

Problem: An elderly lady with a weak voice has to be helped into the bathroom and settled on the toilet. When she feels she must sit there for a while, she doesn't need or want attention. It is embarrassing and puts undue stress on both the lady and her daughter if the daughter waits just outside the door or keeps coming back to check - and it is time consuming for the daughter. Solution: The daughter keeps the Pager receiver and goes back to what she was doing, the mother has the transmitter around her neck and "beeps" when she is ready for more help. This allows the mother to relax and to retain a greater feeling of dignity and control of her own life.

Problem: A "Senior citizen" who does not speak is able to stay alone for a while but is stressed by the worry of what would happen if he needed help while his daughter is away for an hour or two. He cannot use the phone, nor is an emergency call system the answer. He wouldn't want to signal an ambulance or police for any relatively minor to medium problem. Solution: A neighbor in the next apartment is given the Pager receiver and keys to the apartment when the daughter goes out, while her Dad keeps the transmitter around his neck. The father is much more relaxed and willing for his daughter to go out since he knows he can get help easily if he ever really should need it.

Problem: A patient is doing a self-test that is not closely timed. The therapist must keep checking back to see if he is done. Solution: The patient can use the Pager to signal when finished.

Problem: A student who sometimes "acts out" can feel himself losing control. The teacher can calm him down and prevent a major episode if she can intervene soon enough. However, the student does not like to call verbal or physical attention to himself. If he does, it is embarrassing to him and disruptive to the class. Solution: The student keeps the transmitter for the Vibratory Pager, the teacher has the Vibratory receiver in her pocket. When the silent vibration lets her know that the student needs help, she quietly moves about the room and works her way to him to give him the attention he needs without the rest of the class knowing what's happening.

Problem: An older child who is deaf has to be physically located in the house or yard when it is time for supper or other activities. Solution: He keeps a vibratory receiver, a parent uses the transmitter to "buzz" him when he is supposed to come to the kitchen.

Notes on the Pagers: The transmitter button on the "Beeper" Pager requires some pressure, not just touch. (Some people have mounted it so that it can be activated by biting.) The transmitter for the Vibrating Pager/Ring Extender can be activated by speech or a bell or ringer or any loud noise. It can also be activated by tapping, such as by fingernails or a mouth stick or something similar, so it can be used by someone with minimal movement capability. Those who cannot exert enough pressure to activate the "Beeper" Pager may often find the Vibrating Pager a very good alternative.

With either pager, be sure to test your working radius in any building - some heavy walls shorten the usual 100 ft. transmission distance a little. All "Beeper" units use one frequency and all Vibratory units use another frequency. The units will interfere with another of the same type of unit, but the two different types will not interfere with either other, so you may use one of each kind within any 100 ft. radius area. Another possibility - you can, if you like, have several receivers all beeped by one transmitter - call several children to lunch, several students to a study group, several deaf workers to a meeting, etc.