Switch and scanning users; comparison of rate enhancement features of text to speech electronic communication devices

Today there are a multiple number of dedicated text to speech communication devices available for people with ACC needs - including people who have complex physical disabilities and need to access such devices indirectly through switch and scanning. An important consideration when matching a switch and scanning user to an appropriate device are the rate enhancement features - however the set up and how to use these features varies between models as does the quality of the software used to predict client's messages. As a consequence the perceived benefits of such features may not necessarily match the actual benefits in communicating and this may vary between devices. In this paper we present the results of our study comparing word prediction/keypad rate enhancement features for these dedicated devices. These were the LightWRITER, Polyana and the DynaWRITE. Non-disabled subjects were used in this study and a standard QWERTY keyboard layout was used across all devices. Subjects were required to produce a range of text via row-column switch and scanning access. The implications for therapists recommending and training the use of such devices for switch and scanning users are discussed and the benefits of different rate enhancement features are compared.

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