[Athen] Text to Speech Reader

[Shelley Haven]

In addition to the text echo features and pre-loaded common phrases mentioned by others, I’d like to suggest adding text macros (abbreviation-expansion software), and displaying the text for students.

I was in a similar situation back in 2006 — teeth wired shut and sealed for four months, yet still needed to communicate in real time with university students I was working with.  Even fast typists can’t type quickly enough to approximate conversational speeds, so I analyzed my own writing to see what long words and phrases I used most frequently and created well over 200 personalized macros so that only 2-4 keystrokes would automatically expand into full words, names, or entire phrases — for example:
- dff expanded to different, dffly => differently, dffs => differences, etc.
- all names were a hyphen followed by two letters (e.g., -sh => Shelley Haven)
- all organizations, agencies, titles, etc. were an equal sign followed by 1 or more letters (e.g., =su => Stanford University).

It helped me leverage a strength (my memory) to compensate for some weaknesses (inability to talk and slow typing speed) — in essence, my own custom texting system.

I typed on a laptop connected to a monitor facing the student(s), giving them added clues as to what I was “saying” or trying to say.  In fact, they would often grasp the full sentence before I completed it, thus allowing us to have an effective two-way conversation.

Hope this helps (or at least gives you some ideas).

Best,
  Shelley

_____________________________
Shelley Haven  ATP, RET
Assistive Technology Consultant
www.TechPotential.net




> On Feb 12, 2016, at 8:51 AM, Dori Lloyd <dori_lloyd at davidsonccc.edu> wrote:

> 

> An instructor of ours has had an unexpected health event that will leave him without a voice for a while.  We are starting to investigate some text to speech readers that he can use in his classroom to communicate with his students.  I am turning to the experts for any suggestions.  

> 

> Your comments are greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

> 

> Dori

> 

> -- 

> Dori Lloyd

> Director, Distance Education and Instructional Technology

> Reich Bldg Rm 101A

> 

> Davidson County Community College

> P.O. Box 1287 | Lexington, NC 27293-1287

> 336.224.4518

> www.davidsonccc.edu <http://www.davidsonccc.edu/>

> 

> Storm Toward Success

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