JCPSLP Vol 17 No 3 2015

Fresh science and pioneering practice

Top 10 essential tools in assistive technology Charlene Cullen

C harlene Cullen works at LinkAssistive as a speech pathologist and assistive technology specialist. She spends time providing training and support and keeping up to date with new technologies available for people with complex communication impairments. LinkAssistive is an Australian supplier of assistive technology products and services. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and software, computer / device access products, products for special education and mounting equipment are part of their product portfolio. Charlene has identified the following top 10 resources as essential tools for assessment and training in the assistive technology field of speech pathology. 1 Skype, Viber, Tango These tools have been around for a while but are often underutilised. Most of us use Skype (www.skype.com) for a group phone meeting or for a chat, but the video function has been a lifesaver for diagnosing technical issues on someone’s AAC device. It often helps to “see” the screen and we have had families ring in with Viber (www.viber.com) or Tango (www.tango.me) and use the video function, and we have solved technical issues on the spot rather than having to organise for the device to come in for repair. Imagine the ways you can use video features for training and other speech pathology practices! 2 Google sheets We use a number of cloud-based options for storage of shared files, but creating spreadsheets for the trial waitlist database in Google Sheets means that we can access the database across multiple sites and work on the spreadsheet at exactly the same time with no conflicting document issues. You can use Google documents, presentations, sites, sheets, and forms with your colleagues and make comments and edit collaboratively – no more messy track changes! http://www.google.com.au/sheets/ about/ 3 Teamviewer Remote control any PC or Mac over the internet. A great option for providing remote technical support or demonstrating how to do something in communication software on a speech-generating device. This is extremely handy when you can’t physically be there to show someone what to do or see what gremlins might be playing up in the device! www.teamviewer.com

4 Websites for alternative access When we are visiting therapists, schools, or families, it is always helpful to have a range of activities on hand to assess and determine if the eye gaze devices will be suitable. Sometimes this will be commercial software such as Look2Learn with activities to learn eye-gaze technology, but there are also some great free websites with simple “mouse click” and “mouse over” (hover) functionality such as www.owlieboo.com and mrwatson.education or you can create some art using www.jacksonpollock.org These are also great for teaching a range of different language skills! 5 Facebook groups and pages Social media is a fast way to find information in a particular area and also to share what you know. It’s not just in our own circle of influence now: we can reach all over the world and get access to in-depth discussion that would have taken a long time to achieve in past years. Some favourite pages and groups to follow in the assistive technology field of speech pathology are: Augmentative Communication Resources & Help: www. facebook.com/groups/aacresources/ AGOSCI Inc.: www.facebook.com/AGOSCI Assistive Technology: www.facebook.com/groups/assistive. technology.group/ Tobii UK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tobiiuk/ 6 Blogs Reading blogs is a great way to stay fresh and know what’s happening with AAC and assistive technology (and any other field in speech pathology for that matter). Highly recommended blogs with frequent and practical content are “PrAACtically Speaking” by Carole Zangari (www. praacticalaac.org) and “Teaching Learners With Multiple Special Needs” by Kate Ahern (www. teachinglearnerswithmultipleneeds.blogspot.com). And if you have too many blogs to keep track of, then use a blog aggregator such as Feedly (www.feedly.com) where you can read all your blogs in one place. 7 Evernote No matter which field of speech pathology you are working in, Evernote would certainly be a useful tool. It is a cloud-based software service for creating, organising, and storing all sorts of media such as text documents, photos, videos, audio files, and webpages. Use it as an app, on the web, or download the software. It’s fabulous for storing

Charlene Cullen

166

JCPSLP Volume 17, Number 3 2015

Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology