Just the Apps:Free, inexpensive, full-featured communication apps for iPad
Gwendolyn Meier, MA, CCC-SLP, MT-BCSpeech Language Pathologist, Music Therapist
Villa Esperanza ServicesPasadena, CA
Currently over 100 iPad apps designed to be communication tools
Variety of levels of complexity and co$t
Decision-making:
Speech Language Pathologists, special educators, and parents ALL need guidance
App Explosion
AAC Evaluation• Is essential
• Must be conducted by a
Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)
experienced in augmentative and alternative communication
AAC Evaluation will determine:• Current communication skills and needs
• Language stage & literacy development
• Symbol/icon familiarity
- Present ability to visually discriminate between symbols and locations
- (NOT necessarily a prerequisite for using symbol-based systems)
• Physical access
- Motor ability to point to, give, push a button, turn page, look at, other?
• Categorization and Memory
- Cognitive ability to !nd stored vocabulary needed for expression
• Trial period
• Recommendation of an appropriate communication system
- Picture cards, choice boards, buttons, screens, etc.
The iPad is not a fit for everyone
Play on the iPad may not necessarily lead to communication skills
Included here - Info on apps for...
• Building finger isolation and pointing skills
Apps for Building Pointing Skills
• Toddler Counting ($0.99)**
• Starfall ABCs ($2.99)**
• Stop and Go (FREE; $0.99)
• Wheels On The Bus ($1.99)
• Garbage Truck ($0.99)
• Preschool Toddler Teasers (FREE)
Toy Box game
• Injini Lite (FREE)
Farm game, chick
Toddler Counting
Starfall ABCs
Early Language Stages1. One word at a time
2. Two- and three-word phrases
3. Building phrases and early sentences
4. Learning grammar and sentence structure
5. Sentences with more grammatical endings
Translate to....
Early Non-Verbal Language Stages
1. One word/picture card/button at a time
2. Two- and three-word/picture/button phrases
3. Building phrases and early sentences
4. Learning grammar and sentence structure
5. Sentences with more grammatical endings
Language Stage 11. One word at a time: In autism, largely
Cause-and-Effect
2. Two- and three-word phrases
3. Building phrases and early sentences
4. Learning grammar and sentence structure
5. Sentences with more grammatical endings
Stage 1 EARLY Goal - In AutismOne-word/One-button Requesting for preferred items or actions
• Builds “buy-in”
• Adds pay-off to the effort of communicating
Stage 1 EARLY Goal - In AutismApp features to look for at this Stage include...
• Small set of whole-message buttons
• Digitized (recorded) voice
Apps for Language Stage 1
REQUESTING
• Answers:YesNo
• Sounding Board
• Picture Card Maker
Apps for EARLY Language Stage 1Answers:YesNo (FREE and $1.99)
• Technically an iPhone app, works great on iPad ($3.99 for HD, iPad version)
• 2-button choice (can program only single message)
• 6 Text and 6 Picture pages can be programmed
• YES/NO installed; No image library - your own pics
• Minimal visual discrim. and motor skill required (field of 2)
• Recorded voice
AnswersHD (FREE, $1.99)
AnswersHD (FREE, $1.99)
AnswersHD - FAVORITES
AnswersHD - FAVORITES
AnswersHD - FAVORITES
Traditional SGD vs. App
Big Mack Button ($117+)
iTalk2 ($150+)
Big Mack Button ($115)Big Mack Button ($115)
Answers:YesNo ($1.99)
Lacks the feedback ofan actual push button
Apps for Language Stage 1Sounding Board (FREE) iPhone/iPod app, works on iPad
• Choice/Phrase boards - Single word/button
• Links/navigation between boards via message or function button, not simple
• 1-16 words/buttons
• Minimal visual discrim. and motor skill required
• Limited image library & find/take/use your own photos
• Recorded voice
• FOLLOWING SLIDES ARE FROM A PREVIOUS VERSION
Sounding Board (Requests)Field of 1 up to 16 now (newer version than pictured)
Sounding Board (FREE)
Sounding Board (FREE)
Sounding Board (FREE)
Sounding Board (FREE)Recess choices
Work Phrases, with link to Break choices
Apps for Language Stage 1Picture Card Maker (FREE; $5.99)
• Choice boards - Single button messages, enlarges on selection, requires back button. Portrait only.
