Communication for people with ALS and MND

When a conversation starts to take longer

When someone lives with ALS, also called motor neurone disease or MND, talk at home changes slowly. A sentence that used to come out at once may need more time. The voice may sound quieter. A hand may tire on the phone or with a pen. The person does not change. They still have the same thoughts, the same jokes, and the same need to be heard by the people who love them.

Communication for someone with ALS or MND is not a medical plan a family is meant to follow alone. It is the everyday effort to get a request, a question or an opinion out, in whatever way works that day. This page is for that effort. It describes practical ways to keep the conversation open, and where FONE can sit in it.

FONE is a technology communication aid. It is not a certified medical device and it is not intended for diagnosis or treatment. It does not change the course of an illness, and it does not promise that speech will come back. It offers another way to say something the person already wants to say.

Ways families are already communicating

Many families begin with what already works. A yes or a no with the eyes. A movement of the hand, for as long as that is comfortable. A notebook, while writing is still easy. Those ways have value. Nobody has to drop them because they also tried a device.

The hard part comes when yesterday’s way is no longer enough for what the person wants to say: a full sentence, a question about their child, a note about the meal, a conversation that will not fit into a yes. Then ALS and MND communication needs a steadier channel, without losing the relationship with the people in the house.

FONE was designed in Greece for that need. The person writes with their eyes or by touch, and the device speaks in a natural Greek or English voice, so the people in the room can hear it.

Where FONE helps during the day

With FONE you choose letters and ready-made phrases. You can do that with your eyes, without using your hands, or on the touch screen whenever that suits you. Word prediction suggests words and phrases, so writing takes fewer steps and less effort. There are categories of phrases people say often, and you can adapt phrases to the things your own family says every day.

When you want to call someone who is in the house, the SOS alert makes a sound from the device and sends a message to the caregiver. It is a helpful alert. It does not replace the person beside you, the telephone, or the emergency services.

With Telegram you can send and read messages to your own people. Telegram, AI Companion and updates need an internet connection. The basic communication features also work without a connection. AI Companion is a digital helper for conversation and everyday questions. Card games are there for a quiet moment. The screen is clear, and at installation we show you how to use it.

Eyes or touch, as needs change

With MND, hand movement and speech do not stay the same from month to month. That is why FONE offers communication with the eyes or by touch, which can follow as your needs change. One day touch may be more comfortable. Another day, the eyes. You do not have to choose one way forever on the first day.

The camera understands where you are looking. You hold your gaze for a moment on a letter or a phrase and it is selected. Then FONE speaks in a natural Greek voice. At the start there is a short gaze setup, the calibration, and we show it with you. If the hands still help, the touch screen is always there.

The family, the demonstration and the decision

A day with FONE is small moments, not a performance. A request for water. A “come here”. A longer sentence when there is energy for it. A message to someone who is not in the room. If the person gets tired, you stop. The device stays ready for the next time.

We do not ask you to decide from a page. The demonstration happens at your home, with no charge and no obligation, where the person sits or lies down. It helps if they are there, with a family member or the caregiver, and the speech therapist or occupational therapist if they can come. We follow the person’s pace and tiredness and, if needed, we take breaks.

The visit starts with a conversation, then a short gaze setup, a try with the eyes or by touch, and we show word prediction, SOS and Telegram. We also answer whatever you want to ask about price, the subscription and support. Afterwards you decide in your own time. If you want FONE, the FONE LIFE package is €2.500 + VAT, and the yearly subscription is €180 / year. We bring the device, set it up for the person, and show the family how to use it. Support is in Greek, by phone and remotely, with automatic updates.

See also

• Eye tracking
• For professionals
• Questions