Apps for AAC

Kate Ahern, M.S.Ed.Easter Seals Massachusetts

What is AAC?

AAC on an iPad

• No user is the same, no AAC solution is the same!

• Match child to an AAC system, not the system to the child!

• The iPad is a tool… nothing more, nothing less!

Why AAC?

How to Find AAC Apps

• Jane Farrell’s List http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/article/iphoneipad-apps-for-aac

• AAC App Assistant

How to Choose an AAC App

• Use Feature Matching

• Use the SETT Protocol:– Student– Environment– Task– Tool

Student

• Strengths/Needs• Cognition• Language development• Motor skills• Behavior

• Social skills• Vision• Hearing• Culture• _________

Environment

• Where does the student go? What are the needs in each setting for:

• Volume• Durability

• “fitting in”/social acceptance

• Speed of communication

• Literacy • Flexibility of messages

Task

• What does the student need to be able to say?– Personal information– Greet/take leave– Comment– Respond– Question– Exchange ideas– Give direction

___________

• To whom?– Family– Friends– Teachers– Medical staff– Personal care givers– Community members– Emergency personnel – ________

Tool

• What potential tools meet all needs for student, environment and tasks?

• If, and only if, the iPad meets needs as a platform, then consider apps which also meet needs. Which apps meet needs?

AAC Assessment Process

• Use SETT and other processes to determine system to trial

• Trial a system and collect data

• Analyze data and decide next steps

• When you need help– Family may decide to

utilize medical model such as Children’s Hospital

– School may decide to bring in an AAC Specialist through an agency like Easter Seals

Alternative Communication Apps

For a great listing of AAC Apps visit http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/article/iphoneipad-apps-for-aac

Answers Yes/No

• $.99• Answers Yes/No• Three voices to

choose from• Another yes/no app

is available with English or Spanish voices at a higher cost from Smarty Ears

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Tap Speak/Tap Sequence• Tap Speak Button $14.99• Tap Speak Button Plus

• Tap Speak Sequence Standard $29.99

• Tap Speak Button turns your iPod or iPad into a Big Mack Switch

• Tap Speak Sequencer turns your iPad into an infinite step-by-step switch

• Messages can be stored forever

• The color of the button can be changed

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Scene Speak• $17.99• iPad• Uses visual scene displays with

messages embedded into the scene

• Use included or your own images

• Photograph low tech boards and add speech

• 5 text to speech voices or recorded speech

• Arrange the scenes into a picture album for access

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Options for Emerging to Advanced Users of Symbol

Based Communication

Tap Speak Choice• $149.99• iPad only• 1-56 messages per “layer”• Dynamic display• 88 Voices • Pixon images or use your

own photos• Can be used with one or

two switches and iPad switch interface

Go Talk Now

• $79.99• 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 buttons

per page• Grid or visual scene

display• Play videos on buttons• Imagine Symbol Set or

your own • Switch Accessible

TouchChat• $149.99 includes app

plus 4 vocabulary sets (including those found on the Chat-PC and Alt-Chat), additional $99 for Essence Vocab and $149.99 for WordPower/Picture WordPower

• iPod and iPad (but must pay for each)

• SymbolStix Symbols

• High quality text to speech voices

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Proloquo2Go• $189.99

• Excellent user support

• Fantastic tutorials

• User community

• Use 1 to dozens of symbols per board

• Acapela Voices, multiple choices and accents

• Customizable

• Uses SymbolStix symbols (News-2-You and Unique)

• Word Prediction

• New version with switch support coming soon

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SonoFlex by Tobii• $99.99

• Combines core and topic based boards

• Uses SymbolStix

• Five voices including children’s

• Same layout and vocabulary available on Tobii Speech Devices

• Lite version to try before you buy

• Cost of app will be deducted from cost of a Tobii if you choose to upgrade

LAMP for Life• $299.99• Unity Language Based App

from PRC• Based on Language

Acquisition for Motor Planning • Uses a unique language

system • Unity can lead to the fastest

rate of communication in AAC

Avaz

• $99• Several levels• Symbol Stix• Unique Search Feature• Data collection

PECS Style Apps• Picture Exchange Communication is a

regimented instructional program designed to teach those with autism and other communication disorders to use picture symbols to make requests

• None of the PECS style apps on the market have any ties to Pyramid Education or the official makers of PECS

• Pyramid does offer three apps all around prompting, rewards and praise

• May be a nice transition from PECS binders to dynamic display

• Keep in mind the need for consistency including symbols/photos used, access design, etc

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iPacs• $9.99

• A Picture Exchange Communication Style Set Up

• Six pages to a book with one to six icons per page

• Use your own photos or images

• Recorded speech output

• Icons can be numbered for alternate access

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PECS Phase III• $5.99

• A Picture Exchange Communication Teaching Tool

• By Pyramid

• 100 Pics for Pecs Symbols

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My Choice Board• $9.99• Create choice boards of up to

six choices• Choose from the small

collection of stock photos provided or your own images

• Record speech to go with each image

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Grace App for Autism$25PECS style systemUnique, hand drawn imagesNo speech outputFrom Ireland, thus some picture names are different, i.e. “Jellies”

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Text Based AAC Apps

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PredictAble• $159.99

• iPod and iPad

• Full word prediction

• Customizable background

• Store frequently used phrases for fast access

• Choice of 9 high quality voices

• Adjust voice rate and pitch

• Integrates with Facebook, SMS and other social communication apps

• Switch accessible

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Assistive Chat• $24.99

• iPod and iPad

• Full word prediction

• Store recent and favorite phrases for fast access

• Choice of 3 voices

• Adjust voice rate and pitch

• Large buttons33

Verbally$99.00

iPad

Text to speech

Core word and phrases available for faster communication

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