• Sentence strip - 2-, 3-, or 4-button strip. Touch each in sequence in order to “speak” the sentence. No back button required. Portrait or Landscape.
• No direct link/navigation to another board.
• Back/Album button, scroll to another board - carries sentence strip over
• 1-16 words/buttons to a page/Album, 2 size options (4 or 16)
• Some visual discrim. and motor skill required
• No image library - Find, take, use your own photos
• Recorded voice
• Full version $5.99 (no banner ads)
Requests in blow-up view, swipe to scroll
Requests in expanded view, 16 max
Picture Card Maker (FREE; $5.99)
There are 3 important items on this Home screen
Picture Card Maker (FREE; $5.99)1.
Picture Card Maker (FREE; $5.99)2. 3.
Picture Card Maker (FREE; $5.99)4. 5.
Picture Card Maker (FREE; $5.99)
Picture Card Maker (FREE; $5.99)
Picture Card Maker (FREE; $5.99)
PicCard Maker (FREE; $5.99)
• Request preferred
PicCard Maker (FREE; $5.99)
One-button Requests at work
Traditional SGD vs. Apps
Big Mack Button ($115)Big Mack Button ($115)
Sounding Board (FREE)*
PicCard Maker (FREE; $5.99)*
GoTalk ($157-229)
Communication Builder ($254.95) *iPad = no keyguard*
Stage 1 Goals - In AutismMoving Beyond Choice-Making
1. One word at a time: Greetings, Comments, Sharing Opinions
(Model and demonstrate)
Hi - Oops - Sorry - I like it - I don’t like it - Look - Oh man - That’s funny - etc.
• Small set of messages
• Digitized (recorded) voice
AnswersHD ($1.99)
“Do you want
to dance”
“You looknice”
Stage 1 Goals - In Autism Greetings, Comments, Sharing Opinions
Static board or single page in Full Featured app, TouchChatHD ($149.99)
Stage 1 Goals - In Autism Arts & Crafts - Requests, Comments, Sharing Opinions
Stage 1 Goals - In AutismBook Reading - Requests, Comments, Directions
Work Phrases, with link to Break choices
Language Stage 21. One word at a time
2. Two- and three-word/button phrases
3. Building phrases and early sentences
4. Learning grammar and sentence structure
5. Sentences with more grammatical endings
Stage 2 Goals - In AutismElaborated requests: “I want” + item, “More” + item/activity
Directing other’s actions, core vocab: Help please, give me, my turn, put in, you go, open it
Greet using names
• More message types
• Digitized (recorded) voice OR synthesized (text-to-speech) voice
FREE Apps for Language Stage 2
2-Button Phrases
• Sounding Board (FREE)
• Picture Card Maker (FREE)
Sounding Board (FREE) - Link between pages
Sounding Board (FREE) - Link between pages
Sounding Board (FREE) - Link between pages
Picture Card Maker (FREE; $5.99)
Sentence Strip
Picture Card Maker (FREE; $5.99)
Picture Card Maker (FREE; $5.99)
Picture Card Maker (FREE)
Picture Card Maker (FREE)
Creating phrases from a single page in Full Featured TouchChatHD ($149.99)
Traditional SGD vs. AppCommunication Builder
8 and upGoTalk 9+ and up
($195-250)
Big Mack Button ($115)Big Mack Button ($115)
Sounding BoardPicture Card Maker
(FREE-$5.99)
Multi-Word Language Stages1. One word at a time
2. Two- and three-word phrases
3. Building phrases and early sentences
4. Learning grammar and sentence structure
5. Sentences with more grammatical endings
Multi-Word Language Stages1. One word at a time
2. Two- and three-word phrases
3. Building phrases and early sentences
4. Learning grammar and sentence structure
5. Sentences with more grammatical endings
3+ wordsin length
Stage 3+ GoalsBeyond 3-word phrases...
