The purpose of a Speech Generating Device (SGD) is to allow for an overall increase in all areas of language, including your student's ability to make requests, direct others, comment, share information, participate actively, attain social closeness, etc. The ultimate goal of the SGD is to foster increased communication across settings.

Tips

• Allow your child the opportunity to explore the communication device. Non-purposeful use is okay, and it is a typical stage in SGD use, similar to babbling when learning to talk.
• Make sure to model! Using the SGD to say a phrase while you speak it aloud helps teach your child how to use the device. It also allows you to get to know the SGD's language program. This also promotes SGD use as an acceptable way to communicate. If your child sees you using the SGD, they are more likely to use it too!
• Avoid labeling and testing. Commenting ("I like it!"), describing ( "big", "yellow"), core words ("More - turn - go!") allow for increased functional use. It also gives your child more control over their environment, and fosters increased typical language use.
• Make sure to expand utterances on the SGD. For example, if your child says "Ball!", you could model "want - yellow - ball!"
• Use silence as a way of getting your child to begin to communicate functionally via the SGD.
  • Use "fill-ins" such as "Ready, set...??" during games
  • Read a book that has repetition (e.g., "Brown bear brown bear what do you...?")
• Choose familiar, fun activities and expand from familiar combinations of words to unfamiliar combinations to promote increased language output.
• Take a total communication approach. Even verbal communicators use gestures (ex: nodding head), facial expressions, and sounds ("Mmmhmm") to communicate! Honor all attempts to communicate by any means.
• Keep an open mind! Children can often surprise us by making huge jumps in language skills when they are first exposed to an appropriate SGD!
• If using an iPad with a SGD app, turn on guided access. It is important that your child knows that this is their dedicated communication device.

Technical Skills

Make sure your child knows how to:

• Turn on and off the device
• Clear the message display
• Use "go back" button
• Use "home" button
• Accurately select intended target
• Charge device (if appropriate)

Reference Guides