November 2009

In my family we tend to spend most of our time in the kitchen. Serious discussions happen there while preparing meals, tasting treats, getting ready for a big party, or cleaning up afterwards. Because the holidays are coming up, we wanted to share application ideas with you to help with those mealtime chats. We have shared a few Thanksgiving vocabulary sets to give you ideas for preparing for the upcoming festivities. Look for other ways to include the entire family.

The Feast

"I am thankful for..."

Here is a vocabulary page designed for single press messages in vertical category organization for direct selection. Key words for recordings are shown with each symbol — but you can and should customize the language to the person using the vocabulary.

Hint: You could use color coding to enhance awareness of the message categories.

The Feast, round 2

"Can I OFFER you some..."

Another way to prepare is to store phrases on your communication device that you are likely to use. Go over the list with the device user and support team to see what expressions should be saved.

Hint: Practice before the big day to get the most out of the conversation.

You may also find use for a letter board for spelling out messages. This can be printed on the back of the phrase board and laminated to protect it from the elements.

The Big Game

"What time does the GAME start?"

And don't forget to add a phrase board for watching the big game. Whether you are watching on TV or playing in the back yard, include appropriate vocabulary for the day's sporting events.

Wanna play? Maybe your family plays board games during the day. It is easy to make vocabulary sets for most games if you do a little bit of planning ahead.

Hint: Play a game and record the vocabulary you use while playing.

Subject Categories

Grouping messages in the Phrase Bank

Here is a way to group messages in the Persona phrase bank which you might find useful any time of year.

Hint: You might also type out your messages in the chat window and save categories as files to be opened and used when needed. This is called a dialog script.

MACAW or Talara
Holiday Overlay Booklets

We have FREE holiday overlay books for the MACAW (or Talara). These are just what you need to get you underway and keep your MACAW user motivated.



MACAW Holiday Overlay Booklets

>>>   Don't forget to change your backup batteries on your Polyana 4!   <<<

Happy Holidays from all of us at ZYGO. Hope to chat with you again soon!