Nonspeaking: Lots to Say
Next Generation AAC Devices
Speech Sounds to Text
with the Speech Sound Monster Sounds!
An orange curly caterpillar - orthographically mapped.
Children in Australia using the Speech Sound Pics Approach to explore phonemic and orthographic awareness are so used to using Duck Hands to segment spoken words, and of thinking in terms of ‘pictures of speech sounds’ being then placed on the speech sound lines, that this is a natural extension.
I understand this is years ahead of where most UK schools are with regard to teaching ‘phonics’ - generally starting the other way round, with print! - that many won’t understand this. I also understand that many who do not really understand the science of reading will feel a huge rush of panic as they, too, have been approaching the application (instruction of phonics) backwards. Change can be messy. Take a scientific worldview and we can make understanding English orthography easy, and so much fun all kids read for pleasure. Kids deserve a voice. The Sound Monsters offer this to nonspeaking children.
Rethinking
AAC devices!
A new take on AAC!! What is an AAC device? An augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device, is a tablet or laptop that helps someone with a speech or language impairment to communicate. The term AAC device is often used interchangeably with terms like speech-generating device (SGD) or assistive communication device or simply communication device. The Speech Sound Monsters offer a totally new category of AAC technology by giving children the opportunity to actually CHOOSE the words they would like to say - not have to choose from ready-prepared pictures or words. Imagine how frustrating it is if you want a donut with chocolate sprinkles and can't speak or type those words. Miss Emma's Speech Sound Monsters change this. This is empowering - I Can SPEAK without you!
The Speech Sound Monsters were created almost ten years ago when working with children in Australia! Phonics is a 'sound based' approach and so being unable to hear or produce the speech sounds can make learning phonics difficult! The Speech Sound Monsters all say an English speech sound, so they are alternatives to phonetic symbols.
Children love playing with the Speech Sound Monsters, and mapping Monster Sounds to the pictures of the speech sounds - graphemes - which we call Sound Pics! We call the process Monster Mapping - and now they are being used to translate Speech Sounds to Text!