Guest Post: iPad AAC Apps Key Guards

Guest Post by Ricky Buchanan of ATMac

The American company Lasered Pics is now making keyguards available for the iPad. Keyguards are available which conform to the shape of the standard iPad keyboard and special-purpose keyguards for Proloquo2Go, TapSpeak Choice and Speak It! are also available. All iPad keyguards are made from 1/8″ (0.3cm) thick clear acrylic and come with optional 1/16″ (0.15cm) bumpers which can raise the keyguard above the screen to prevent accidental touches.

Standard iPad keyboard guards come in both landscape and portrait orientations and will suit QWERTY, AZERTY and QWERTZ keyboard layouts.

Proloquo2Go keyguards are also available for both portrait and landscape orientations and keyguards can be ordered that suit all current Proloquo2Go options including standard and large toolbar sizes, and optionally “wide” mode. Tap Speak keyguards can be made to suit 2-56 items and also come in portrait and landscape orientations. Speak It doesn’t have any layout options available at the moment. Lasered Pics report they will be designing a keyguard to suit Proloquo2Go’s word prediction mode keyboard, and are also working on keyguards for additional AAC apps.

Lasered Pics keyguards can be used with the standard Apple iPad case, with no case, or with any other case that does not obstruct the front of the iPad. The website advises that the current keyguards will not fit properly when used with the OtterBox iPad case.

Keyguards are smaller than the iPad’s full size so they should fit both the original iPad and iPad 2 with no problems.

Steve from Lasered Pics has advised me that anybody wanting a keyguard for a different iPad application should contact him via the website. He couldn’t give me a price for a custom keyguard as it depends on too many factors, but it can certainly be done.

Standard iPad keyguards cost US$19.95 each, but until 31 March 2011 you can get a 10% discount for ordering 2 or more TapSpeak keyguards – use the promo code TAPSPEAK when checking out!

Website: iPad Keyguards

Guest post by Ricky Buchanan of ATMac

Both Lasered Pics and FRS-Solutions will also make custom key guards!

A User Finds a Device

I will admit that I have been a naysayer about Dynavox's new Maestro AAC device.  My reasons for my less-than-impressed attitude are two fold.

First I find Dynavox's arrogance repugnant, take for example this quote, "When asked about the iPad at leading communications company, Dynavox, some of the representatives felt the device was helpful, but not to be relied on in assisting those with autism or other special needs." (The Examiner).  Really, Dynavox?  Really?  Since when do you get to decide what can be relied on for AAC?  Is it because it isn't a Dynavox or is it (more likely) that someone is offering an AAC solution with a price tag way way under the $8,000 you charge?  Everyone knows you charge that price because it is the top price the government will allow you to charge.  Tech prices in all other sectors drop over time as components become less expensive, but not for AAC.  Proloquo2Go has leveled the playing field for AAC as far as offering a complete language solutions of the same quality or better than the big players in the field at an affordable price.  Now well know AAC companies like Saltillo are jumping on the iPad bandwagon, offering AAC solutions for a price users, families and schools can afford.  Meanwhile Dynavox proports to be the field of AAC to help those with communication disorders and instead shows the kind of attitude shown in that the quote above (and others like it) which demonstrates what they really care about is making money for their stock holders before helping anyone.

Second I continue to find major faults with Dynavox's software system.  Both InterAACt (and Gateway before it) mix symbol sets without regard for the needs of the user, often times the symbols for a single word (i.e. "sorry") is different on the same pages within one system.  InterAACt has built in visual display scenes, which are poorly researched for most AAC users (research has found them useful for aphasia and young children with autism, which is only a percentage of AAC users), and those visual scenes are nearly impossible to remove.  Additionally InterAACts varibles are hard on those who need keyguards and the "emergent" communicator level lacks important vocabulary like, "feelings".  Essentially is is almost easier to program from scratch than it is to reprogram a Dynavox for many users.

Those things remaining true this past week I participated in a Maestro trial for a young adult user.  This user is currently using a Go Talk 20+.  This users is definitely ready for dynamic display.  We were looking for a lightweight device for this ambulatory user to be able to carry which had a large and bright screen and a key guard to assist in access issues for to fine motor control.  A number of devices have been trialled unsuccessfully, the PRC Springboard was difficult cognitively, the Saltillo Alt-Chat had a screen which was too dark and too small for our users vision issues, the Xpress was both too cognitively difficult and too small, Proloquo2Go on the iPad didn't have fine motor setting or a key guard that would help with the fine motor issues and the Dynavox V and Tobii C-8 were too heavy. 

