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Computer Angels Self-built alternative communication

How to choose an aid

The right question is not “which product is best”, but “which movement does this person control voluntarily, repeatably and without effort”. Everything else follows from that.

Start from the movement, not from the device

An aid chosen on the basis of a diagnosis almost always fails. Two people with the same diagnosis can have completely different motor abilities, and the same person can have different ones in the morning and in the evening. Watch for a few days which gesture is most reliable: a finger, the chin, a foot, a puff of breath, the twitch of an eyebrow.

Then choose the matching access method and, only at the end, the product.

Choose by access method

Single switchUse with one switch and automatic scanning. 16 products Two switchesOne switch moves the scan on, the other confirms. 12 products Direct touchDirect selection on the touchscreen. 7 products Eye gazeEye pointing with dwell selection. 5 products Head movementPointer control by turning the head. 3 products JoystickPointing with a joystick, trackball or adapted mouse. 1 product VoiceVoice commands or non-verbal vocalisations. 2 products KeyboardUse with a standard or expanded keyboard. 3 products

Three mistakes we see often

  1. Grids that are too rich at the start. Two cells that actually get used beat forty that put people off. Vocabulary grows later, not first.
  2. Improvised positioning. An excellent switch mounted badly becomes unusable within a week. The mount matters as much as the switch.
  3. No review over time. Motor conditions change. A solution should be revisited at least every six months, or sooner if something worsens.

Want an opinion on a specific case?

Write to us describing the situation. We sell nothing at a distance: if an in-person assessment is needed we say so, and if the right product is not ours we say that too.

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