my brother had access to a keyboard where he typed in what he would like to say with his knuckles. I am very happy he could communicate with us. We were able to hear the humour he kept right to the very end of his life through the keyboard. He was 39. Without it, we would never have known how he was feeling hearing the voice recognition from the keyboard was a blessing. We saw the laughter through his eyes.
This keyboard voice recognition gadget was available for free through the Als/Lou gehrigs society. They were excellent, throughout various stages they supplied a walker, chair for the shower, a powered wheelchair (he loved that freedom), a speech recognition keyboard and eventually a nurse where he could stay at home for as long as possible. RIP Stewart John Webber
Hi!
I see you are in MD, not sure how close to DC you are. My mom got a voice device on loan from the local ALSA chapter (National Capital Area) several years ago. She kept it for as long as she wanted with just a security deposit. I would try to contact your local chapter if you have one or the DC area one for more info. Hopefully they will at least be able to point you in the right direction.
Good luck and ((hugs)) to you.