Community

We are happy to announce another guest webinar, "Communication Partner Instruction in AAC", presented by Jill E. Senner, PhD, CCC-SLP and Matt Baud, M.S., CCC-SLP.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can be invaluable in helping children with complex communication needs express themselves at home and in the classroom.  However, providing the appropriate piece of technology alone does not ensure successful communication (Douglas, 2012).   Rather, the success of a communication interaction between an AAC user and a communication partner will depend heavily on the skills of the communication partner (Kent-Walsh & McNaughton, 2005).  Recent analyses of communication partner training programs suggest that there is consistent evidence that communication partner instruction not only improves the skills of communication partners but also has a positive impact on the communication of people who use AAC (Douglas, 2012; Kent-Walsh, Murza, Malani, & Binger, 2015; Shire & Jones, 2015).  This webinar will provide participants with an overview of the importance of communication partner instruction, review training elements found in successful communication partner training programs, and discuss research regarding the effectiveness of school staff and family instruction in partner-augmented input.  

The webinar will take place on April 5, 2018 at 1pm ET.  You can register here

Jill E. Senner, PhD, CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist with 20 years of experience working with children with complex communication needs. She is the owner/director of Technology and Language Center where she specializes in providing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) services including assessment, consultation and training, and workshops/lectures.  Dr. Senner has presented at numerous national assistive technology conferences and has taught graduate courses in AAC and swallowing disorders.  She has published research in the areas of AAC, siblings and disability, and swallowing disorders in cerebral palsy.  talcaac@gmail.com  

Matthew R. Baud, MS, CCC-SLP, has been working with AAC for the past 14 years.  He currently is the Assistive Technology Coordinator at Niles Township District for Special Education (NTDSE) performing evaluations, trainings and coaching communication partners.  Matthew also has his own AAC private practice working with individuals with complex communication needs from birth through adulthood. He is an adjunct professor at Saint Xavier University where he teaches a graduate course in AAC and has presented at national and state conferences. Matthew has published research in the areas of AAC  mbaud@ntdse.org

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The 2.11.0 Chat software has been released with the following New Features:

• 1 switch step linear scan
• Dutch database for Verb exceptions added
• Manual switch access for headpointer – vocabulary only
• Smart punctuation
• “Show Button Images” won’t hide the icon if the button label is completely blank or if it contains just one space

To download the Chat 2.11.0 Software Update,make a wireless connection, go to Menu>Help>Check for Updates on your device to initiate an automatic update or go to Downloads from this website, choose your language and download the appropriate Chat Software Update to manually copy to your device. 

NOTE: The 2.11 Software Update will not run on the original NOVA chat 5.  We hope to resolve this in a future release.

Saltillo President Dave Hershberger Named to Lead PRC

Prentke Romich Co. (PRC) has announced appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer for the PRC family of companies, including PRC, Saltillo and the international subsidiary businesses in Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia, effective January 1, 2018.

Dave Hershberger, who has been serving as President for Saltillo and Chief Technology Officer for the corporation, has been selected by the Board of Directors to succeed outgoing CEO Dave Moffatt, who announced his retirement effective March 31, 2018.

“Dave is an excellent choice for this role,” said Moffatt. “He has decades of experience in the AAC marketplace, a passion for the people we serve, and a strong connection to the values and culture of this company. I’m looking forward to assisting him in a smooth transition.“

I’m ready to move into the next phase of my life, and with the company’s remarkable growth and stability, this is the right time to make this transition,” he continued. “The talent, experience and customer focus of our staff around the world makes this an easy decision for me.”

During Moffatt’s tenure as president and chief operating officer, PRC dramatically expanded its scope of products and services, achieved a five-fold increase in revenue as a result of that expansion, added several business units, and completed the journey to becoming a 100 percent employee-owned enterprise

About Dave Hershberger

Hershberger began his career at PRC as a high school student in the late 1970s, working in the company’s production department.

Upon his graduation from the University of Akron with a degree in Electrical Engineering, he continued his work at PRC, advancing through the company to eventually being named Director of Research & Development, growing and improving the company’s speech-generating device offerings.

In 1996, while working at PRC, Hershberger began Saltillo Corporation, manufacturing simple, easy-to-use devices designed to complement the PRC product line and serve individuals with cognitive disabilities. The company was acquired by PRC in late 2007, with Hershberger retaining his position as president of the Saltillo unit and also becoming Chief Technology Officer for PRC.

“I’m honored to have been named CEO of this family of companies,” he said. “It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of an organization that enables people to express themselves. I appreciate the confidence that’s being given to me to guide the company into the future, and I appreciate the team we have in place around the world to continue our mission.”

Dave Hershberger Bio

It was as a teenager that Dave Hershberger’s life took an unexpected turn.

