This year I have been spending some of my free time learning the TANGO. Not the dance! The TANGO is an assistive technology communication device. This year I had the opportunity of working with a student having limited speech. The student used TANGO to communicate in the classroom, as well as with family at home.
Lon Thornberg, an assistive technology specialist, conducted a 30 minute interview with Richard Ellenson, CEO and creator of the TANGO. His interview, titled No Limits 2 Learning is podcasted at: BlogTalkRadio.
One of the topics of their interview included a description of how the Tango can be used as an technology tool. The TANGO, an assistive technology communication device, allows students with severe speech impairments, inclusion in the general education classroom. Ellenson conceptualized the TANGO, for his 10-year old son, who has cerebral palsley. In the interview, he chats with a student named Taylor, who too uses the TANGO to communicate. They are joined also by Taylor’s speech pathologist. It is difficult to explain what the Tango looks like, or how it works. I recommend viewing the TANGO website, and trying the online emulator before listening to the podcast, as it will give you an idea of what the computer is like, and how it works.
Before trying the emulator, think about the three kinds of communication that you incur daily:
- Letters and e-mail, of which there is no awareness of user’s speech.
- Telephone, in which you can hear, but not see the other person
- Real-time or Live, in which you can see and hear.
Remember that no one using a speech device can ever speak as quickly an able speaker can, in real time. With all communication devices, allow time for the user to formulate their words, which are developing in their brain, much quicker than they can say them.
Additional Information to Keep in Mind: The podcast references AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication), and suggests that users of AAC rarely initiate conversation, but that the TANGO is different, allowing users to be forthcoming. Examples of the alternative AAC might include:
- gesture and body language
- manual sign
- handwriting
- communication aids
