Definition
Voice output communication aids (VOCAs), also called speech-generating devices (SGDs), are high-tech, augmentative, and alternative communication (AAC) devices that produce speech for an individual who has limited or no means to communicate orally. These AAC systems produce a synthesized or digitized voice for the user. A digitized voice is a live voice that has been recorded and played back. Synthesized voices (also known as text-to-speech engines) are those that are created by programs called speech synthesizers. Different algorithms are used to create synthesized speech. Some programs use a database of recorded speech and then divide the sample into individual phonemes or diphones (two phoneme combinations) which are then combined to form spoken words. Alternately, whole words can be stored and reproduced. The benefits of a digitized live voice are the naturalness and intelligibility of the voice output. The drawback is the time and effort required to record a voice to...
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Mueller, V.T. (2013). Voice Output Communication Aids. In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_1713
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_1713
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