Glossary

Search results

Switch Scanning(also: Scanning Mode, Auto Scanning)

An input method for assistive technology where options are sequentially highlighted (scanned) and the user activates a single switch to select the currently highlighted item. This enables people with severe motor disabilities to access computers, communication devices, and other…

Switch Scanning(also: Switch Access, Scanning Input)

An alternative input method in which items on a screen are sequentially highlighted and the user activates a switch to select the desired item when it is highlighted. Switch scanning is used by people with significant motor impairments who cannot use direct touch, a mouse, or a…

Symbol Selection Set(also: Symbol Board, Communication Board)

A structured collection of graphic symbols, words, or phrases arranged in a grid or other layout for use in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Users select symbols to compose messages, with each symbol representing a word, phrase, concept, or action. Selection…

Symbol-Based Communication(also: Picture-Based Communication, Graphic Symbol Communication)

A form of augmentative communication that uses visual symbols — including pictures, photographs, line drawings, or icons — to represent words, concepts, or messages. Symbol-based communication is particularly useful for people with limited literacy, intellectual disabilities, or…

Symbol-based AAC(also: Picture-based AAC, Pictographic AAC, Picture Communication Symbols)

Symbol-based AAC refers to augmentative and alternative communication systems whose vocabulary is represented by graphic symbols, line drawings, photographs, or pictograms rather than (or alongside) written words. Users select symbols on a paper board, a dedicated…

Symbolic Communication(also: Symbol-Based Communication)

Communication that uses symbols — including spoken words, written text, manual signs, pictures, or graphic icons — to represent meanings, objects, actions, or concepts. Developing symbolic communication is a critical milestone for emergent communicators, as it enables more…

Symptom Tracking(also: Symptom Monitoring, Symptom Logging)

The systematic recording of mental health symptoms, behaviors, triggers, and associated contexts over time to build self-awareness, identify patterns, and measure treatment progress. For OCD, symptom tracking may include logging triggers, compulsive behaviors, anxiety levels…

Synthesized Speech(also: Synthetic Speech, Speech Synthesis, TTS Output)

Computer-generated speech produced by text-to-speech (TTS) engines that convert written text into spoken audio output. Synthesized speech is the primary means by which screen readers convey on-screen content to blind and visually impaired users. While modern TTS voices have…

Synthesized Video Description(also: TTS Video Description, Text-to-Speech Description, Synthesized Audio Description)

An audio description for video content that is generated using text-to-speech (TTS) technology rather than recorded by a human narrator. A describer writes a text script describing the visual elements of a video, and speech synthesis software converts this text into spoken…

Synthetic Speech(also: Artificial Speech, Computer-generated Speech)

Speech that is artificially produced by computer systems rather than recorded from human speakers. Synthetic speech is the output of text-to-speech systems and is fundamental to screen readers and voice assistants. Modern synthetic speech uses various generation methods…

Synthetic Voice(also: Artificial Voice, Computer-Generated Voice, TTS Voice)

A digitally generated voice produced by text-to-speech technology, used by individuals with speech impairments as an alternative means of verbal communication. People who rely on synthetic voices for presentations, phone calls, or daily conversation must often invest…

System Access(also: SA, System Access to Go, SA To Go)

A screen reader for Windows developed by Serotek Corporation that was notable for offering a free version and a portable "To Go" edition that could run from a USB drive without installation. System Access was designed to provide an affordable alternative to commercial screen…