Choice Communication APPS for ACCI's Choice Communicators

Augie AAC is an easy-to-use, dynamic display, voice output communication app. It serves everyone in need of a portable AAC solution. Augie users recommend it for people of any age that are looking for a functional communication solution that works! Augie comes pre-loaded with high-frequency vocabulary for both home and school/work environments. Augie is easily customized with content specific to each user. It is a multi-function app with built-in schedules, one-touch critical communication feature, user defined voice output communication categories are available to support functional communication needs as well as voice output prompting/task cues, and behavioral support systems, social scripts, self regulation strategies along with user defined conversation starters. No need to leave one app to access the features of another, Augie has it all.

Avatalker AAC

Bring some simplicity to a child who is already compromised in expressing their needs and feelings.  Give them an interface that keeps everything on the same screen at all times and guides them in building correct sentences.

 Avatalker AAC is the ONLY Augmentative Communication app to incorporate this level of sophistication in grammar assisting tools; drop-down menus for noun morphologies, articles and pronouns, adjectives, verb conjugations, adverbs, helping verbs, a hand conjunction button and even a question-conversion button.  Avatalker. . . . the new paradigm for AAC is here and available for children, adolescents or adults with speech communication challenges.  Give them the best tools available. 

 Avaz Pro

A full-featured AAC app, has been developed for children who are non-verbal or who have difficulty speaking. Avaz has been designed with the vision of making every voice heard! Avaz is child- and caregiver-friendly, and helps therapists and educators to bring out the maximum potential in children. Avaz has received top international awards, including being on MIT’s list of Top 35 Innovations in 2011.

Avaz was developed in collaboration with 25 schools and 500 children, to help children with autism achieve the most effective communication possible. Avaz is also useful for children with Down Syndrome, Angelman's Syndrome, Aspergers, Apraxia and other non-verbal conditions. Avaz’s user interface is designed to make speech therapy more effective, develop a child’s language, and improve his/her intent to communicate.
Avaz uses picture symbols and high-quality voice synthesis to help users create messages. It comes with 3 research-based, graded picture vocabularies, and a Core Words set that will help a child begin to communicate. These vocabularies have been designed to facilitate spontaneous novel utterance generation, encouraging a child to not only use language, but also generalize from it.
While Avaz helps a child get started quickly with pictures, it's also great for facilitating easy transition into text. Avaz's keyboard has support for saving and loading text, a Quick response bar for frequently-used messages, and a picture-assisted text prediction capability for sight readers.

Avaz is exceptionally easy to customize, and comes with 7 high-quality voices from Acapela. You can even record your own voice! Avaz takes the hassle out of 'programming' a typical AAC aid, and keeps the focus on interacting with the child.

Compass with Gateway Pageset

Created by Dr. Joan Bruno, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Gateway is comprised of single words that can be joined together to create longer messages. Gateway has evolved over the years to reflect a variety of developmental levels, types of communicators, and changes in technology.

Easy Speak is a predictive, interactive text-to-speech application with a dictionary of 4000+ words and phrases that you can edit to suite your needs. Features include:

• User-editable dictionary and phrase list
• Uses heuristic on screen text prediction
• Up to 4 favorite phrases one touch away
• Uses high quality voices from Acapela

 GoTalk NOW combines the simplicity of GoTalks with the dynamic capabilities of an iPad. GoTalk NOW has all the essentials of an effective AAC app, like adjustable page layouts, customizable navigation, recorded and text-to-speech capabilities, and an included symbol set. But we sweated the details to create unique and compelling features that clearly separate the NOWfrom other AAC apps.

The new NOW offers three styles of communication pages: Standard, Express, and Scene. In Standard Pages, the action occurs when the location is pressed. Recorded or text-to-speech messages build in a speech bar in Express Pages, and play in sequence when the bar is pressed. Scene Pages are built around a single photo or image. You arrange visible or invisible Hot Spots over people or objects in the image, and these Hot Spots can play speech, music or videos! Feel free to mix and match page styles within a communication book.

 GoTalk NOW PLUS - everything in the GoTalk Now, plus the Symbolstix image library, the Ready-Set-Communicate book, and Acapela text-to-speech English voices.  Ready-Set-Communicate, included in the GoTalk NOW PLUS app,  provides a language framework to transition from phrase-based to word-based communication support. By Celeste R. Helling, MA, CCC-SLP, ATP.

