People with ALS often lose their ability to speak. For some, this change happens quickly; for others, this change may be more gradual. In any case, it’s important for people with ALS to consider voice banking and/or message banking as soon as possible after diagnosis, while they still have their strongest voice possible.
VOICE BANKING
Voice banking creates a custom synthesized voice for you based on samples of your speech. There are a variety of services available for people who are interested in banking their voice. We have created the chart on the following page to help people understand their options.
MESSAGE BANKING
Message banking is a process of recording meaningful phrases and expressions (such as, “I love you, honey”) that can be played later. This ensures such expressions are said in a person’s original voice. In some cases, these banked messages can be used by a voice banking service to create a synthesized voice. For more information about message banking, we recommend you visit mymessagebanking.com and click on the “Message Banking FAQs” link at the bottom of the page.
Voice Banking Services
Special thanks to Alisa Brownlee, Assistive Technology Specialist, The ALS Association, and John Costello, of the ALS Augmentative Communication Program at Boston Children’s Hospital for help providing the information in this chart.
Please note that some ALS Association chapters provide assistance with voice banking services. Please contact your local care team or email alsinfo@als.org.
