Winter 2015

For some children, the simple act of saying what they want, like or need does not come easily or in fact
is reliant on utilising other resources to support them. Noah’s Ark Specialised Equipment has a number of
resources that can support the child as well as the educator to communicate.
SIMPLE VOICE-OUTPUT
COMMUNICATION DEVICES
Simple voice-output communication devices are electronic
devices that may assist a child who has limited or no speech
to have their communication needs be spoken aloud. Letters,
words, phrases and sentences can be spoken aloud by the
device via pre-recorded messages. Messages can be recorded
in varying lengths (depending on the model of the device). The
following devices use digitised (human voice recorded) speech
messages for simple communication needs.
SMART/TALK VOICE-OUTPUT
COMMUNICATION DEVICE
Smart/Talk has 8 message cells per level and 6 levels on
the device, giving 48 messages in total. It has an in-built key
guard and can be activated by direct access only i.e. via
touch.
Examples of activities to use with a Voice Output
Communicate Device:
BIGmack Communicator
The BIGmack enables a single message to be produced and
has 2 minutes recording time. The BIGmack can be accessed
directly by touching the large activation plate on the top or
indirectly via a single switch.
(It is important to ask the child’s Speech Therapist to assist you
in selecting varying uses to support the child’s communication.)
1. Use to play games such as Chasey and Hide-and-Seek.
Store phrases such as “You can’t catch me”, “Your Turn”,
“Ready or not, here I come!’’
2. Request an activity, “How about we read a book?”
3. Use it to do show-and-tell, record a message about the
event/object that the child would like to tell the group.
4. Give a compliment to a friend, ‘’I like your t-shirt.”
Little Step-by-Step with Levels Communicators and
Big Step-by-Step with Levels Communicator
These devices enable a single message or a sequence of
messages to be produced. Sets of messages can be stored
in levels. There are three levels included with a total of four
minutes of recording time.
Levels are ideal for pre-recording messages to be used at a
specific time of the day or for recording and storing sequential
messages that are used on a regular basis.
It can be accessed directly by touching the activation plate on
the top or indirectly via a single switch.
5. Use it at story time. Record some repetitive words or
phrases so that the child can participate. Books with
repetitive phrases include ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’,
‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear – What do you see?’
6. Giving direction in a group activity
– ‘’Put it in”, “Pick it up.”
7. Ask a friend to play.
8. Making single requests in predictable situations.
9. During reading, tell to turn the page – “Turn the page
now.”
10. Use it with the Survival Words Kit – give speech to the
pictures. Put a picture inside the switch cap and record the
message “I would like to go inside to play”,
“I am hungry now.”
Our Specialised Aids for Communication devices require the recommendation from the child’s
Therapist. To apply for Specialised Aids please download the application from our website
www.noahsark.net.au or contact Noah’s Ark on 1300 497 437.
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