The Dynavox

     This week I received a loaner Dynavox to do a trial test with one of my students who is mostly non verbal. Before today he mostly only communicated about girls. He would utter "hot" when a girl walked by or make a sizzling sound or whistle. Sometimes he would try to communicate about the rodeo by saying "yeehaw". He has been a puzzle all year. It is hard to tell how much a student really understands at times when he is nonverbal. I was very interested to see how he would respondto the communication device. Earlier this year I downloaded the "Tap to Talk" app to my phone, and he was quick to figure out how to use it.
      The first activity we did today involved him requesting to watch rodeo video clips using a custom made page on the Dynavox. He loved the rodeo page. He instantly began commenting on the videos and was so excited! I then let him play around with the device and explore on his own. He found the keyboard option and began typing. He can not read very well or spell consistently. We have been working this year on sight words and on Hooked on Phonics. It must be working! He typed "Go See Dog The B" and pressed the talk option. At first I was confused. I was like, "What dog is he talking about?". Then I typed "bounty hunter "and pressed talk. The student jumped up and ran to the computer. It was like a major connection had been made. He figured out that he could ask for what he wanted and communicate those thoughts. It was amazing. I let him watch a Bounty Hunter clip, then added a page to the Dynavox about the show.
    I hope that this enthusiasm for communication continues. It was awesome to see him make the connection needed to communicate. However, the costs of this device is outrageous, and the process to get one is rigorous. Medicare pays $7,000 for this type of device. Parents have to fill out lots of paperwork and go through an exhausting process that can take many months to years. So even if this trial is successful and it is determined that this student will benefit from a device, it could be a calendar year or more before he actually receives one of his own, if he is approved. There has to be a better way. Are Ipods and Ipads as effective for communicating as the Dynavox and other devices? What successes have you had?