The size of the grid is one of the most important choices you can make. We offer three sizes – enough to give you a smart range of choice, but not so many that you fiddle constantly and create confusion in the page layouts.
You should consider two important – but no necessarily related things – when choosing a grid size. Firstly, does the person using Talk Suite have good dexterity? Can they hit one of 70 small buttons. If so, great! If not, you’ll want to use bigger buttons, even if they offer fewer choices. Secondly, can the person process all that information? It’s obviously harder to sort through more choices. Once you make those decisions, check them with a knowledgable person. You can always change, but it’s easiest to choose correctly the first time!
Grid Size Options. When you first use the Onboard Wizard, you’ll see the plusses and minuses of each size option.
Grid Size Settings. Go into the Settings to change your grid size at any time. You can select from three sizes.
You can also change the space between buttons and the border widths for additional separation (physical and visually.)
You can also change the size of many of the main pages on the different speaking modes. That way you can have more choices on one page, but still have larger buttons when it comes time to tap more of them.
You can change the layout of the Talk Suite Home Page (the page where you see all the Modes and Functions.) This allows you to rearrange or hide things for users with more specific needs.
Lastly, you can choose to have only black backgrounds.
70 Button Grid – Great for people with good dexterity and the ability to understand a large number of choices on the page.
42 Button Grid – A good compromise for many individuals who need larger symbols or home motor control issues. People with moderate to severe cerebral palsy, or with related physical challenges will often select this grid.
24 Button Grid – A more limited grid size for those with acute vision impairment, severe mobility challenges, or cognitive challenges which limit selection.
The organization on this grid, though similar to those on the larger grids, is designed specifically to provide the most powerful language choices to the individuals who need this level of support.