• Visual sentence strip or message window
• Useful for the learner
• Useful for the
communication partner
Stage 3 Goals - In AutismAdding verbs and adjectives to requests: I want + to go + to recess
Describing phrases: Agent+Action+Object
• Navigation between pages
• Increased need for vocabulary
• Icon library included
• Larger vocab: Synthesized (text-to-speech) voice
Full-Featured Communication
- Expanded, Word-based Vocabulary- Variety of Phrase Types- Multi-Word Language Construction- Grammatical Endings- At this level - AAC Assessment and Therapy is Essential!
Full-Featured Communication for Multi-Word Language Stages
Traditional Devices
• DynaVox - M3, V, Maestro, Xpress
• Prentke Romich Co. - Vantage Lite, Springboard
• Saltillo - ALT-Chat, NOVA chat
App for That
• ProLoQuo2Go
• TouchChat HD
• WordPower version
Full-Featured Traditional CO$TTraditional Devices
• DynaVox - M3, V, Maestro, Xpress ($4,000-8,000)
• Prentke Romich Co. - Vantage Lite, Springboard ($2,600-7,500)
• Saltillo - ALT-Chat, NOVA chat ($3,500 ea.)
App for That
• ProLoQuo2Go
• TouchChat HD
• WordPower version
Full-Featured iPad CO$TTraditional Devices
• DynaVox - M3, V, Maestro, Xpress ($4,000-8,000)
• Prentke Romich Co. - Vantage Lite, Springboard ($4,000-6,000)
• Saltillo - ALT-Chat, NOVA chat ($3,500)
App for That
• ProLoQuo2Go ($190)
• TouchChat HD ($149.99)
• WordPower version ($299.99)
iPad2, 16 GB ($499)
GRAND TOTAL = $650-800
Apps for Stages 3, 4, 5• ProLoQuo2Go
• $189.99
• The first, not necessarily the best
• Easy to create a button
• Does not intuitively support motor planning due to button location shift and manual (vs. built-in) navigation
• TouchChat HD
• $149.99
• $299.99 (Word Power)
• Highly customize-able
• Unique features: Button Actions, iShare, Copy and move pages between users
• Intuitive navigation
• Language Stages 4, 5 -WordPower version $299.99
3 columns
6 columns
4 columns
8 columns
12 columns also available...
Proloquo screen shots
ProLoQuo2Go 2.0 Individualized Vocab Built From Scratch
Comments Greetings
Let’s Go Work
Campus Store Script
Proloquo Button Actions new in 2.0
TouchChat Family of Apps
Variety of pre-programmedvocabularies
TouchChat HD - AAC
TouchChat HD - AAC: Visual Scene
Display
Read more on how it’s done:scaacn.blogspot.com
TouchChatHD - Starter Vocabularies
• MultiChat 15
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Student
• Primary Landscape
• Primary Portrait
• Spelling
• VocabPC Landscape
• VocabPC Portrait
Custom buttonsize and color
Custom to replicate Gateway 40
Custom to mimic a GoTalk 4+ button arrangement
TouchChat HD AAC
TouchChat HD AAC
Customized early page layouts
Use only the area of the screen that is accessible to the userTouchChat HD AAC - Customization
TouchChat HD AAC - Hide Feature
TouchChat HD AAC
TouchChatHD Wide Variety
of Button Actions
TouchChat HD will play a video from your iPad camera roll
Linking using the Navigate action helps students to be successful at a 3-hit sequence...every time!
TouchChatTouchChat HD AAC
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