Focused on portable, functional communication:
- App2Talk gives kids a voice through powerful, portable technology. It addresses the challenge that kids face when they cannot properly communicate.
- App2Talk links photographs or line drawings with real voices.
- App2Talk first assists with basic, expressive communication like making simple requests and then with more complex communication like conversation starters.
App2Talk Features:
Visual system:
- Photograph Zoom: To minimize distraction from unrelated details, photographs are taken at close range to help the kids focus on the item or action.
- Identical Drawings: To ease the transition from photographs to the less concrete line drawings, photographs translate into identical line drawings.
- Written Word: Words are included with photographs and line drawings as many kids with ASD have a high interest in letters and words and exposure can enhance literacy. Written words can also be used in place of some or all images.
- Customized Option: Parents and teachers can insert their own photographs in place of Autism2Ability images where desired. The drag and drop feature supports the new folders of images added monthly for those who want to create their own icons within selected fields.
Voice output:
- Real Voices: Online assessment reveals the best match for each kid to a real non-digitized voice or parents can choose to record other voices.
- Pairing: The pairing of sight (e.g., photographs) and sound (i.e., voices) increases comprehension and supports speech development.
- Multi-Touch Display: Simple touch of a photograph, line drawing, and/or written word provides expressive communication and/or navigation to categories of other images or words.
- Fast Talk Box: The box provides easy access to favorite phrases with one touch.
Reporting System:
During the buildout of the this app App2Talk we asked our developer to build into the platform/architecture a reporting system which will have the option to record usage and progress of each child. The icons used and simple sentences created/used will be measured on a daily basis.
We believe at least 3 months of data would be archived and we now think that archiving can be achieved up to 6 months, at which time the teacher, therapist or caregiver could capture all of it and create a file for record keeping.
The progress reporting is already in place and part of our app App2Talk . In order to preserve confidentiality we could provide this information during the course of a grant and label the individual in alpha format.