 Health Care Communication App features 276 original, hand-drawn icons depicting ailments, wants, needs, questions and foods. Touch an icon and it SPEAKS! Change the settings in preferences and it TRANSLATES language. The app can be configured so that text is written in one language and spoken in another - a huge advantage in multi-lingual settings.

 The icons are divided into 7 helpful pages:

• URGENT PAGE- includes a Pain Scale to determine where and how bad one hurts. Touch an area on the body image and a marker is left to tell the caregiver WHERE he's hurting. Touch the scale between 0-10 to convey how bad one hurts. Along side the Pain Scale are basic communication icons to help a new patient communicate his wants and needs.
• QUESTIONS PAGE - 21 common questions patients ask.
• PHYSICAL PAGE - icons depict physical wants and needs.
• EMOTIONAL PAGE - icons represent emotional wants and needs.
• ICU PAGE - features LARGER icons for visual assistance.
• PEDIATRICS PAGE- needs and wants of children.
• FOOD PAGE - common foods and drinks.

 LAMP Words for Life - A full featured communication app that combines the power of the Unity language system with Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) principles and strategies. It is appropriate for communicators who are just learning they can affect those around them to skilled communicators with advance language skills. The motor patterns used to say each word remains consistent as vocabulary grows; new learning systematically builds on previous learning. Language development in typically developing children occurs through the combination of a consistent motor pattern, the sound that motor pattern produces and the reaction they get from the environment.  LAMP presents vocabulary in the same manner so those language connections can be developed allowing for unlimited language growth opportunities.

Look2Learn (L2L), is a revolutionary AAC software application that allows individuals to work at their communicative level using photographs to express wants and needs. The easy to use system integrates preloaded vocal output so that individuals can use their “voice”.

MetaTalkUS is the US-English language version of MetaTalk - the vocabulary and voices are in US-English only. MetaTalk is a symbol-based application for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). It allows users without or with limited voice capabilities to communicate. MetaTalk is preconfigured with three rich vocabularies - you can start immediately. Individual customizations are easy and always possible. • Three vocabularies preconfigured with different sizes and content
• About 2000/1500/1000 words and phrases in MetaTalkUS.5x9/ MetaTalkUS.4x7/ MetaTalkUS.3x5
• American English vocabulary for daily use including popular phrases
• structure easy to understand
• most-used items always visible: "I would like", "not", "to", "There is" (configurable) 
• pronouns ("I","you","he",…) and people ("Mother", "Father",…) are automatically linked with the correct verb forms ("go", "goes", etc.). Long-Press function (optional) skips the pronouns and links directly to the corresponding verb form 
• verb forms including present, past, gerund, and past participle
• theme-based categories with core vocabulary, phrases, and related questions for fast interactions 
• phrases and questions to initiate a conversation: "My name is"/"what is your name", "I like"/"what do you like" 
• page with talk-buttons for recorded messages

My First AAC is intended to help children learn the alphabet. My First ABC consists of two sections: flash cards and ABC quizes.

 Features:

• 3 sets of flash cards
• Voice sounds
• Statistics

Proloquo2Go provides a full-featured augmentative and alternative communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking. It provides natural sounding text-to-speech voices (CURRENTLY AMERICAN, BRITISH, & INDIAN ENGLISH ONLY), high-resolution up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of 7000+ items, advanced word predictions, full expandability and extreme ease of use. 

Included Voices: The current versions of Proloquo2Go include North American English male, female, girl & boy voices

Scroll and Speak lets you find the pictures/words that you want without ever leaving the screen by utilizing our PATENT PENDING “Scroll”. Today’s next generation format and design at work for you!You can also add your own pictures and voice to each word, Phrase, or sentence. Keyboard for typing function features is powered by “Text to Speech” capabilities.The patent pending design allows “the user” to start the program and start talking right away – not having someone else constantly navigating menus and folders for you.You can choose between male and female voices andcreate your own folders and put your own pictures on top of them so that they are ready to be used along with all of your other folders and words.The “Memory Area” holds your most commonly used words/phrases/sentences while the unique “Scroll” function also holds your favorite words, so that they are at your fingertips. AAC – Scroll and Speak allows you to spend more time joining in on the conversation instead of learning how to use other AAC programs.

