Funding

This week’s topic was funding. One of the hottest issues right now is funding for the iPad as an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device. Medicare will cover the cost of an AAC device in order for the individual to communicate their needs such as hunger, thirst, pain, or medical emergencies. Medicare will not cover the purchase of iPads as AAC devices, since it is not a dedicated AAC device. Medicare covers the cost of Dynavox’s products such as the Maestro which is designed as an AAC device. At first glance this seems to make a lot of sense, iPads were not designed to be AAC devices and while there are many AAC apps out there, there are a lot of other apps out there which have nothing to do with communication which is what Medicare is designed to fund. Dynavox’s products were designed to provide voice output for individuals. They offer large speakers to be heard in loud settings, such as a classroom, and they are durable, both features the iPad cannot claim. The Maestro also has Wifi which allows the user to connect to the internet. However, theses dedicated AAC devices come with hefty price tags. The Maestro is over $7,000 compared to $500 for the iPad. The iPad is still considerably cheaper after you add the price of a good AAC app or two and a durable case such as the Otterbox Defender Series Case. This is where the argument takes a completely different turn. It is hard to say that there is no case where the iPad is a better option than the Maestro.

I have had very limited experiences with AAC devices with my own students. I had a student whose speech was almost completely unintelligible to unfamiliar listeners and at times difficult to familiar listeners. He became frustrated when he was misunderstood and led to aggressive/destructive behaviors. We had the opportunity to trial a Dynavox V. I say trial because that is as far as it went. He had it for 4 weeks and really did not work out well. He would have been a student I would have tried the iPad with, he was always into the cool tech gadgets. He had mp3 players and video games and would have loved the iPad. I am not certain that he would have been able to communicate more effectively with the iPad but it would have been worth a try to see.

Again, I am going to be noncommittal here and say that this is something that should be determined on an individual basis. The iPad, while not a dedicated AAC device, does have a lot to offer and is worth giving a fair chance compared to Dynavox’s product line. Considering the price of the options is also fiscally responsible. However, at the end of the day the decision to fund should be based on which device will allow the individual to communicate effectively with others regardless of manufacturer and price.