Free Programs to Make Communication Boards and Free Symbols Sets

 Free Communication Board Making Software

• Picto Selector/PECS for All
• windows based software
• includes several free symbols sets (Sclera, Arasaac, Mulberry)
• makes grid style communication boards
• Tico
• make printable and/or dynamic display boards
• uses the Arasaac symbols in addition to their full photo library
• simple software is easy to use
• see previous review of Tico
• EdWord with Grid Maker
• allows import of entire files of photos or symbols (using a second application called Symbol Maker)
• has a "symbolate" like program
• windows based
• PHOTOsyms
• use photographs or import images from other symbols sets
• very easy to use
• makes grid based communication boards
• flash based application
• see my review from November 2008

Free Symbols Sets for Communication

• Axelia - freely available French symbol set
• Arasaac - full set of color or black and white line drawing communication symbols available in multiple languages, it is also possible to add this symbol set to Writing with Symbols 
• Imagine - focusing on core and topic vocabulary this is a full set of colored line drawing symbols (note based on personal experience Imagine symbols sometimes do not import well into other programs)
• Mulberry - full set of line drawing communication symbols, register and download one at a time or the entire set
• Sclera - black and white, high contrast images which are excellent for low vision and available in multiple languages

Please also note that Slater Symbols are available for free download one symbol at a time and for classroom using Unique Learning System or News-2-You or supporting Tobii, AMDi, Jabbla, Proloquo2Go or Tap to Talk AAC users, the SymbolStix symbols can be downloaded and imported into the above board design programs with a $99 dollar yearly subscription fee if you don't happen to own the SymbolMate or Communicator software.  Similarly if you are overseas and supporting Divertic symbol users you can subscribe to that symbol set for 55 Euros.

Free Dynamic Display Communication Software

Tico is a free, open source symbol (or text) based dynamic display AAC program for the Windows operating system.  The Tico Application is part of the collaborative project between the Department of Computer and Systems Engineering from the Higher Polytechnic Center of the University of Zaragoza and Public School Special Education Alborada. Tico's software and hardware for individuals with physical and or cognitive disabilities.  

When in Editor (what in Boardmaker would be Design Mode) boards can be created and re-arranged as needed.  Currently the software requires recorded speech (like a Dynavox M3 or SpringBoard), but the application supports making those recordings right in the button editing pop-up window.  (You can also record video there!)

Tico is able to be used in the "Interpreter"  mode (think Boardmaker use mode) by direct selection (via touch screen, mouse, head or eye tracker) or by scanning (which is built into the software).


Tico uses the full ARASAAC symbol set, a free, open source symbol set anyone can download.  January 15, 2010 the ARASAAC Web Portal went live in English and is attempting to be a free, world wide resource for AAC.  To use the ARASAAC symbol set with Tico you should download it from the link on the Tico page and follow the (easy and intuitive) instructions to set them up.  I was also able to import Mayer-Johnson Picture Communication Symbols from the Metafiles bundles, Inclusive TLC clip art, Widgit symbols, the free Mulberry symbols, jpg photos and SymbolStix from the SymbolStix Online Website into Tico without any problems. 


Although originally designed in Spanish Tico (and ARASAAC) work fine in English.  Some support materials are not in English yet, but thus far I have not found a need to reference them or have been able to use on line tools like Google Translate or BabelFish to assist me.  

Here are a few sample boards:

 

Board images and some information from: http://informaticaparaeducacionespecial.blogspot.com

PHOTOsyms

PHOTOsyms is a free photo communication board creator. It allows you to use any image you have on your computer to make communication boards in grids from 2 to 24 symbols on a page (the sizes of the images automatically changes). I was able to use my own photos, images from the internet, (the free) Sclera Pictos, and (the also free) Imagine Symbols on boards. This is a quick, easy and free alternative to Boardmaker if all you need to do if make boards (no worksheets, activities, or anything else, just boards). (I could not get the Boardmaker PCS Metafiles to import into PHOTOsyms.) It runs in Windows and Mac.

There are no directions to speak of so here are some tips:

• extract all the files before you run the application
• put the images you want to use in the My PHOTOsyms folder (took me awhile to figure this one out)
• use the slider bar under the larger box on the left to resize the image
• use the slider bar under the grid on the right to change the number of boxes in your grid, this can be done after adding a few images and they will stay put
• after uploading a picture you should adjust its size and then click add to put it in the grid, repeat until you grid is full - it isn't easy to edit so plan out what you want
• make sure your images are saved as what you want them called in your grids because whatever they are saved as is how they will come up on the grid

Thanks to The Assistive Technology Blog for the link to this software.

Fabulous Freebies!!!

Link for every thing from free music to free worksheets, from free software to free picture symbols. Enjoy! (This perma post updated July 1, 2008.)