“Back then, I really didn’t know where I was going or what I was doing,” he said.

Hershberger began working part-time in the production department at PRC while still in high school, in the late 1970s. After graduation, he moved to a full-time position in the company’s research and development department, all while attending the University of Akron at night.

“The work really inspired me,” he said. “It was incredible to see just how technology could change someone’s life.”

Recognizing a Need

By the mid-1990s, PRC was concentrating on developing devices and language systems for individuals with cerebral palsy. These individuals typically had intact language and cognitive abilities, but were unable to speak because of physical impairments. Hershberger became interested in pursuing communication solutions for individuals who weren’t able to speak because of cognitive or language disabilities, such as those with Down syndrome or autism.

“Communication is so fundamental,” he said. “Everyone, regardless of their ability, deserves the opportunity to express themselves.”

With PRC founder Barry Romich’s blessing, Hershberger set out to build devices that would serve their needs. He named the company Saltillo and began to develop more portable devices with a more basic language interface.

While Saltillo continued to grow in the marketplace, the company’s direction took a turn when it partnered with Enkidu, another young company that focused on the then-emerging handheld device market.

With Saltillo focused on hardware, Enkidu developed a more sophisticated software system until it was purchased by a competitor. However, this helped spur Saltillo into developing products for a wider audience, a path it has continued to follow.

Collaboration and Growth

By late 2007, the company shifted gears yet again when it was acquired by PRC. By then, both companies were pursuing a similar vision: Serving the needs of those who were unable to communicate on their own. Remaining separate entities no longer made sense.

In 2013, in addition to his role as CEO at Saltillo, Hershberger was named PRC Chief Technology Officer, allowing him to oversee engineering operations for both companies. This, he said, has allowed both companies to take advantage of technology improvements for better device performance.

Looking Ahead

As he prepares to take on the Chief Executive Officer duties, Hershberger reflected on the changes in the industry he has seen through his career.

“It has been an honor to have been part of this field for the past 40 years. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside researchers, engineers, clinicians, educators and families, as well as those who need our technology. As a community, we’ve been able to develop solutions that we couldn’t even imagine in the early years. Most rewarding of all has been seeing how these products have changed the lives of individuals who cannot use their natural voice.

“And there’s no reason to believe that progress will slow down in the future,” he noted. “We are constantly exploring new technologies and approaches for giving our clients greater access to communication.

“In addition, we’ll continue to provide support to the professional community: the speech-language pathologists, the speech therapists, educators, parents – we want to help strengthen the bond we have with them, to help them as they work to improve the lives of others.”

Although he has his eyes firmly fixed on the future, Hershberger nonetheless still marvels at the distance both he and the two companies have traveled.

And if he had one thing to say to the high school student starting his career part-time in 1978?

“It’s going to be a wild ride!” he laughed.

A couple of weeks ago, a group of tornadoes touched down in Upstate South Carolina. One very powerful tornado with winds over 132 miles decided to visit upon an area about 1/2 mile from our house in the Central-Norris, SC area. My family was blessed with nothing but the nuisance of a loss of power. However, a dear young patient and friend of mine along with his Mom, younger brother and grandfather lost all of their possessions and home. In a manner of less than 20 minutes, they all nearly lost their lives. The walls of their home, furniture and belongings swirled around them with the hand of the Lord saving them.

My young friend is Bradley. For years, I along with colleagues tried to interest him in a speech device - none met his approval until the Nova Chat 5. The first day he held it in his hand he wanted it. His Mom is a great woman of 120% dedication to her children. During the summer of 2016 she along with Bradley drove to see me so we could complete his required speech device evaluation in order for him to have this device. On at least two visits the air conditioner was not working in their car-but did they cancel -nope came right on in the heat of July in SC. 

Bradley uses his Nova Chat 5 daily in his life to include school -carries it in a camo tools phone case from Lowes! So when his Mom called me Monday morning at 6AM with the news about what had happened to them and that his device was lost I was of course shocked and upset. I connected with them personally by 9AM and was greeted with Bradley crying saying " no Box". I assured him we would get him another. By 5:30 Monday afternoon they finally let his Mom into the area as it was previously closed off due to safety issues. She called me about 6PM crying saying she had found his Nova Chat under his book bag--it was in the case, wet but it works!  This device withstood 132 mile per hour winds, pounding rain, flying debris. It's  nothing less than a miracle!

So, I send a huge appreciation, along with a reminder that the impact of all the time you folks endure my phone calls, questions, emails, etc., your graciousness extends throughout the lives of folks in SC --keeping their thread of life alive!

Again I thank each of you with all my heart--for all you do and have done.

With love and gratefulness today and always--Sharon Steed