Closing the Gap: week 3

Article: Technology solutions to enhance therapy for communication and cognitive deficits for under $30: Part one of a two-part series


Hello all!



As most of us are aware of, time and money are everything when it comes to any type of job. Rehabilitation professionals often are limited to really get out there and improve treatment throught assistive technology due to budget reasons. Fortunately, there areso many ways to improve outcomes of clients with communication and cognitive needs, save treatment preparation time, and save money via internet! There are many computer programs that can be used as therapy tools. One of the options is at most of our fingertips; Windows-based computers. Many are unaware of this, but computers with Windows operating system come with a plethora of built-in accessibility options. For example, individuals with low vision can enlarge or enhance on-screen information. Another example is Microsoft PowerPoint, which can be utilized with individuals who have communication or cognitive deficits. One may add voice, movies, pictures, sounds to produce talking slides or books, custom animation, or step by step tutorials on how to do a particular activity. In this article, there are other great ideas, such as free and low cost demos and interactive practice programs that provide therapy programs that are working toward the improvement of communication and cognition. There are also many free Web-based programs described that can assist with organizing contact information and schedules. The internet also offers music, which can help with the development and remediation of speech and language, especially for individuals with significant verbal apraxia or dysfluency. For example, there is one program named "ElderSong" which offers a sing-along CD as well as large-print books for around $15.00. All of the technology solutions mentioned in this article range from free to $30.00. So it is a great way to really broaden your options in the utilization of assistive technology without endangering your budget. Through my experiences as a volunteer at outpatient clinics, the budget was a big deal, as well as a hinderance to the amount of assistive technology was at the clinic. So this is a great way to save money, prep time, and increase cognition and communication skills in clients.