ipad aac
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
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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