Stories to Inspire
Lim Bee San
Communicating through AAC
Wheelchair user Lim Bee San met with an accident while travelling 3 years ago, and as a result suffers from severe traumatic head injury. She is now able to communicate using assistive technology. Her story is featured as a case study in a report in the October 2008 issue of ExtraPage
Lim Bee San sustained a head injury in a road traffic accident in 2003. As a result, she became a wheelchair-user and had severe ataxic movements. Her speech was also unintelligible. In addition, she was often drowsy and had difficulties staying alert.
Her speech therapist then worked with her on using an Alphabet board. Her speech therapist would point to the different rows, starting from the top, and ask her which row she wanted. By flexing her thumb, Bee San would then indicate her selection.
Using this method, she would spell out her requests.
In 2006, SPD’s Specialised ATC assessed Bee San and found her to have the potential to use a high-tech voice output device to communicate more effectively. Bee San’s level of alertness and cognitive functioning had also improved, and she had much more that she wanted to say.
She started training to use the Pathfinder, where she types out what she wants to say and then presses the ‘speak’ button. A computerised female voice would then read out her message. Due to her memory deficits, Bee San initially had some difficulties learning the sequences in the Pathfinder. She required repetitive training, and also some visual and verbal cues.
Bee San has become a more competent communicator and a more confident person. Using her Pathfinder, she expresses not only her basic needs but her opinions as well about pertinent issues that concern her and other AAC users.