Alexicom AAC: Focus on Free Features

Alexicom AAC:Alexicom AAC:

Focus onFocus on

FreeFree Features Features

Dr. Karen Suhm

October 26, 2012

This presentation focuses entirely on the free features of the Alexicom AAC app.

Many of these features are also available in our free Alexicom AAC app for Android, but the target audience of this presentation is iOS users.

Our philosophy is that if you have the hardware, you should be able to make your own pages for free.

Before we begin:

Today we will discuss: Quick summary of free features Basic editing Scanning settings Screen settings TTS and word prediction LAM user data tracking Other features Advanced tips & tricks

• 36 editable demo pages

• In-app page creation and editing

• The ability to create an unlimited number of speaking, linking pages that never expire

• Camera image acquisition directly in the cells

• Text-to-speech and recorded audio

• Show / dim / hide cells

• Adjust dimmed cell opacity and response

Alexicom AAC free features – immediately available to you pg 1/4

• One and two switch scanning

• Sequential and row/column scanning

• Auditory preview

• Bluetooth and direct touch scanning

• Supports RJ Cooper, AbleNet blue2, andAPPlicator switches

• Hold time filter for unintentional presses

• 1x-3x cell magnification


• TTS enabled text buffer

• Voice / pitch changes

• Word prediction with a 150k word library

• Optional word learning, frequency of word use

• Full sized keyboard accessible with one touch

• International language support, including right to left text entry



• Automatic home page loading

• Data tracking - 30 day log in LAM format for PeRT analysis

• Post messages to Facebook / Twitter / Email

• iCloud backup

• Fully compatible with Voice Over

Enable ‘Editing’ in settings Press Edit at top of ‘Select page’ screen Select any page to edit it Create a new page by pressing [+] You may also edit pages on the fly When editing a page, there are two modes:

Cell Edit ModeShow/Hide Edit Mode

Disable editing when finished to preventaccidental editing or deletion

Basic editing

Two ways to enter Editing Mode

From ‘Select a page’From user mode page

Editing an existing page

Creating a new page

Enable Editing, then press [+]

Enter page name, # of rows, # of columns, picture width. **Recommendations in Info.

Each cell has its own Edit & Clear buttons Press the Edit button in a cell to edit it

Image source○take a photo○use an image from your camera roll

Label – text above the image Spoken – text to be spoken by TTS Record audio using ‘Rec’ button Link – page to load when cell is pressed

Press Update to save changes

Basic editing – Cell Edit Mode

Cell being edited in Cell Edit Mode

Toggle between Editing Modes

Cell Edit Mode – for changing cell content

Show/Hide Edit Mode – for hiding/dimming cells

In Show/Hide mode, each cell has Show, Dim, and Hide radio buttons Select Dim to obscure a cell

Use the opacity slider in Settings to adjust the opacity of dimmed cells

Use the ‘Dimmed cells remain active’ toggle in Settings to control dimmed cell response

Select Hide to completely hide a cellFor difficult days or vocab building over

time

Basic editing – Show/Hide Mode

Page being edited in Show/Hide Edit Mode

Page after being edited in Show/Hide Edit Mode – hidden and dimmed cells

Dimmed cells remain active On/Off On = dimmed cells still speak and link Off = dimmed cells are disabled

Opacity slider – 0 to 100% 0 = completely invisible 100% = completely visible

Note: If you set opacity to an extreme, you may get confused (hidden working, visible not)

Compatible switches: RJ Cooper’s Bluetooth switch or switch

interfaceAbleNet Blue2Inclusive TLC APPlicatorAny device that generates

○{space} and {enter}○{~1} and {~3}

The screen may also be used as a button○Single / double tap

Scanning

Compatible Bluetooth Switches

1) RJ Cooper’s Bluetooth switch

(can also buy the ‘guts’) 2) AbleNet Blue2 3) Inclusive TLC APPlicator

1

2

3

Scanning settings

Scanning Off/On – Main scanning switch Step-scan Off/On – Use 1 or 2 switches Row/column scanning Off/On –

Off = sequential scanning modeOn = Select row, then select cell in row

Auditory scanning Off/On – voice preview for low vision, cognitive

impairment Use AT&T Voices – for hearing impaired

Off = use CMU TTS for previewOn = use AT&T audio for preview

Scanning settings

Tortoise/hare slider – controls scan rate Hold time slider – filters unintended

screen taps and button presses Scan sound Off/On – Ticks as each cell is

highlighted, overridden by auditory preview Include header buttons Off/On – scan

Speak, Speak & Clear, Clear, Undo buttons Direct touch only – screen is a button;

keeps keyboard from popping up when no Bluetooth switch is detected

Scanning settings (cont’d)

Screen settings

Adjustable frame width – blue frame 1x – 3x cell magnification

In scanning mode, magnifies highlighted cellIn direct select mode, magnifies on selection

Zoom On/Off – allows manual zoomingPinch to zoomDouble tap to zoomSingle tap to activate cell

Already discussed dimmed cell options Voice over compatible

Screen settings

TTS and word prediction

Enable TTS On/Off – Main TTS control Adjustable CMU Flite TTS properties

Male / female voice toggleRate of speech sliderPitch sliderVariance slider (more or less robotic)

Use the CMU voice in Cell Edit Mode to generate speech output for buttons

Type text into the text buffer forspontaneous communication

TTS and word prediction

Enable word prediction On/Off – Main control

Custom word learning On/Off – adds your words to the dictionary Track frequency of word use On/Off –

keeps track of word usage and offers most frequently used words first Dictionary reset On/Off – clears your

custom dictionary and word frequency data

TTS and word prediction (cont’d)

Data tracking

30-day log of user button presses Data is in LAM format for PeRT analysis Copy, save, email, and print logs Data tracking On/Off –

When Off, does not record ANY dataData tracking REC indicator is located

at top center of user mode screenHandle the data responsibly – respect

the user’s privacy!

Data tracking

Other features

International character support – right to left keyboard and word prediction

International character support Auditory feedback On/Off – makes

Bidibeep! noise on selection Automatic home page loading

Avoids the ‘Select a page screen’Automatically loads the page you

specifyUpper left button returns to home pagePage name is case sensitiveTo disable, go to MAIN iPad settings

Other features

Backup to iCloud – default is NOWhen on, Apple may purge content in

low memory situationsWhen off, content is NOT backed up

but is guaranteed to be thereFor iCloud backup to work, you must

also enable iCloud in main iPad SettingsRestores whole iPad, not app-by-app

Social Media On/Off – Control access to Facebook, Twitter, Email

Other features (cont’d)

Social media access

Use Safari to get images from GoogleType the search term into the Search

barSelect Images (Default is Web)Hold an image to save to camera roll

Use Squaready app to “squarify” images

FreeSaves in 640 x 640, our favorite size!

Advanced tips and tricks

Page made with Google Images & Squaready Also shown: Hide/dim cells and Int’l char support

Use Nocs app + Squaready app to make text buttons

Free15 fontsGreat for Twitter


+

Guided access

Disable selected user controls

iOS 6 – guided accessLock into the app on Home button triple

pressComplete control over the device

○Disable specific controlsUse with our Auto load home page feature

○Start from ‘Select a page’ screen for wider access

○Widen access further to allow certain tabsMust enter passcode to leave the app,

take a screen shot, or even turn the device off


Any questions? Demo requests? More info on features?Accessibility issues? Specific problems to solve? Anything else?

Before I say thank you…

Thank you

for attending!

If you have any questions, please contact

[email protected]

We believe everyone deserves to be heard!

Education

Alexicom AAC: Focus on Free Features