"In the past, there were very expensive devices that might cost £3k or £5k," he says. The company has been making desktop AAC software since 2000, but spotted an opportunity in Apple's App Store when it launched in 2008. It's a striking video, so I talked to chief executive David Niemeijer to find out more. One of the developers making these apps is AssistiveWare, which came to my notice with this YouTube video about a six year-old girl called Ruby, and her use of its Proloquo2Go augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app on an iPad. Proloquo2Go can help speech-challenged kids increase communication and decrease frustration, and it empowers parents to customize this powerful tool in ways that best suits their kid's current age and stage of development.It's also a day to consider the way smartphone and tablet apps are being used by people with ASD and other complex communication needs, including cerebral palsy, down syndrome and developmental disabilities. The extensive available support for parents who are setting up and optimizing the use of Proloquo2Go for kids is impressive. The $219.99 price tag is definitely higher than similar apps however, there are no added costs (voice downloads included) and all of the webinars and online instruction are included. As long as a kid is able to navigate the device's screen and understands how symbols can represent words, including verbs and pronouns, they most likely will be able to use this tool to speak not only to ask for what they want or express how they feel, but also to speak in complete sentences and participate in the flow of everyday communication. Even for kids who can't read, the symbols used along with the words are so highly customizable that they can use it to express themselves without knowing words. For parents or teachers who wonder if they can customize an app with such an enormous vocabulary base (14,000 symbols), Proloquo2Go offers an extensive user guide, FAQs, webinars, and more that make the experience easy and even fun. Words are organized in grids by most frequently or recently used, sets of things, general parts of speech (pronouns, verbs, nouns), and "little" words, which help make sentences more fluid, conversational, and even polite ("I want to go play baseball, please."). With a tap, a swipe, and a tap, kids can drill down into the app to find just the right buttons that represent what they want to say. Kids who can't speak or have limited speech but who gravitate toward technology will likely be able to use Proloquo2Go adeptly. Kids who can type can also use this app for text-to-speech, with many customizable settings on this feature as well. As a result, kids using the app can be represented with more natural voice tones. Also, the downloadable voices include those of children (British or American, boy or girl). The app can increase or decrease the complexity of words and phrases presented based on a kid's current age and vocabulary. While there are a number of apps that fall into the category of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools, Proloquo2Go is unique in many ways. Users can also add their own photos and images to create icons, edit existing buttons, move them, or search by keyword. This app can be used for a wide range of speech, from very basic communication (a 3x3 grid for the most basic requests, such as food) to creating fluid sentences and conversations (up to an 8x8 grid, providing 64 up-front words, with many more options within categories). The award-winning, multi-user app is set up in a customizable grid that uses colorful icons placed in "buttons." These buttons represent words that kids can tap to say individually or to form complete sentences. Parents need to know that Proloquo2Go is an extraordinary communication aid for kids who need talking assistance.
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