DynaVox Series 5With InterAACT

Jane FarrallSpeech PathologistAAC Support Services Manager

Barbara LandsbergOccupational TherapistSales and Marketing Director

DynaVox Series 5Express Yourself!

V+, Vmax+ and Maestro• Fully integrated Win7 technology• Built-in WiFi for access to Internet:

• Free e-mail account• Integrated web browsing

• Built-in Bluetooth for text messaging • Remote technical support • InterAACt• Loud speakers and a range of voices

V+ and Vmax+Vmax+ – 30.7cm screenV+ – 21.3cm screen

23 X 20 X 7cm2kg

32 X 25.4 X 7.6cm3.12kg

MaestroMaestro – 26.4cm screen

27cm x 21.6cm x 4.76cm 1.25kg, 1.56kg with Ext. batt

Speak and Be Heard• Voices:

• Nuance Australian voices (Karen & Lee)• AT&T Natural Voices• Acapela HQ Child Voices

• Legacy Voices:• DECtalk by FONIX• VeriVox• Digitized Speech

• Loud, dual front-facing, high clarity speakers

Connections to our world

• Email -free DynaVox account with every device plus a variety of pre-programmed email pages

• Computer access –integrated or with Access IT• Control of your environment• Text messaging via Bluetooth• TS Phone access

Accessible to Everyone!• Touch screen • Visual and Auditory Scanning• Mouse Pause • Joystick Selection• Morse Code• EyeMax option with Vmax+

Incorporate What You Know!

• Ability to import from:• Boardmaker with SDPro• 3100 Users• Series 4 Communication pages

We Have You Covered• Remote-Access Tech Support• Lifelong Tech Support• DynaCare• Phone, Chat, and Email Support• Getting Started videos, on-board

searchable help, web-based training, 24/7 on-line knowledge base and more!

Language and Communication Framework

AAC Linking Interaction and Technology

As part of the AAC community, DynaVox believes:• At the heart of every AAC device is the language

system that is used.

• That this system should:• encourage successful day to day, face to face,

real time interaction• support timely language and literacy skill use

and development• be age and level appropriate

The InterAACT Framework• Built on two core elements:

• Language Use • Language Structure

Language Use• Relies on conversational messages that are

designed to encourage interaction

• It focuses on interaction, conversation, quick messages and messages that are based on pre-programmed phrases and sentences

• Allows the ability to maintain and manage the flow of a conversation

Language Structure• Building blocks for developing higher level language

skills

• Includes grammatical components that are designed for language and literacy learning

• Allows composition of novel messages for either spoken or written communication

• Keyboards, core word vocabularies and dictionaries

Why Language Use and Language Structure? • To provide a balance

• Every system should support successful day to day “language use” as well as supporting the “language structure” elements needed for generating novel messages and developing and using language and literacy skills

Language Use – quick access to messages

• Common Constructions• Messages that allow me to interact quickly in a conversation in a

particular situation • Watching TV• Bedtime

• Quickfires/Generic small talk (Beukelman)• Messages that allow me to interact quickly in any conversation any

time, any place• Fillers• Interjections• Generic Comments

The InterAACT Framework• Relies on the understanding and use of

the continuum of communication independence

• Segmented by age to include communication across the lifespan.

The InterAACT Framework• 3 Broad levels of communicative

independence:• Emergent: (Beginner; partner dependent)• Contextual: (transitional; context-dependent)• Independent: (creative; independent)

How do these levels affect content presentation• Emergent:

• Scenes are simple and primary and set the context for interaction

• Few levels to traverse• Primarily functional utterances• Facilitator master for partner assisted/partner

dependent communication within context

How do these levels affect content presentation• Context Dependent

• Scenes are simple and primary and set the context for interaction

• Greater number of levels to traverse• Introduction of message building using common

constructions• Increase in the number of utterances presented• Broader representation of language structure using

Gateway• Facilitator master for partner assisted navigation

How do these levels affect content presentation• Independent

• Scenes play a role for Young Child, Child, and to some extent Teen due to the anticipated literacy levels. All other age ranges are text based.

• Equally reliant on Structure and Use• Linguistically complex skills based on the

norm for the age range

Skill Levels within The Continuum

• Changes between these levels take into consideration many different skills: • Level of awareness• Communicative intent• World knowledge• Memory skills• Symbolic representation skills• Metacognitive skills

Presentation of Communication Pages

Emergent

• Scenes are simple and primary and set the context for interaction

• Few levels to traverse• Primarily functional utterances• Facilitator master for partner

assisted/partner dependent communication

Context Dependent• Scenes are simple and primary and set the

context for interaction• Greater number of levels to traverse• Introduction of message building using common

constructions• Increase in the number of utterances presented• Broader representation of language structure

using Gateway• Facilitator master for partner assisted navigation

Independent• Scenes play a role for Young Child, Child,

and to some extent Teen due to the anticipated literacy levels. All other age ranges are text based

• Equally reliant on Structure and Use• Linguistically complex skills based on the

norm for the age range

Age Ranges• For each level of communication

independence, the InterAACT system supports “5 life stages”

• Differences in these “stages” determine vocabulary selection, typical range of contexts, and social roles (rituals) represented.

Backgrounds

InterAACT is:• Interactive and context based• A unique work based on solid yet diverse

pieces of research from a wide variety of fields

• About the joint construction of meaning and sees communication as co-constructed by both partners in the interaction

Visual Scene Displays• Different areas of research

• Young children (2 – 7 years)*• People with aphasia*• People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

• VSDs can be used by “groups [who] are unserved or underserved by current AAC technologies” Blackstone, 2006

*Sponsored by AAC RERC

VSDs and young children• Janice Light and Kathryn Drager• Series of research studies over a number of

years• Looked at difficulties children with typical

development have with existing AAC systems• Currently investigating VSDs to support the

language and communication development in young children with severe communication impairments

VSDs in Aphasia• Beukelman et al have been investigating

how VSDs support the social conversations of individuals with severe aphasia

VSDs and children with ASD• Visual scene displays have tremendous potential as a

way to improve communication and communication instruction for persons with autism spectrum disorders

• Can be used successfully as aided language displays• Using visual scenes to provide elaboration about the

surroundings, people, and structure of activities gives those on the autism spectrum the greatest amount of support to safely and effectively interact in their environment (Shane, 2006)

What InterAACT is NOT!• A prescription• Gateway (although Gateway does

represent a piece of InterAACT)• A duplication of anyone’s work• A lock step program

What InterAACT IS!• Interactive and context based• A unique work based on solid yet diverse

pieces of research from a wide variety of fields

• About the joint construction of meaning and sees communication as co-constructed by both partners in the interaction

• Real people, real words, real situations

Let’s go hands-on….