Meet Sufina
32-year-old Sufina from Birmingham was one of the first people to try the latest generation Talk Pad communication aid. She has cerebral palsy and is non-verbal. Sufina lives with her family and until recently, her main form of communication has been Makaton sign language. This has been a great way for her to communicate with those closest to her, however when she is out and about and wants to talk to people who don’t understand sign language, it presents a barrier to her communication and independence. The Smartbox team visited Sufina in August 2023 to try Talk Pad, our newest lightweight communication aid. She took to the device immediately and found the technology intuitive. After choosing a voice that she identified with and getting familiar with the software, Sufina was chatting away with her sisters. Her family were delighted to see her engage with the technology so quickly and loved the option to add Punjabi words into Super Core, the symbol communication vocabulary Sufina is using on the device. During the visit with Smartbox, Sufina, her family and her speech therapist Emily, visited a local café, where she used her new voice to order drinks and cakes for everyone. “As Sufina’s SLT I have seen and heard the struggles she has had attempting to communicate whilst in the community, this has often resulted in her relying on her family members to speak on her behalf. Having a communication device like this, has and will continue to provide Sufina with the opportunities for independence that every young woman should have.” Since getting her Talk Pad Sufina has been using her device every day! Recently she took her Talk Pad to a meet and greet with Joe McElderry (2009 X Factor winner), where she told him she liked his song ‘The Climb’ and he sang it to her. Talk Pad is available in two sizes and has been designed for anyone who needs portable and durable communication on-the-go. This includes users with Autism, early MND / ALS, Cerebral Palsy, learning difficulties, Stroke, Aphasia, and other conditions that affect speech.Sufina tries the latest generation Talk Pad
Out and about with Talk Pad
Emily Piggott, Speech and Language Therapist for Adults with Learning Disabilities
Sufina meets Joe McElderry
The latest Talk Pad
