Lingraphica: Speech Enabling Technology

Communication is something most of us take for granted, whether it's answering the telephone, writing a letter or ordering from a restaurant menu. It's a very different story for people who suffer from aphasia, a language disorder that typically is caused by stroke or brain injury. People with Aphasia struggle to find the words that match what they are thinking, making effective communication all but impossible for some. Now a speech-generating device known as the Lingraphica, is changing the lives of some aphasia sufferers dramatically.

The Lingraphica, produced by Lingraphicare America, Inc., combines images, animation, text and spoken words to provide communication, and is also used to enhance existing therapy programs. The device contains an extensive picture language consisting of 2200 images. A patient selects images to express his or her thoughts, ideas and needs, which are then turned into spoken, audible words. Each device also comes with extensive clinical and practice exercises that the patient can use either under the direction of a speech language pathologist or alone. Because a patient can work with it at home, it allows for hours of practice and self-therapy. And since it improves natural speech at the same time that it provides communication, patients never feel that using the Lingraphica means giving up the hope of recovering their own speech.

People with all types of aphasia, regardless of severity, or number of years post-onset are candidates to use the Lingraphica. Anyone who can see the screen, recognize images, and select images from the screen is a candidate. The Lingraphica can be personalized for individual users with the names of those close to them such as their spouse, children, friends, or pets. Even specific special foods can be entered in, for instance an icon of pastry could be personalized to say "Baklava."

The device is based on years of Veterans Administration funded research into aphasia and has been refined during 13 years of use by speech language pathologists and stroke-survivors. It comes pre-programmed with hundreds of functional communication phrases and clinical exercises so that a user can start communicating right away. Users create their own sentences and store them for future use.

Lingraphicare provides free-trials for patients considering a purchase and is Medicare reimbursable. It is covered by many private insurance plans as well. The Lingraphicare staff takes care of reimbursement arrangements and paperwork. Unlimited free training over the phone is provided once the user receives their device.

For information call 1-888-APHASIA. Or contact Lingraphicare on the web @ www.aphasia.com