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

- FREE iShare account (1 year life per

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Thank you!Gwendolyn Meier

Villa Esperanza Servicesgmeier@villaesperanzaservices.org