Community

Check out the latest update, version 1.13.0 for your NOVA Chat Device and NOVA Chat Editor.  It has some awesome new features, including auto updates!

Employees of Assistive Technology Leader Present NOVA chat 10 to

Five-year-old Ryann Frantz at

Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children

Photo Courtesy of Adelma Gregory-Bunnell of Cecil Whig newspaper

Millersburg, Ohio, October 14, 2014:  The employee owners of Saltillo Corporation, a leading manufacturer of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices, are celebrating Employee Stock Ownership Plan Month (ESOP) in October by donating a communication device to a Maryland child with severe speech disabilities.

 Five-year-old Ryann Frantz of Chesapeake City, Maryland, was selected as the recipient and received her NOVA chat 10 plus device today at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, where she is a speech therapy patient. The device was presented to Ryann by Aaron Shute, a Saltillo Regional Consultant.

 Ryann, who attends kindergarten at Chesapeake City Elementary, has low muscle tone, or hypotonia, which makes speaking or using sign language extremely difficult. She is one of only two individuals in the world diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation.

 Nova chat 10 plus is a powerful speech-generating device with proprietary Chat software designed to help children acquire and use language skills. Built on an Android platform, NOVA chat 10 plus offers a durable yet sleek, portable design with features that include a 10.1" display, switch scanning, ChatPower vocabulary, IVONA speech synthesizer, and many other Chat features. The device costs about $4,395.

 “Ryann is a very happy little girl and she has a real desire to communicate with those around her,” said her mother, Heather Frantz. “She took to the NOVA chat device immediately when she was introduced to it during speech therapy. However, our insurance company does not provide coverage for speech devices.

 “Having her own NOVA chat 10 that she can use not only in therapy but at home and in school is going to change her life immensely,” Frantz continued. “We are so grateful to Saltillo and its employees for their generosity.”

 “Ryann, her mother, and her Nemours Speech-Language Pathologist are so very appreciative of the roles that Saltillo and the Nova Chat are playing in her journey to more effective communication throughout all domains of her young life,” stated Richard Lytton, M.A., CCC-SP, Coordinator, Clinical Assistive Technology Services at Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children.

 “Our employee-owners take great pride in helping our customers succeed to their greatest potential,” stated Saltillo President Dave Hershberger. “Like all Saltillo AAC devices, NOVA chat 10 plus supports speech output as well as robust language development. We are very proud to help Ryann live her life to the fullest by enabling her to communicate to her greatest potential.”

The donation was also featured in Ryann's local newspaper today.  Get the full story here.

About Saltillo Corporation

 Saltillo Corporation, an employee-owned company in Millersburg, Ohio, develops and manufactures augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, computer access products, and other assistive technology for people with speech disabilities.

 Saltillo is a subsidiary of Prentke Romich Corporation, a global leader in AAC technology, and a member of the PRC consortium of AAC solution providers. PRC and Saltillo have enabled thousands of children and adults worldwide with speech disorders to achieve spontaneous, independent, and interactive communication regardless of their disability, literacy level, or motor skills.

 The National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) estimates there are roughly 7,000 employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) covering about 13.5 million employees in the U.S. in 2014. Employee ownership demonstrates dedication to innovative, quality communication technology products and customer-driven service standards.

 For more information, go to saltillo.com or call (800) 382-8622.

If you're going to be in the Minneapolis, MN area on Friday, October 17th, and you'd like to learn about Assistive Technology in Special Education, Rehabilitation and Everyday Living, be sure to head over to the Closing the Gap Conference to gain FREE admission to the Exhibit Hall.  The FREE Exhibition Admission is only good on Friday, October 17th between 9am-1:30pm.

32nd Annual Closing The Gap Conference
Minneapolis, MN

Meet Carmen, an energetic 5 year old with a cheerful personality and contagious smile.  She enjoys bubbles, music, computer activities, and sensory-motor play. She has a strong interest in letters and numbers and is beginning to demonstrate early literacy skills. Carmen enjoys looking at books and pictures of animals and can identify and name more animals than most other children her age.  Carmen is definitely eager to learn.  

Carmen has faced many challenges, including difficulties with gait, balance, coordination, regulating body temperature, self-care skills, and functional communication.  She was diagnosed with a seizure disorder, characterized by frequent, intractable seizures, often followed by the global regression of skills including decreased verbal language.  Carmen is able to imitate verbal models; however, she struggles to express her wants and needs spontaneously.

Previously, Carmen was successfully using a mid-tech communication device at school.  She was able to access a static voice output device with up to 20 buttons. About two years ago, the family and school team decided it was time to introduce a device with robust vocabulary system. After trialing multiple high-tech communication devices, Carmen received her NOVA chat 7 just over a year ago. During her early time with the NOVA chat, Carmen enjoyed exploring the device.  She quickly learned how to label items in her environment with the support of her new device. Her favorite phrases included “Are you kidding me?” and “I’m so over it”.  As her navigation abilties of the NOVA chat 7 improved, she began to include functional phrases in conjunction with her favorite phrases. She is able to greet, request items, specify using modifiers, request actions of others, request more, close an activity, and bid farewell.

Carmen’s skills fluctuate following seizure activity; however, her NOVA chat 7 has provided a consistent form of communication. Strong family support has been a defining factor in Carmen’s communication skills. Her mother, father, and brother are always supportive and encouraging of Carmen.  The family is learning how to implement the device across settings.  Despite Carmen’s many challenges, she continues to make great leaps and bounds with her communication.  She is a joy to watch as she continues down her path with the NOVA chat 7.