Turn Talking Software
- 1. TURN TALKING SOFTWARE Amber Collier
- 2. TURN TALKING SOFTWARE: WHAT IS IT? Created by a man named RJ Cooper Cooper studied electrical engineering at the University of Utah. Worked with students with special needs and began creating software, hardware and other tools for special education teachers, speech language pathologists, and other professionals. These new tools were created to help facilitate learning and assist students and clients with communication skills.
- 3. TURN TALKING SOFTWARE: WHAT IS IT? It is an augmentative and alternative communication software tool that can be customized by writing scripts and recording verbal conversation. Otherwise known as conversational training software Focuses on discourse: Turn Taking Skills Topic Management Conversational Repair Intonation/Prosody (Supralinguistics)
- 4. TURN TALKING SOFTWARE: WHO BENEFITS FROM THE SOFTWARE? Turn Talking Software can benefit: Clients who are non-verbal Clients with aphasia Clients with pragmatic difficulties Clients with autism
- 5. TURN TALKING SOFTWARE: HOW DOES IT WORK? The clinician writes a particular script. Next, the clinician has an individual, approximately the same age as the talker (client) record the speaker’s (clinician) phrases. Can be utilized by: One non-verbal and one verbal person Two verbal people Familiar or unfamiliar conversational partners Clinician can edit and print conversations This can help track progress.
- 6. TURN TALKING SOFTWARE: HOW DOES IT WORK? In clients with pragmatic difficulties and autism: The software can help promote discourse skills such as topic maintenance, conversational repair, termination of conversation, supralinguistic and turn taking skills. In clients with aphasia: Software programs can help increase communication between people with aphasia (Turner 484). The software can help promote conversational interaction and the skills noted above.
- 7. TURN TALKING SOFTWARE: FEATURES Pictures can be uploaded by clinician. Pictures can be used that are provided on the software program. Various voices can be used by others to record conversation. Works with Magic Touchscreen (acts as a mouse), Intellikeys (a customizable keyboard) or any other switch.
- 8. TURN TALKING SOFTWARE: COMPATIBILITIES AND COST Compatible with: Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, ME, and XP MAC version also available Cost $121.00 Available for purchase from http://www.enablemart.com
- 9. SOURCES Campbell, Chris. John Working with a Headset . 2006. www.flickr.com. http://www.enablemart.com http://www.rjcooper.com/site-map/index.html Turner, S. & Whitworth A. (2006, June). Conversational partner training programmes in aphasia: A review of key themes and participants’ roles. Aphasiology , 20(6), 483-510.