Skip to main content

Assistive Communication Devices and Applications for Children With Cerebral Palsy


ebral palsy can result in some or many of a wide array of impairments or developmental delays, some minor, others major. For many children with CP, the ability to communicate effectively can be a real challenge. This may be the result of cognitive impairments, where they struggle with vocabulary and idea processing, or it may be more about the motor skills that govern the mouth, lips and tongue. CP related hearing impairments can also have a profound effect on a child's ability to communicate. Learning complex language and speech skills is uniquely human. So is the ability to invent and utilize adaptive devices to aid those who struggle with this process.

Children develop and use language at roughly their own pace, but a child who fails to meet certain developmental milestones for communication should be tested for speech and hearing issues. Babies should react to sound from birth and even look towards the source of a sound by 6 months. If a child isn't hearing sound well enough to react to it, they will have a difficult time learning to speak. Hearing screenings are available to infants of any age.

In our highly technical world, many new techniques and devices have been developed aimed at assisting young people with hearing and speech impairments in their efforts to communicate. AAC (Augmented and Alternative Communication) strategies and devices exist in many formats from high-tech to low-tech. With the proliferation of highly sophisticated assistive devices comes the fear that children will lose their motivation to attempt speech.

Before choosing which specific method of intervention or technology will be of greatest benefit to your child with cerebral palsy, seek the nearest rehabilitation or teaching hospital that offers evaluation and assistance in choosing AAC systems. Many of them offer assistive technology clinics where teams of AAC specialists along with speech pathologists, occupational and physical therapists can work directly with AAC technology vendors to design a service plan customized for your child. Having all these professionals under one roof streamlines the process by facilitating effective communications between professionals you might otherwise have to visit individually in multiple cities. The result is an AAC system customized specifically to your child's abilities and needs and the training that both you and your child will need.

Science has made mind-boggling advances over the past decade and there's no end in sight. Laboratories have developed brain/computer interface systems that provide communication and control capabilities to individuals with severe motor disabilities.

VOCAs (voice output communication aids), such as those used by famous physicist Dr. Stephen Hawking, allow individuals with severe speech impairments to communicate verbally by using voice synthesizers filtered through computers, including laptops and hand-held devices.

It's an undeniable fact that people with severe speech and motor impairments are having their lives changed for the better as a result of these amazing advancements

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Top Reasons to Hire a Real Estate Virtual Assistant

Real property is a extraordinarily traumatic enterprise. Running an corporation or even an independent practice can take a massive chunk of some time. From paperwork to renovations, open house, and promotions, strolling a realty organisation can be overwhelming. Why not attention efforts on improving your core capabilities and depart the paper paintings to a real property virtual assistant? Normally an independent online contractor, they now function an administrative assistant through the Internet. Some of the pinnacle motives why hiring one will be beneficial for you are the following: Constant Update on Database Connections, contacts, and informative records are essential in strolling a real estate enterprise. Your list can exponentially develop vis-à-vis your performance. Most realty marketers require masses, if no longer hundreds, of contacts to be often updated as their customer list grows. A digital assistant can control your customer and information database to ease your ...
Post a Comment
Read more

How Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers Treat Back Strains

e of the medical complaints doctors hear about the most are back strain injuries. This happens to athletes and non-athletes all the time. 25% of all adults have experienced lower back pain at some point in their lives and chances are you could be one of those people. Medical professionals such as physical therapists and athletic trainers handle back strain treatment on a regular basis. Since this is a regular thing they deal with, then why not take advantage of their knowledge to aid in reducing your back pain and discomfort. Before moving forward with the advice below, it is always wise to seek your doctor's opinion so you can be properly diagnosed and then correctly treated. Back Strain Treatment Common treatment from physical therapist and athletic trainers that athletes use to treat back strains: 1. Anti-inflammatory: After straining your back, it is a good idea to take some anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling and to control any pain associated with the inj...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Treat the Pain Associated With Plantar Fasciitis

lantar fasciitis is a painful condition caused by inflammation of the thick, fibrous band of tissue (''fascia'') that reaches from the heel to the toes. This fascia is responsible for supporting the muscles and arch of the foot. The plantar fascia is made of three distinct parts: medial, central, and lateral bands. The central band is the thickest and strongest and is most likely involved in plantar fasciitis pain. Tiny tears are created on the surface of the fascia when it's stretched too far causing inflammation and pain. In addition to inflammation and pain, the stress on the muscles and ligaments from plantar fasciitis can cause heel spurs. There isn't a single treatment for plantar fasciitis, but physical therapy utilizes several tools which can alleviate the pain and inflammation. Plantar Fasciitis accounts for about 10% of runner related injuries and is more likely to affect women than men. Because of the high incidence rate of plantar fasciitis in run...
Post a Comment
Read more