Day 2: Proloquo2go

    Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) includes various communication methods which replace or supplement speech or writing for people who have impairments in the production or comprehension of spoken or written language. This type of communication allows individuals to bypass or compensate for areas of impaired communicative function. Recent technological advances and a wider range of options is providing people with an improved and faster level of communication. AAC can enhance a person's life by enabling them to participate more fully and independently in society. For children, especially, it allows access to learning and educational opportunities and enables them to communicate knowledge.

                  

      Proloquo2Go is an AAC application used in conjunction with a "high-tech" device such as an iPad or iPod touch. This application allows a user to communicate using speech output. This communication medium is accessed using a touch screen and a combination of pictorial symbols to represent meaning. It allows users to start conversations, participate in them, and answer questions. First and foremost, it allows individuals to communicate their basic needs and wants. Secondly, it gives people new ways to express themselves, sometimes revealing the knowledge and emotions that have been silenced for years. In addition to these, Proloquo2Go:

• Supports functional spontaneous communication
• Facilitates access to social information
• Facilitates inclusion at home, school, and community
• Facilitates greater independence in the home, school, and community
• Facilitates access to literacy experiences
• Reduces frustration
• Facilitates an improved sense of self concept

     Proloquo2Go was featured on a CBS News 60 Minutes segment on children with autism. It shows examples of how Proloqu2Go and other AAC apps are having an impact on the lives of children with special needs and their families.
             



The Proloquo2Go application is top-rated and includes features such as text-to-speech, word prediction, and a recent banked phrases section for spontaneous communication. It does come with a price close to $200 dollars, but users agree it's worth it! In the following table I will compare Proloquo2Go with other applications, weighing the strengths and downfalls of each.

A Comparison of AAC Applications for the iPad/ iPad Touch
Application	Cost	Client	Features	Downfalls
Proloquo2Go	$189	A full-featured AAC application for people who are non-verbal or have difficulty speaking.	- natural sounding text-to-speech voices - default vocabulary of over 7000 items - advanced word prediction         - high resolution and up-to-date symbols - great for all ages	- only available in American, British, and Indian English - price
OneVoice	$199	This is a great app for non-verbal students and adults and is very user friendly. It is a simple and focused application with a reasonable number of levels for ease of use.	Supports over 20 languages - easy to understand - designed for usability -includes a pre-populated vocabulary (based on children) - can easily add own phrases and photos - 5 high quality voices - allows full customization	- price
TapToTalk	FREE plus $1.99 for TapToTalk  photo uploader	This is best for students with cognitive and severe physical disabilities who are attempting communication for the first time.	- Simple and easy to use - one-cell communication application - great for first time communicators	- not comprehensive enough for students with large vocabularies or conversational use
Speech Button	FREE with $1.99 charge for full features	This app was created to  help individuals who are non-verbal or have difficulty speaking to communicate their basic wants and needs.	- clear vocal quality - gender neutral child’s voice - created by a school psychologist and an SLP - can be used as a springboard to more complex speech generation applications	- pre-programmed vocabulary - limited vocabulary with a focus more on basic needs and wants/behaviour problems
GoTalkNow	$79.99	This is an easy-to-use yet powerful app for individuals who are non-verbal or have difficulty speaking.	- created by a company with 25 years years of AAC experience - adjustable page layouts - customizable navigation - recorded and text-to-speech capable - included symbol set - full feature scanning - many other exciting features!
TapSpeak Button Plus	$49.99	This is the modern equivalent of a mechanical switch that records and plays messages. It is used for basic teaching and communication. Great for SLP's!	- similar to a single phrase switch device but has many phrases to choose from and only requires one tap of the on-screen "button" - 4500 symbol library - adjustable screen response

Day 1 - Meet, greet, and neat?

Fair isn't always equal. In order to support all learners and give them an equal playing field, assistive technology must be used! It is the great equalizer which provides students access to tasks and improves the performance of individuals with disabilities.

If there are already theme parks developed for individuals with disabilities, then teachers and school systems need to catch up!




After FINALLY getting the classroom iPad that had been promised to me by my school administration since August, I was somewhat overwhelmed at what the next step involved.  I've owned an iPod for playing music for years now, but a touch screen opens up a whole new world.



I feel as though my "Adventures in Learning" have only just begun! After attending my first class on Assistive Technology last Saturday, I've been downloading apps and using my students as guinea pigs to rate apps and their effectiveness, usefulness, and ability to hold student interest. I also "Googled" popular learning apps and how they rated among students and children. The following have been used repeatedly by my students in the last week:

1. Math Bingo and Word Bingo: These are great apps which allow students to use their skills (at varying levels) to practice math facts and sight words in a Bingo format. The ability to change speed and difficulty are great. I find the Word Up and Fling It games on Word Bingo are awesome for improving recall in addition to being a favourite of the kids!

2. TellMeAboutIt: This app is awesome for learning receptive language (feature, function, class) and aligned perfectly with one of my IPP outcomes for a student with Autism. I was amazed at how much receptive vocabulary he knew that we hadn't been able to test as easily prior to this. It covers 15 categories of language targets. It is a perfect addition to my discrete trials with this child and allows me to track information and create a reinforcement schedule. What a great tool that saves time and really helps the student!

3. Let's Name Things and Understanding Inferences (by FunDeck): These apps have the exact same pictures and information as the Fun Deck cards that Learning Centre teachers may already have in their classrooms. The advantage is that you won't lose cards and the children seem more focused and interested when it's on the iPad rather than in card format. The ability for groups of people to play and score is great and allows for a bit of a competition without causing arguments.

4. Scan to PDF: This has been a great tool that I was actually able to introduce to our school APSEA itinerant teacher. She LOVED it and will be using it with our visually impaired students soon. This app allows the student more independance and makes him only as different as needed. Instead of the teacher photocopying larger print text sheets, she can have him scan the document into his iPad using the camera feature, and increase the font himself while reading. I will be searching for a similar app with higher resolution for better results, but it's still a step in the right direction.

5. MyVisualTimers: This application has been very helpful. Instead of searching for a dollar store timer every time I need one and then realizing that an EPA or student has "borrowed" them all, I can, within moments, set up a timer on the iPad! There are various different images and styles to appeal to different students and it costs as much as a dollar store timer without having to repurchase them again and again. What a great tool! It has even helped with avoiding meltdowns!


I cannot wait to learn more and to share this information with other teachers, parents, and my students. It is amazing to see how "hooked" kids are to this technology! They will work harder for a chance to use the device and then will fully engage in learning activities while using it! They are ASKING to do work! What more could a teacher want!?


Stay tuned for more Adventures in Learning!