Free iPads for Low and Non-Verbal Individuals with Autism

Hollyrod Foundation has a program to provide individuals with autism and communication challenges iPads for communication.


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More AAC Apps Coming to iPad

The world of AAC is opening up even more.  A number of new iPhone/iTouch/iPad apps are being added to the broad field of AAC apps in the iTunes App Store.

First TouchChat by Satillo offers the advantages of a well known and widely used AAC system that has been around for over a decade since the original ChatPC on the iDevices.  Four vocabulary page sets come with the TouchChat - VocabPC, MultiChat15, Spelling and Primary.  A number of other vocabulary page sets can be purchased if more suitable such as Inman Innovations Word Power and PRC's iEssence for literate users.  The TouchChat uses SymbolStix symbols with over 8,000 available.  TouchChat offers something unique to complete iDevice AAC systems - a sharing site where page sets can be posted and used by others.  The TouchChat app is $149 with additional costs for more vocabulary page sets and $59 for six months access to iShare.  A Windows based desktop editor is also available for $59, it must be used with a subscription to iShare.  This allows off-device programming.  The device also offers a choice of five synthesized voices.

Conley Solutions is adding a full AAC app to its Tap Speak Button and TapSpeak Sequence apps.  Tap Speak Choices uses Mayer-Johnson Pictures Symbols, allows 1-56 buttons per page, has drag 'n' drop editing and is one or two switch accessible using RJ Cooper's Bluetooth Switch Interace ($99).  No price has been listed for Tap Speak Choices nor is the type of speech listed - recorded or synthesized.

Smarty Ears is also offering an AAC app now, although much less compelling than either of those above or the original Proloquo2Go.  Smarty Ears AAC app is called Expressive.  It uses non-standardized clip art images, many of which are confusing (i.e. verbs is two clasped hands).  There are male or female voice options.  Expressive is $34.99.

It should be noted that some smaller, innovative health insurance companies, such as Fallon in the Northeast, are now funding iDevice based AAC. 

Finally RJ Cooper mentions on his site that ALL of the AAC Apps will be adding switch access.

iPossibilities: iPods and iPads in Special Education

You are hereby invited to view the slideshows from the iPossibilities: iPods and iPads in Special Education Presentation give by Kate Ahern, M.S.Ed. and Bonnie Dwyer on August 30, 2010.

• iPossibilities: iPods and iPads in Special Education Part One
• iPossibilities: iPods and iPads in Special Education Part Two
• iPossibilities: iPods and iPads in Special Education Addendum

That is all.

P.S. Although the presentation is less than three weeks old there is some info that is out of data and new apps that have been added to the app store.  There likely will not be an update of this slideshow (as it is trapped on my iPad and has decided to be incompatible with everything except iWork).

App Screenshots

Screenshots of a variety of apps including:

• ABA Flashcards 
• Percentally  
• Talkulator 
•  Flux Tunes  
• Proloquo2Go
• icommunicate
• Locabulary
• Tap To Talk
• Picture Pusher
• Cat in a Rainbow

A Few Apps for Cognitive and Language Development

Kindergarten.Com offers their ABA series which includes multiple apps which range in price from free to $0.99. The apps ask a question such as "Which one do you wear?" And the user touches the photograph of the correct answer from a field of three. It is possible to use this App with partnet assisted scanning with indivudals who do not have to motor skills to access the iPad or iTouch.

The App iTouch, iLearn Words offers mutiple games to teach vocabulary and sight words. This includes animations which label words and content in text, a "memory" like matching game with the levels, a game requiring matching a sight word to a picture with a text prompt and more. This App is $0.99 but occassionally goes on sale.

Sorting by Toddler Teasers works on visual discrimination of letters, numbers and shapes and/or categories (i.e. Letter or number?). Students need to drag and drop the answers into the correct treasure chest. A triple tap of the screen reveal a menu for the adult to change some settings.

E-Touch and E-Touch Lite are interesting apps that use visual scene displays to teach vocabulary. A scene is displayed and the name of items are said aloud when tapped. There are also options to play question, answers, examples or random play. Examples is a nice feature which add the function to the word, i.e. "Aquarium. We keep goldfish an an aquarium." This App could even be used as AAC with some adaptations, for example if you added a low tech picture strip to the top, bottom or side of your iPad or device case and that strip had "yes", "no", "I want", "I dont want", and so on, it would be an even more complete system. (Actually adding a low tech communication strip or even a "Flip Talk" to an iPad case for indivuals who are non-speaking, whether or not you use this App, proloquo2go or no AAC App at all is a great idea.).

Links to be added soon.



