Via Pro User’s Guide – TouchChat
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Working with Vocabulary Files
TouchChat provides a variety of pages that have different button layouts. Each set of pages, or
vocabulary set, is called a vocabulary file. TouchChat-provided vocabulary files have locks in front of
them indicating they cannot be deleted. Vocabulary files are provided in English and Spanish.
English Vocabulary Files
Note:
If your system language is English, the English vocabulary files will be listed individually when you
tap Choose New Vocab and the Spanish vocabulary files will be located in a folder labeled “Spanish”. If
your system language is Spanish, the Spanish vocabulary files will be listed individually when you tap
Choose New Vocab and the English files will be located in a folder labeled “Inglés”.
4-Basic
4-Basic offers just that, a basic vocabulary option with 4 buttons per page.
Communication Journey: Aphasia
“Communication Journey: Aphasia” is a vocabulary file containing features and vocabulary designed to
support people with aphasia. It was developed by Lois Turner (SLP), Anne MacCallum (SLP) and Sarah
Gauthier (SLP Assistant) in consultation with a group of speech-language pathologists who work
exclusively with people with aphasia and brain injuries. All the participants work at CAYA
(Communication Assistance for Youth and Adults) and the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver,
BC, Canada. The framework of the file was derived from the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia from
the Aphasia Institute in Toronto, Canada. The pages were created to facilitate participation in daily
activities and to promote social links.
Aphasia, a disorder caused by damage to the parts of the brain where language is stored, may affect the
ability to comprehend language, to express oneself, to read, or to spell and write. “Communication
Journey: Aphasia” can easily be adapted for use by people with different types of aphasia and a range of
cognitive levels and degrees of severity.
Symbols, photographs, visual scenes, videos, or words can be used on the message, topic, and script
pages. Included are pages that facilitate supported communication techniques, self-advocacy, directing
care, and repair of communication breakdowns. Types of information typically included in
communication books—such as pain and emotion scales, maps, and templates for personal information
and life stories—are also incorporated into the vocabulary file. Specialized features include variable
“rate of speech” and “pause between words”. Grid size and vocabulary are easily customized to reflect
and support the life experiences of the person with aphasia.
Although this vocabulary file contains starting-point vocabulary commonly required by adults with
aphasia, it
must
be customized. Each person has a unique history, and the file must reflect that person’s
life, experiences, and abilities.
MultiChat 15
MultiChat 15 features a 15-button layout and is available in three versions: one for school-aged
individuals with emerging language skills, one for adolescents, and one for adults. There are multiple
forms of communication available in this program: sentences, phrases, individual words, recordings for
story-telling, and visual scenes. Also included are interactive play and reading pages, social pages and a
News-2-You starter page for the weekly newspaper’s vocabulary. There are symbols on every button
with the exception of several core words.
