Gateway to Language and Learning^©

... ease of expression across the age span

Gateway to Language and Learning© (Gateway©) is a series of page sets designed by Joan Bruno, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. It targets individuals with complex communication needs who use augmentative communication technology (AAC) to communicate. Created in 1997, Gateway© was the first single word vocabulary designed for use on a dynamic display device and continues to be the only communication page set or designed from a developmental perspective. Gateway© is available exclusively in the DynaVox Technologies line of products and is seamlessly incorporated into the DynaVox V InterAACT Page Set.

Each Gateway© page set is designed to meet the needs of a different user population and contains a core vocabulary designed to enable individuals to combine words to form unique messages. Page sets include a core of the most frequently used words along with age-specific and/or topic-based phrases and fringe vocabulary. The core word vocabulary allows for spontaneous and novel message creation, while the phrase and topical or fringe vocabulary provides focused vocabulary to address the projected needs or goals of the targeted user population. For example, in Gateway 20-Child there are topic pages targeting literacy development, within Gateway 40-Child, 60-Child and 60-Teen pages there are pages designed to enable participation in routine classroom activities and within Gateway Pro, aside from easy access to a keyboard, there are words, and phrases to enhance the rate of message generation.

All of the Gateway pages have been optimized to accommodate the needs of individuals who access their devices through scanning. That is, function keys have been moved to the left side of the page and some vocabulary has been reorganized so that the most frequently occurring words can be accessed more efficiently. There is a dedicated Scanning version of Gateway Pro to ensure the most efficient access for a switch user.