Community

New Nova Chat software update 1.7.0 has been released and is available for download on our website.   This update adds the following features for your Nova Chat device:

• Option to show icons in the Speech Display Bar
• The camera option has been added to the Button Properties menu, allowing  you to take a picture and immediately add it to a button
• The Speech Display Bar window can now be displayed at the bottom or top of the screen
• Gestures have been added
• Option to Show/Hide Icons on the buttons
• Hide/Show Multiple Buttons at Once
• Added Scanning option of Auto Restart On/Off

There is also an update 1.7.0 to the Nova Chat Editor available here.  It adds the following features:

• Edit Mode indication is moved to Title Bar so that it doesn’t cover the buttons
• The Speech Display Bar window can now be displayed at the bottom or top of the screen
• Option to Show/Hide Icons on the buttons
• Hide/Show Multiple Buttons at Once

This AAC Poetry & Story Hour is an AMAZING opportunity taking place during the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association Conference.  It is open to any AAC user who would like to come and say a few words, read a short poem, tell a story, or even tell a limerick. Absolutely every AAC user is welcome and encouraged to participate, or just watch, and the only limitation for who speaks will be based on time available.

A signup sheet has been created on this Google document. Please share this with anyone interested. You can also contact our Saltillo consultant, Gabe Gibbons at glg.cons@prentrom.com and he can sign you up.

Saturday March 23
Miniseminar: 3:30 – 4:30 pm
Location: Henry Hotel Conference Center: 300 Town Center Dr  Dearborn, MI 48126
â–² AAC Poetry & Story Hour
Speakers: Wendy Gach-Lazar, M.A., CCC-SLP, Detroit Medical Center; and Chris Klein, M.A., Owner and Founder of Becoming AAC, Grand Rapids.
.1 CEU
Instructional Level: Introductory
AAC users, just like any other students, need an opportunity to express more than just their wants and needs. This is an opportunity for the AAC users from across Michigan to have their voices and stories heard, and to share their enthusiasm for communication with other speech-language pathologists, parents and professionals. Participants will listen and interact with AAC users of all skill levels, learning stories and experiences of AAC users in story and poetry form. Moderated by Chris Klein, each AAC user will be allotted time to share a prepared or impromptu story or poem, as well as answer questions at the end.

Click here for the presentation that was given at the 2013 CSUN Conference, titled, "Hands-On Tools & Strategies for Enhancing Collaborative AAC Support Teams: Resources for Organized Therapeutic Service Delivery"

Meet Jennifer O., she is our spotlight story for January. Jennifer is an excellent AAC user and has been since suffering from a Traumatic Brain Injury 12 years ago. She currently lives in an assisted nursing facility however she is very independent when it comes to her communication. Jennifer was extremely excited to receive her new Nova Chat 10 this past year.  Her favorite accessory was the PURPLE cover that comes with it since this is her all time favorite color. Jennifer has a wonderful sense of humor and whenever she can she pipes in with her Nova Chat to make a silly comment, or crack a joke!

Jennifer has an immense vocabulary so the 80 button ChatPower vocabulary set is perfect for her. It allows her to spontaneously type words/phrases that are not already programmed in the vocabulary set as well as assist with speeding up her communication with the preset messages. One of Jennifer’s favorite features is the Nova Chats ability to open applications such as Facebook, Calendar, Google Voice, Websites, games and many other fun apps. Jennifer loves to keep in touch with her friends and family via text messages. Before receiving her Nova Chat, Jennifer was texting on a small cell phone which was hard for her to operate with just one hand. The Nova Chat is able to open up Google Voice allowing Jennifer to text with the device keyboard and increasing her independence in communicating with friends and family. Jennifer’s quality of life has greatly improved since receiving her Nova Chat and she is so thankful that this device was made possible.