I am the father of a son that has autism and he is now 10 years old and still non verbal. Being the lead mentor of team 842 Falcon Robotics has taught me to reach for the impossible. While my son still cannot speak for himself, I along with some other mentors of team 842 helped to develop the world’s first Internet based AAC, Alternative & Augmentative Communication system. The current paradigm is that you first have to get your son or daughter diagnosed and qualified to be subscribed an AAC that typically cost from 10 to 15 thousand dollars. It is a stand alone device that must be programed to display pictures and usually done on a touch screen. The person then selects a picture or sequence of pictures for the device to then speak the words so people can understand what they want. After the insurance company denies the script for the AAC device-(autism is not “treatable” therefore insurance does not pay) you then have to go to the state to see if they have funding to help parents. If they do great, you must wait one year before you can get the device. If the state cannot help, then you are on your own. This system sucks! I got together with Karen Suhm a mentor on our team and with the help of my wife and two speech therapists came up with a system that is internet based and non specific device dependent. You can use what ever internet accessible device you have, with what ever HID you have such as a mouse or touch screen. Soon Iphone will have flash and you will be able to use your Iphone or Itouch as well. Think of all those teenagers and adults that don’t want to look different because they are using a weird looking machine, now they can use their Iphone! You can get a net book with touch screen for $299 ( http://www.alwaysinnovating.com/touchbook/ ) and start using the new system right away. Oh I also meant to also tell you that we will only charge $40 a month and no time contracts, sign up and quit when you want. You would be able to have 20 years of service for the price of one of the existing systems on the market today! The pages you create can also be published offline so you don’t need the internet to use the system, only to create the pages. We created a company called Alexicomtech named after my son. www.alexicomtech.com The system can be even be used on a smart board where students with special needs can walk up and touch the pic of their choice and the computer will talk for them. I along with the other people in the new company hope to bust the old paradigm of the AAC system and get the parents the help they need without ruining them financially. For less than the price of one pizza party you can now get an AAC system with more capabilities than anything out on the market. Please check it out and refer anyone one you know that might need it. Thanks.
It was FIRST that helped teach me and my fellow mentor how to solve problems and do it for the betterment of all people.It was also FIRST that brought Karen and I together. I will get off my soapbox now. Please feel free to give us any comments on how to make the system better. We are currently under review by the Phoenix Union High School Distinct and may be selected for a 5 year contract if we are lucky. We are competing against Dyna Vox http://www.dynavoxtech.com/ they were the other company that put in for the bid request. I don’t believe that they meet the web based criteria. We have the patent for that! Wish us luck!
Man, I am just tingly all over after reading what you have done. Way to go Falconmaster, I would say that what you and Karen have accomplished embodies what FIRST is all about.
Great job! Once again, FIRST has helped the world by giving ordinary people the confidence to think outside the box and create new things that will help the world. This sounds like a really great system that will be very beneficial once it’s off the ground. Congratulations on a (so far) successful project, and I hope to see this all over the news and the country/world(?) soon!
Wow, this is one of the greatest things that I have seen someone do, inside or outside of FIRST. Your creation of this system will not only improve peoples lives, but also save many famlies money. I hope you all the luck in the world to get that contract!
This is beyond amazing. Someone needs to invent a word of just how awesome you are, Falconmaster. It seems that everything I strongly believe in, you find a way to unknowingly express it, then act upon it.
I truly hope that you get that contract. Good luck!
I often think about and wonder what the impact of FIRST will be on members of FIRST - now and further down the road. How their career choices will impact our world around us because of their interest in areas that they tapped into and developed while participating on a team. I also think about families and people I know who would be profoundly impacted by devices and use of technology in applications such as this. The possibilities created and awareness raised are cause for great celebration.
I am trying to find out how I can come across $300 to get the new Touch book that I think will showcase exactly how good this will work. It even comes with the back magnetized so that you could put it on the refrigerator for your son or daughter to use to request food.
You are very welcome.
More info… the system works on Safari, chrome, explorer and Firefox.
It can be used on any internet connected device that uses a standard browser and has flash media player installed. Desktop, laptop, smartboard what ever! Once apple installs a flash player on their iphones and itouches then they can use the system too!
This is really an awesome tool! My son is also Autistic. Although he has some language, and can ask for things, he has more trouble with expressing feelings and less concrete ideas. We have never tried to use one of these devices because of the expense.
I forwarded your initial post and the links to the social worker at my son’s school and she to the speech therapist. It would be very cool if he could use this device to augment his speech.
You can sign up for one month and make as many pages as you want in that time. All pages should then be published offline. The website does that for you. Then quit the subscription. If you ever want to make more pages then sign up again. The best part about this is you select what ever pics you want and set up how many columns and rows you want per page and link the pages. You can get pics from Google, your own camera, what ever! So for $40 dollars you can have an AAC “device” equivalent to anything out on the market, more customizable than any $20k or $30k machine! He can use it at school, at home any where the pages have been published. It is easy to make the pages, we have tutorials on line once you register and we will have videos up soon. You can make a page in less than 10 min! If you decide to keep the subscription active for maore than one month, then he can access it from any internet active device that use a standard browser any where in the world. Hoep this makes a difference in your son’s life like it has in my son’s. Good Luck email me if you have any questions [email protected]
Good luck!