The Tobii Communicator 5 software is the heart of Tiffany's many systems.

Tobii Communicator 5

"Communicator is an alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) software platform designed with you in mind. Communicator converts text and symbols into clear speech, gives you computer access and even allows you to control devices and appliances in your surroundings (ECU). Communicate the way you want, when you want, giving you new levels of control and independence."

Tiffany started at a young age with an AppleII GS and a single switch input device called "The Discover Switch" by Don Johnston Inc. The Discover Switch platform was purchased by Mandentec Inc. and adapted to Windows, which we used for a quite a few years. Madentec eventually dropped support, and we switched to Communicator in 2018.

The software is installed on a AsusPro laptop running Windows 10. Many predefined templates are provided for speech, typing, computer access, etc., but we chose to design our own. Designing our own screens allowed us to closely replicate the action of The Discover Switch.