SoundingBoard™

Version 3.1 provides these great features!
• Auditory Scanning: SoundingBoard now allows auditory scanning in addition to single and dual switch scanning. Auditory scanning works by playing a short "prompt message" during single or dual scanning actions. When the user selects the appropriate cell, the full message plays.
• In-App Purchased Boards: In addition to pre-loaded boards, and the ability to create your own boards, you can now purchase professionally-created boards directly within SoundingBoard. Those boards can then be edited as you see fit for your own child, student, or patient.
• Data Collection: SoundingBoard now offers basic data collection regarding app usage including: boards accessed, symbols accessed, scanning method used, and a time stamp for each activity.
• Edit Lock: In the Settings menu, you can disable editing functions throughout the app, ensuring users will not accidentally access those functions during use.
Other minor improvements:
- Board lists now show a representative symbol for each board.
- Improved external speaker performance - selected "external speakers" is no longer required. SoundingBoard™ will automatically detect your speaker preference.
- Database and performance enhancements.

Important Note: Because hardware specifications frequently change, and it is our intent to take advantage of the latest features, SoundingBoard™ is designed to work only with current and previous versions of Apple hardware including: iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, iPod Touch 3rd and 4th Generation, and iPad 1, 2 and 3.

Speak for Yourself!

This is an award-winning application (Best App Ever Awards - 2012-Best Special Needs App- Second Place) that is designed by two speech language pathologists specializing in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) with an evidence-based foundation. This application is consistent with motor learning principles, uses a word-based vocabulary of the most frequently used words in communication, and contains features important in developing automaticity and language. Speak for Yourself has the capability to begin with one word, but contains almost 11,000 Smarty Symbols® and allows the user the potential to access over 13,000 words, with no more than two touches to say a word. Complex page navigation and scanning are eliminated to allow fast, consistent access to language!

TalkTablet - TalkTablet includes over 11,000 symbols, Neospeech voices, recorded voices and free upgrades. Gus Communication Devices developed the first symbol based speech software in 1992.  For autism, aphasia or any communication disorder that requires symbol based speech generation. Free upgrades for life.

TouchChat HD-AAC fits into the category of assistive technology known as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and includes features that were previously only available in much more expensive dedicated devices. Words, phrases and messages are spoken with a built-in voice synthesizer or by playing recorded message. Five US English and 2 British English synthesized voices are available, allowing the user to choose a voice that fits their own personality. TouchChat also has a unique feature whereby one can simply tilt the device to make the message expand to fill the screen in large letters. This feature allows a person to communicate silently or in a noisy environment. TouchChat gives an individual the ability to navigate through page sets and speak messages. Page sets are linked pages, each of which is divided into a number of buttons. The buttons are programmed to have specific actions. For example, buttons may be programmed to speak a message, navigate to a different page, change the volume or clear the display. Four page sets are included with the TouchChat: VocabPC, MultiChat-15, Primary and Spelling. Each page set targets individuals with different communication needs. Additional page sets including WordPower and Essence are available as in-app purchases.

Text generated with TouchChat pages can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or via text message and email. It's simple too, just generate a message, push on the text and choose a service. Touch send and the message is automatically posted. Text from other applications can be copied to TouchChat so that it can be spoken out loud. Also, text generated in TouchChat can be copied to other applications.

 TouchChat HD-AAC with Word Power

This special version of TouchChat HD is bundled with the WordPower series of AAC vocabularies designed by Nancy Inman. WordPower24 is a word-based vocabulary that allows for easy and intuitive communication. WordPower24 with Phrases incorporates phrases for easier language generation.

TouchChat HD Lite

TouchChat HD Lite is a non-communicative configuration of TouchChat HD that allows for the user interface experience but does not include speech synthesis or any type of audio playback capabilities. TouchChat HD Lite is for iPad & iPad mini users.  iPhone and iPod Touch users should purchase TouchChat Lite. TouchChat Lite does not include the ability to transfer page sets to other devices.

 TouchChat HD Lite gives an individual the ability to navigate through page sets. Page sets are linked pages, each of which is divided into a number of buttons. The buttons are programmed to have specific actions. For example, buttons may be programmed to navigate to a different page, change the volume, clear the display, etc. Nine page sets are included with TouchChat Lite