Dynavox = Clueless?

Dynavox's stock price has taken a nose dive of late. Sales are down.

For the 13-weeks ended October 1, 2010, net sales were $21.6 million or 11% below net sales of $24.3 million during the 13 weeks ended October 2, 2009. Sales of the Company's speech generating devices declined 8% from the prior year to $17.2 million, and sales of its special education software declined 22%, to $4.4 million, for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011.

They blame lack of government money in a time when government spending is through the roof.

The Company believes that reduced domestic government funding, and particularly more constrained state and local government funding of school budgets, is adversely affecting its product sales in the United States.

How about this? Dynavox won't let me purchase the software to run on a computer or other device which would be a huge benefit for us. We have touchscreen computers and laptops at our house that my daughter loves and it would be great if we could run the Dynavox software could be used elsewhere.

They seem a tad oblivious to the fact that iPads and similar devices are on the verge of cleaning their clock and providing superior products at a fraction of the cost. Wake up, Dynavox. You make your money on the durable devices, drop the paranoia about your software.

First Then Visual Schedule

First Then Visual Schedule - Good Karma Applications

First-Then visual schedule application is designed for caregivers to provide
positive behavior support for those with communication needs. This application provides an affordable and convenient audio-visual prompting tool for use on the iPhone or iTouch. The portability of the iPhone and iTouch and ease of use of the application make it perfect for use at school, home or in the community.


















Visual schedules provide positive behavior support through the use of
images that show daily events(i.e. morning routine or therapy schedule) or steps needed to complete a specific activity, (i.e. using the restroom).
For individuals with communication needs, developmental delays, spectrum disorders or those who benefit from a structured environment; visual schedules serve to increase independence and lower anxiety during transitions through different activities. Visual schedules help set a
child up to be successful with clear expectations by promoting understanding
of upcoming events.

















First-Then application is unique in that it is completely customizable. User
can *record their own voice*, *add their own images* from their computer or
iPhone camera, or simply use images from the application’s stock library to create a schedule. This customization allows the application to be unique to the user and their needs. This also allows for schedules to be created “on-the-go” to help transition through unexpected changes in a routine.

First Then Visual Schedule - Good Karma Applications

Apps4Autism: iCommunicate (iPod, iPad, iPhone)

iCommunicate - Grembe Inc.




iCommunicate - Grembe Inc.

Kick that Dynavox to the Curb on a budget with Grace

Kick that clunky Dynavox to the curb ... on a budget.


Grace - Picture Exchange for Non-Verbal People - Steven Troughton-Smith

A simple picture exchange system developed by and for non-verbal people allowing the user to communicate their needs by building sentences from relevant images. It can be customized by the individual using their picture and photo vocabulary with the user taking photos and saving pictures to the app.

The application works in real time and allows the user to select their preferences, then rotate the device to present a full sized sentence to the listener - who will read it with them and respond to their request.

The beauty of Grace is that it ensures the interaction of the user with the listener, and mutual understanding of the user's real needs help to increase communication opportunities and build trust.

Grace is now available for iPhone and iPod touch, and version 1.0.1 and beyond fully support iPad at no extra charge.

Grace - Picture Exchange for Non-Verbal People - Steven Troughton-Smith

Proloquo2Go: Time to Dump that Dynavox to the Curb?

Proloquo2Go - AssistiveWare















Proloquo2Go - AssistiveWare


Proloquo2Go™ is a new product from AssistiveWare that provides a full-featured communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking. It brings natural sounding text-to-speech voices, up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of over 7000 items, full expandability and extreme ease of use to the iPhone and iPod touch.

iPad

Proloquo2Go is now available also on iPad, Apple’s revolutionary new tablet device. Now you can use it on an iPad at home, at work or at school and use it on an iPod touch or iPhone when going to the movies, a restaurant or hiking.

iPhone and iPod touch

Proloquo2Go is a custom designed, full-featured communication solution for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Never has AAC been so portable and affordable.

How does it work?

If you know how to use an iPhone or iPod touch you know how to use Proloquo2Go. While Proloquo2Go has a lot of advanced features the basics are extremely simple and easy.

Proloquo2Go includes natural sounding text-to-speech voices, up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of over 7000 items, full expandability and extreme ease of use.

The vocabulary: VocaSpace™

The basic structure of Proloquo2Go is made to utilize the best of both worlds: word based construction and powerful phrases. So whether you are chatting with a friend, answering a question about a current event, or constructing a story to tell later in the day, the system is designed to be easy and effective for a broad range of individuals.

Autism and the iPad: Proloquo2Go Demo Video

Medicare covers $8k Dynavox, not $300 iPhone

OK, let's see. Medicare will cover an $8,000 talking device, but not a $300, because you might play games on it. It sure seems like someone might be missing the point.

For voiceless, gadgets speak but insurers balk

By Ashlee Vance
THE NEW YORK TIMES

SAN FRANCISCO — Kara Lynn has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which
has attacked the muscles around her mouth and throat, removing her
ability to speak. A couple of years ago, she spent more than $8,000 to
buy a computer, approved by Medicare, that turns typed words into
speech that her family, friends and doctors can hear.

Under government insurance requirements, the maker of the PC,
which ran Microsoft Windows software, had to block any nonspeech
functions, such as sending e-mail or browsing the Web.

Dismayed by the PC's limitations and clunky design, Lynn turned to
a $300 iPhone 3G from Apple running $150 text-to-speech software. Lynn,
who is 48 and lives in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., said it worked better and
let her "wear her voice" around her neck while snuggling with her
5-year-old son, Aiden, who has Down syndrome.

Medicare and private health insurers decline to cover devices such
as iPhones and netbook PCs that can help people with speech
impairments, despite their usefulness and lower cost. Instead, public
and private insurers say that if Lynn and others like her want
insurance to pay, they must spend 10 to 20 times as much for dedicated,
proprietary devices that can do far less.

The logic: Insurance is supposed to cover medical devices, and
smartphones and PCs can be used for nonmedical purposes, such as
playing video games or browsing the Web.

"We would not cover the iPhones and netbooks with
speech-generating software capabilities because they are useful in the
absence of an illness or injury," said Peter Ashkenaz, a spokesman for
the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Private insurers
tend to follow the government's lead.

Two years ago, iPhones and netbooks barely existed, so it may not
be surprising that the industry has yet to consider their role as
medical devices.

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