PODD Communication System
What is PODD?
PODD (Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display) is a communication system for people who can't meet all their communication needs through speech alone. Developed by CPEC co-founder and Speech Pathologist Gayle Porter, it gives users a consistent, robust vocabulary they can access independently, in a paper communication book or on an electronic speech generating device.
How PODD works
Vocabulary in PODD is organised the way we actually use language in conversation, and placed consistently throughout the system. This means users build motor automaticity — finding the words they need without having to search — which supports both communication right now and long-term language development.
PODD combines core vocabulary (the words we use most often) with content-specific vocabulary, organised by communication function. The goal is to let users initiate their own ideas, not just select from words someone else has chosen for them.
"A child who uses speech will independently select the words she wishes to use from the vast array of words she hears/sees used every day. A child who uses AAC will independently select the words she wishes to use from the vocabulary other people have chosen to model and, for aided symbols, made available for her to use." — Porter & Kirkland, 1995
Who is PODD for?
PODD supports individuals at any stage of language development, across a wide range of physical, cognitive, visual, hearing and sensory abilities — from first words through to complex adult language. It's used by people with cerebral palsy, autism, and a range of other diagnoses, including those who need visual support to understand spoken language, such as individuals with severe hearing loss.
Because PODD is available in multiple layouts and vocabulary levels, it can be matched closely to each person's needs.
Where PODD came from
Gayle Porter developed PODD in the early 1990s with colleagues Jan Kirkland and Louise Dunne, in response to a clear gap in existing AAC approaches: they only let people communicate using words that had already been selected for them. Gayle has continued developing PODD since the 2007 release of the Direct Access templates, drawing on more than 30 years of clinical practice and ongoing feedback from AAC users and their families.
PODD Templates for Communication Books
PODD templates are commercially available for both communication books and speech generating devices, in a range of symbol sets and access methods:
Communication book templates:
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simPODD Direct Access Templates (SymbolStix symbols)
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Mind Express Direct Access & Alternative Access Templates (PCS symbols)
Speech generating device apps:
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Grid (via Zyteq or Link Assistive)
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TD Snap (via Link Assistive)
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Mind Express (via Zyteq)
