Auditory scanning

Also called Auditory scan, Spoken scanning, Audio cues

The device reads each choice aloud instead of lighting it up, so a person who cannot see the screen can still scan and choose.

What it is

Auditory scanning replaces the visual highlight with a spoken one. As the scan moves, the device says each option, quietly, in a private voice or through an earpiece. When the person hears the one they want, they press. Choosing then speaks the word out loud in the public voice.

It is scanning for the ears. The rows have names ("food", "people", "feelings") and the cells have names, and the person navigates by listening.

Who it can help

Switch users who cannot see the screen well enough to follow a highlight: people with a visual impairment, a field loss after a stroke, cortical visual impairment, or eyes that cannot track a moving target. It also helps people who can see but cannot read symbols reliably, and people who need to keep their eyes on the person they are talking to.

It needs hearing and the ability to hold a spoken list in mind for a few seconds. It is slower than visual scanning because each item must be spoken in full, and it can be intrusive in a quiet room unless a private voice or earpiece is set up. Some people find two voices, one private and one public, confusing at first.

How it works

Each cell and each row or group gets a short spoken cue, ideally a single word. The scan rate is set by the length of the cue plus a pause, so cues must be short: "drink", not "I would like a drink please". Row cues describe the category; cell cues name the word.

The private cue plays through a small speaker at low volume, a bone-conduction headset or one earpiece; the selected message plays through the main speaker at full volume. On most devices you can turn cues on per page, so a person with partial sight can use visual scanning on a big-cell page and auditory cues on a dense one. Partner-assisted scanning is the same idea with a human reading the list.

Getting started

Start with a partner, not a device: read the options aloud, "drink... food... telly... out", and wait for a signal. This is auditory scanning, and it tells you within a day whether the person can hold a list and respond. Then move to a device with the same page and the same short cues.

Rename the cells. A page copied from a symbol set will have cues like "toilet, symbol" or file names. Every cue should be one clear word in the order the person expects. Keep the rows to five or six items so the list is holdable.

Where to get help

Ask your speech and language therapist for an AAC assessment that includes a vision assessment; people with a visual impairment and complex physical needs are within scope of the specialised AAC services. The ACE Centre and CALL Scotland publish guidance on auditory scanning, and Sense supports people with combined sight and hearing loss.