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Location:Summer St,Haverhill,United States

iPad Case Options for Significant Special Needs

Easy to carry cases with screen access for ambulatory individuals:

• Simplism Leather Shoulder Case includes leather case with invisible shock absorption plates and shoulder strap, $50.00.
• Crystal GABAN Case is a clear polycarbonate case with attachment point to use a carabiner clip to add a should strap, $35.00
• Modulr Case and Accessory System is a heavy duty impact resistant case, water resistant case with option for interchangeable wall and car mounting, a kick stand and a shoulder strap, $99

Heavy Duty Tough Cases

• Otterbox three layer, scratch resistant, water resistant and drop resistant (I personally swear by Otterbox cases and have them on my Blackberry, iPhone and iPad), $90.00
• Modulr Case and Accessory System is a heavy duty impact resistant case, water resistant case with option for interchangeable wall and car mounting, a kick stand and a shoulder strap, $99 

Because he is adorable, here is my friend Little Dude using an iPad in an Otter Box case:

Water Resistant/Water Proof Cases:

• Otterbox three layer, scratch resistant, water resistant and drop resistant (I personally swear by Otterbox cases and have them on my Blackberry, iPhone and iPad), $90.00
• Leisure Jacket for iPad is a water proof, dust proof case in many colors, $45.00
• Aquapac is a water proof, submersible case with a should strap, $45.00
• Modulr Case and Accessory System is a heavy duty impact resistant case, water resistant case with option for interchangeable wall and car mounting, a kick stand and a shoulder strap, $99

Stands/Easels

• Stabile is a nice looking and sturdy table mount that work in horizontal or vertical arrangement, $60

Wheelchair Mounts

• Third Hand Mounts are from Broadened Horizons and off a mean to mount light weight devices such as iPads to wheelchairs, call them and they will work with you on mounting $119-$250.00
• RAM Mounts is designed to mount an iPad in a car, but works with a wheelchair
• Note that most switch mount will work with the iPad provided you find a way to attach the iPad, likely in a case, to the mount top

Other Options

• The Trabasack Curve is a soft sided lap tray with velcro receptive fabric for a cover, it can be used as a lap tray with velcro to hold an iPad in a case in place and also act as an iPad carry bag, $40
I will be adding more to all categories. Keep a look out.

Typ-O HD TTS Word Prediction App

I am trying out a new iPad App called Typ-o HD It is a word prediction App for those with dyslexia As a dyslexic I have found spelling on the iDevices to be the most frustrating thing I can think of. The automatic word replacement nearly always does not use the word I meant. It is crazy making to have a text you worked hard on read like a Mad Lib. Additionally I often times touch a misspelled word only to have the pop up show that there is no word that is close enough to what I spelled for it to make suggestions.

The best spelling correction program I have ever used is that which is built into the web browser Firefox. It works for me because it underlines misspelled words and then gives me a list of possible words when I right click on the underlined word; infrequently I have spelled something so incorrectly that this method doesn't work for me, but then I can usually get pretty close to what I meant with a few attempts at sounding out the word (phonetic encoding). I have used word prediction programs in the past, usually Write:Outloud by Don Johnston, but I often times do not find word prediction to be that useful. Luckily I can usually pick the word I want from a list of potential words. So I am capable of using word prediction. Typeo is nice because you can click the "play" icon next to any word and hear it said to be able to find out if it is the word you meant Thus far typeo seems to be working OK for me except it is hard to get used to looking at the word prediction for words I might misspell.





I do like the spell check on Typ-o HD though. So far it is able to find the word I want for even my worst misspellings. It makes me happy for the dyslexic kids who are out there right now that perhaps they will not suffer some of the embarrassments I did when, for example, my seventh grade English teacher made our spelling lists for the week based on mistakes we made in our writing. My list was horribly long and humiliating when she paired us up to help each other study. Not to mention that I loved learning vocabulary words like obsequious or loquacious but never used them in my writing because I knew I could not spell them even well enough to look them up in the dictionary (remember those?). Typ-o HD also allows you to use text to speech to hear any selection of your text or your entire text read to you. Also you can export to e-mail or to the clipboard to paste into another program (in this case into BlogPress to post this entry).



I know that, for me Typ-O HD is the best app I have found for typing on the iPad. I have moved it to my dock and don't intend to compose text without it now that I have it.

My wishes for Typ-o HD would be better voices for the text to speech and a grammar check feature. Also what is up with the letter "I" not automatically being capitalized? I wouldn't mind automatic apostrophes in contraction either. Or at least a way to turn such features on and off.

If Typ-o HD were to upgrade to better voices the app would be an excellent AAC app. I can see individuals using it to communicate very easily by typing, with word prediction help, what they wish to say and then pressing speak. I would gladly pay five to ten times the cost of Typ-o HD for a version with the best of the best text to speech voices. Perhaps called Typ-o AAC?

Typ-o HD is for iPad and is $1.99. Typ-o is for iPhone or iTouch and is $.99.


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