Imagine the frustration you would feel if you knew what you wanted but lacked the ability to communicate that need to others. Children with autism or special needs who are nonverbal and are not able to communicate through sign language can feel this frustration when they can’t express their needs and preferences to those around them. Fortunately, in the past thirty years or so, a method of communication called PECS or the Picture Enhanced Communication System was developed for developmentally or physically disabled children who lacked the ability to speak. A caregiver or parent would present a series of pictures or choices and the child would select the appropriate picture to communicate what he or she wanted.

In 2007, a new company called Proxtalker.com was founded to help develop tools that take PECS to a whole different level. Engineer and Proxtalker.com founder Glen Dobbs used his knowledge of recent developments in speech simulation technology to create simple devices that recognize an object and “speak” its name aloud. As a result of his efforts, the ProxPAD™ Choice Maker was developed to give nonverbal children a chance to voice their opinion or to simply communicate verbally with their therapist, teacher or family member. Rehabmart is pleased to offer this potentially life changing product that is being widely used by educators and therapists as well as by children and their parents.

The easy to use ProxPAD™ Choice Maker utilizes Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology that activates a corresponding sound when a picture card or tag is touched to the front of the pad. When a child chooses one of the many included picture tags, for example, a card with a glass of juice pictured on it, he touches it to the ProxPad™ Choice Maker and the card is recognized by the device. It will then “say” the prerecorded word or message such as “I would like some juice.” Prerecorded messages and picture tags come packaged with the ProxPAD™ Choice Maker, but they can also be fully customized and changed to suit the needs of the parent/care giver and child. 

For children with motor disabilities, the ProxPAD™ Choice Maker setting can be changed and the picture card can be waved in front of the large sized pad instead of physically touching the pad. Each tag can hold up to 8 seconds of sound to match the picture on the tag. Blank stickers are included to help users make their own tags or small objects can be affixed to the tags for tactile recognition for sight impaired users.

The ProxPAD™ Choice Maker can be mounted on a wall for classroom use and is lightweight enough to be passed around from child to child. For children on the go, it comes with batteries and a built in microphone so it can be tucked in a backpack to help kids order what they want at a restaurant or even say hi to Grandma on the telephone. The ProxPAD™ Choice Maker comes bundled with 10 large tags, 6 programming tags and pre-installed batteries (an AC adapter is sold separately). 

The ability to express ourselves verbally is so basic it is often taken for granted. Now, thanks to devices like the ProxPAD™ Choice Maker, children with speech impairments no longer have to struggle to express their needs to their families or therapists. In fact, this device is so versatile and easy to use, it could be utilized in countless applications: adults recovering from throat surgery, nonverbal adults who struggle with literacy or for those who are just beginning to learn a new language. However it is used, the ProxPAD™ Choice Maker will help foster a feeling of independence in its users and may even deepen the connection between them and the people that matter the most in their lives. 

Rachel Huber,
Medical Consumer Writer
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO