Canon communicator use by adults: A retrospective study

The purpose of this study was to document aspects of successful Canon Communicator use by 13 subjects. Questionnaires were completed by the speech-language pathologists serving these individuals. Subjects ranged in age from 17 to 64 years. They had used the Canon as a communication augmentation device from 2 to 24 months. All were either anarthric or severely dysarthric as a result of a neurological disorder (cerebral palsy, bilateral CVA, closed head injury, ALS) but none were diagnosed as aphasic. The decision to recommend the Canon was made more rapidly for older adults. Although a majority of the subjects used more than one communication system, all subjects for whom the Canon remained appropriate (11 of 13) continued to use this device more frequently than other systems. No malfunction other than power supply was reported.