Introduction

The multisensory educational system "VoiceToys" (VT) is an interactive multifunctional platform for sensory stimulation and psychophysical development of children, in the field of assistive technology. The devices are used for the purpose of vocalization stimulation and initial voice onset, early verbal imitations, voice pitch control, improvement of auditory and visual attention, memory enhancement, motor skills, and other psychomotor abilities.

Since speech development disorders are often accompanied by slower psychomotor development, poor attention, and specific learning difficulties, the scope of application is continuously expanding. Today, VoiceToys is used by speech-language pathologists, special educators, audiologists, educators working with typically developing children, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists.

VT devices represent a powerful stimulation tool that, through its design philosophy and functions, attracts children's attention. The combination of play and technology motivates children to actively participate in treatment, to more easily acquire new knowledge and skills, and helps the therapist achieve desired results. During treatment, the therapist provides instructions, guides, controls the flow, and monitors outcomes, maintaining a clear perspective and documenting progress. The child, as an active participant in the therapeutic process, repeats activities and establishes control over their performance.

According to sensory integration theory, developed by Jean Ayres, children have an innate need to integrate sensory information to feel safe and stable in their bodies, and to effectively respond to environmental changes. She also emphasizes that when children experience sound, light, and tactile stimuli simultaneously, their ability to recognize and process these stimuli becomes stronger and faster. This increases the efficiency and accuracy of perceptual reactions, which directly impacts speech and communication abilities. For example, children who can perceive the rhythmic characteristics of sound through light and vibration signals often develop more quickly in the precision of using tempo and intonation in speech.

Through practice, we are familiar with how long the process of acquiring knowledge and skills takes, especially in children with developmental difficulties. Since children learn best when motivated, VT devices allow them to enjoy learning unconsciously of the goal being set, making the entire process easier and results visible.

Why is it important to combine all VT system devices in therapeutic and educational work?

In the context of VARK (Visual, Auditory, Read/write, and Kinesthetic/sensory) model by Neil Fleming, the advantage of the VT system is that it is suitable for different learning styles, making it a universal tool for working with children. Combining and selecting the functions offered by VoiceToys allows us to adapt to each child individually, and children show the greatest ability to acquire information when learning methods are tailored to their individual needs.

VT devices that emit sound signals help children recognize and imitate sounds, words, and phrases, while additional visual support enables them to better process and integrate content through visual presentations.

By combining VT devices with cards containing pictures, words, and texts, we stimulate children to acquire new information by recognizing the displayed content. Games in which the child actively participates, moves, and manipulates objects, encourage the development of basic motor skills and enable their integration into daily activities, thereby contributing to the overall psychomotor development and functional adaptation of the child.

When we sum up all these possibilities, the VoiceToys system allows the child to discover and acquire new content in various ways that are characteristic of them. The devices arouse children's interest and they become motivated and open to new experiences and impressions. Based on the survey we conducted, we determined that therapists most frequently use VT devices in their treatments for speech and language development, improvement of sensory abilities, visual and auditory attention, motor and social skills.

VT devices can provide great support during testing of children. Coming for an assessment is a completely unknown, new experience that can cause discomfort. For this reason, specialists are expected to be more engaged in order to obtain a deeper insight into the child's developmental profile/status. With VT devices, children spontaneously react, communicate, and have the opportunity to express themselves without the pressure of formal testing.

The VT system enables assessment of multiple developmental aspects – from auditory perception, through motor coordination, to language and social skills development. Testing becomes more enjoyable and the child responds to set tasks in a way that is closer to everyday circumstances. All of this provides a more realistic insight into their abilities.

This manual describes the functions and provides game suggestions for each of the 4 devices that make up the interactive multifunctional VoiceToys platform - VibeY, SpaceY, SpreadY, and JumpY. It is designed so that therapists get initial ideas for using VT devices, which they can later develop and adapt to their therapeutic process needs. The proposed games are simple and inspired by everyday practice.

BEFORE USING ANY OF THESE DEVICES, IT IS NECESSARY THAT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL (SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST, SPECIAL EDUCATOR, PSYCHOLOGIST, OR OTHER SPECIALIST WORKING WITH CHILD DEVELOPMENT) ASSESS POSSIBLE RISKS TO THE CHILD! SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO WHETHER THE CHILD IS HYPERSENSITIVE TO LIGHT OR SOUND AND ADAPT THE DEVICE'S FUNCTIONS AND WORKING METHOD ACCORDINGLY!