Expressing our needs and wants is not the lone function of speaking. Because of speech, we are able to express our thoughts, desires and emotions. DynaVox’s Tango gives individuals with limited speech and/or motor challenges access to a six button keypad and over 2,500 pre-recorded digitally enhanced phrases. The goal of Tango is to give the individuals who use it more than just a voice, Tango aims to give the user a means to express their own unique personality.
The sleek design and structure of the Tango places an emphasis on what the message says rather than the device used to say it. Small, lightweight and quick, the Tango allows children, teens and young adults to keep up in everyday conversations, at the speed they like. The device is quick enough to initiate conversation as well as follow other conversations in many places such as the classroom, the playground or the dinner table. The six button layout of the screen does not mean less options, it means quicker and more efficient phrase selection. Tango’s symbols were designed by animation illustrators from the education and entertainment industry, making them especially appealing for children and young adults.
Customization is the name of the game for this device. Communication skills develop and mature as the user develops and matures. The Tango provides a wide variety of content and phrase voice options that the user can choose from that are appropriate to their current age. As the user grows up, they do not have to search for a new piece of hardware, they can simply change the Content Card for more age appropriate symbols and content. The voices on this device are natural sounding and adjustable to every stage in life. Whether the user is a young girl or a teenage boy, the Tango has a voice that will match and sound realistic. It features enhanced (digitized) messaging, along with synthesized (computer-generated) speech, all available in voices that can be easily changed as the user grows.
The symbols on the Tango represent whole phrases, rather than single words. The communication of complete phrases mimics every day speech and encourages a more natural flow of communication for the user. The symbols make the device easy to use and provide access to more than 2,000 phrases, word banks, core words and even a spell-check device for creating a written message.
Don’t forget it also has a built-in camera so you can customize the symbols to the individual’s environment by adding people, places, and pictures of actual items! I LOVE this device! I’m in the process of helping a family of one of my former students get one through his waiver after trialing it with him last school year through PATINS. Great overview – thanks for this! 🙂