• "Today's School" Subscription
• AAC Keys
• ABA Free Resources
• ABA Math Software
• ABA of Chicago Downloads
• Able Link Internet Community
• Ablenet Activity Wizard
• Activitity Cards
• Alphabet, Shapes and Colors Keyboard Banger Game
• Anne Center Downloads
• Assist It AT Downloads
• Audio Games
• Axistive
• Big Book Maker Download
• Black Sheep Press Freebies
• Board Game Print Outs
• Books Selection Helper for Students
• CAAC Downloads
• Caltrox Downloads (free ones marked)
• CAST Bookbuilder
• Cbeebies Switch Games
• Child Proof Software
• Childsplay Software
• Classroom Timer
• Click and Type On Screen Keyboard
• Clown Time Cause and Effect Game
• Cool Timer
• Creative Painter (software)
• Cue Card Electronic Flashcards
• CurriculumSET Ready Made Resources
• Customized Calendar
• Dasher (Software)
  
• Deafblind Free Software
• Dilite Free Communication Cards
• Do2Learn
• Dolch Sight Boards
• Dyslexia Font
• Early Childhood Photograph Inventory
• Earth Cam for Kids
• Educational Freeware
• EdWord and EdWeb
• Emac Speak
• Fab Four Free Switch Games
• File Folder Games
• Fire Vox Talking Web Browser
• Free Assistive Technology You Already Own
• Free Boardmaker Boards and Activities
  
• Free Children's Music
• Free Kid's Music
• Free Literacy Picture Symbols
• Free Play Music
• Gcompris Software
• Graph Paper
• Graphic Organizers
• Help Read
• High Visibility Animated Cursors
• Hiyah Free Software
• IAN Science Symbol Library
• Info Ispeek Free Print Outs
• Intellikeys Media Player
• iZoom Software
• Jig Zone
• Joy2Mouse3
• JoyToKey
• Juniors Web Speech Therapy Activities
• Kid Rocket Web Browser
• Kids Fonts
• Kids Online Magnetic Poetry
• Kneebouncers
• Language Teaching Image Library
• LAT Kids Free SpEd Software
• Launcher Program for Switch Use
• Literacy Center Online Activities
• Morse All
• Mouse Smoothing for Tremor
• MultiMail Free Accessible Email Program
• Notesholder Lite
• Oat Soft (Open Source Assistive Tech)
  
• One Switch Crazy 8s and More
• One Switch Games
• Online Alarm Clock
• Owl and Mouse (software)
• Papunet Switch Games (site in Finnish, but intuitive enough to be understandable to all)
• Phoneme Machine Software
• Pick 'n' Stick Symbols (site in French, but symbols are wordless)
• Power Bullet Presenter
• Primary Resources Worksheets and Activities
• Priory Woods (software)
• Pure Mac Accessibility
• Reading Lady (worksheets)
• Remember! One Switch Memory Game
• SAW5 Special Access to Windows
• Scelera Pictograms (symbol set)
• School Express (worksheets)
• Screen Timer
• SEN Switcher (software)
• SEN Teacher (worksheets and software)
• Simply Web 2000
• Single Switch Media Players
• Slater Software Free Stuff
  
• SLT Freebies
• Starfall Reading
• Super Duper Handy Handouts
• Teacher Time Saver Free Forms
• Teacher Tool Forms
• Teachers Pet
• Teaching Heart Mini Offices
• Teaching Learners with Multiple Needs Files
• The Amazing Flash Card Machine
• Through the Maze Symbols
• Tux Paint (software)
• Wacky Web Tales
• Women are Scientists with Disabilities Video
• Wordzee Online Worksheet Maker

Sclera's Pictos News (more English images and Nintendo DS Talker)

I have blogged about Sclera Pictograms before. Sclera is a Dutch organization that has created over a thousand high contrast, black and white picture symbols. They offer the images free on their website.

They used to have a small percentage of images available with English labels. Now they have 1400 images, divided into categories, ready for download. (I translated the images using online Dutch to English software and sent them to Sclera as my way of thanking for my use of their images. So if the translation isn't accurate you can blame me.)

I have found the images to be very affective with my students who have low vision, in addition to some of my other students who benefit from a more "grown" up selection of symbols. In fact the two tactile books below and my Household Noises activity use Sclera Images. Although I still prefer Mayer-Johnson PCS most of the time, primarily because my students have been using them for so long, Sclera is a nice alternative for when I don't have Boardmaker handy and is somewhat better than PCS for my low vision students.

To download the entire English set go to this page and scroll about 3/4 of the way down.

If you want to make a Sclera Library in Boardmaker here is what you do:

1. Open Boardmaker.
2. Go to File, Import, then Picture.
3. Locate picture wanted (it must be in one of the following file formats - .wmf, .emf, or .bmp).
4. Graphic appears in dialog box. Name and categorize symbol.

Directions taken from http://assistivetech.sf.k12.sd.us/picsyms.htm.

In other news Sclera is offering free communication software for use on the Nintendo DS! They call it DS Talker! I haven't tried it, because I don't have a Nintendo DS, but I welcome a review from anyone who has tried it. (The Nintendo DS costs about $100 new and $15-75.00 used depending on how used and if it comes with games.)