Communication Aids For Cerebral Palsied Children

Abstract

<p> This dissertation deals with the problems associated with the design and construction of communication aids for children with cerebral palsy. Attention is focused on an electronic communication board developed at the Ontario Crippled Children's Centre in Toronto which displays a matrix of Bliss symbols and English words that can be selected by appropriate activation of an interface which controls the sequential illumination of the symbol blocks. A number of interfaces were constructed. Appropriate electronic switching arrangements were incorporated with the interfaces in order to achieve activation of the interface upon the initiation of a movement rather than the maintaining of a position. The communication board was interfaced to a PDP 11-10 minicomputer which was used to provide a dual output of the word and associated Bliss symbol, selected using 'interface control, on a teletype and oscilloscope screen respectively. </p> <p> Descriptions of associated communication type devices include an electronic attention getting device, page-turner interface, and programmed learning board. </p>