Since we had a Dynavox rep coming out to demo an Eyemax for another user we asked for a Maestro for this user.  I was thrilled to see that the Maestro seems to be a perfect match for our user.  It is only .4 ounces heavier than the Alt-Chat, but the screen is large, bright and clear.  The key guard eliminated most (though not all) of our fine motor access issues.  Thus the only remaining problem was the software (with it's mixed symbol sets and key guard defying variables), thus we choose to make some pages from scratch for our user.  The page we mostly used, one we were calling "Bossy Betty" had words like "go", "on", "in", "under", "table", "corner", "outside", "chair", "come back" and "sorry".  Thus in what had to be the funniest demo I have ever been to I spent a lot of time under the table, in a chair, outside and in the corner.  This was the most communication we have ever seen out of this user in one time.

We will try again with the Maestro next week and then begin the long and arduous trek towards funding if things work out so well again.  (And a long trek it will be with that $8200 price tag.)

AAC Gloves

Proloquo2Go gloves? Because you still have to communicate in the cold. Etre Touchy.

iPrompts iTouch App Review

iPrompts is an application for the iPod Touch and iPhone that offers vertical visual schedule, a countdown timer and a simple choice making utility. It is designed to replace carrying those bulky (and annoying) visual schedules and choice making boards so many of us are used to using. It has recently come down in price and now retails for about $75. This review comes from using it a few weeks in my classroom.

The Good:

• the visual schedule picture does allow for a much more portable way of carrying a visual schedule for individuals who need it
  
• the choice making feature allows very quick, on-the-fly, choice making from a horizontal field of two of two pictures
  
• the countdown timer could make transitions easier for some individuals and displays an image or photo as well as a numeric and a visual image of the time passing
  
• the price just dropped to about 75 dollars (I paid 80)
• an iTouch is a much more portable and socially acceptable way to present visual scedules and cues to individuals with disabilities, especially in public, especially to older individuals in schools
  
• the product was designed by a family of a little boy with Autism to meet his needs for visual supports and I am all for families creating solutions and sharing them with the world
  

The Bad:

• the software is buggy, closing without notice and refusing import of many images (the company promises a release soon with a bug fix, no word on when)
  
• there is no way to "lock-out" the option menu, allowing students to "accidentally" or "accidentally-on-purpose" change into different parts of the program, put in new pictures or remove pictures
• the choice feature is used up and down to create the choice menu and side-to-side to offer the choices, meaning that for our students who always pick the left on (or the right one) you cannot really switch to a vertical choice (unless you want them to enter the library when they choose)
• the countdown timer sets off warning chimes before the countdown ends which are confusing to many individuals ("why is it beeping if I still have time?") and there is no way to change those settings
• the visual image of the countdown can be confusing (at least it is to my students)
  
• in general the software is not very customizable, sure you can change the pictures in the schedule, choice or timer but beyond that not much else, in our field, with our students being able to individualize is everything and this app just doesn't meet the need - in fact iPrompts does not even appear in the iTouch's settings app
  
• if you use with an iPod you cannot take pictures directly, although you can import from iTunes, but again, that is buggy
  
• according to the website they only trialed the software with about 12 individuals
  
• there are no special education teachers, SLPs, OT, BCBAs, AT specialists or other professionals listed on any sort of advisory board - not that you need to have these people, just that a little input and access to the research you are trying to emulate doesn't hurt (there is an autism specialist in their promotional video)
  
• as far as I know there was no closed or open public beta trial, there was no recruiting of professionals to try the software from places like the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology (QIAT) List Serv, the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) or the RESNA group
• The presentation of the software as "AAC" in some places create the illusion that this is "talking" software when it is not, I fully expected the app to speak and it doesn't, caveat emptor, it was my mistake, but one easily made
  

The Ugly:

• the "stock images" provided are pretty terrible, clip art (and babyish) and not-so-great photos - no picture symbols provided (you can import, with some effort Mayer-Johson Picture Communication Symbols Meta Files (if you own them $199.00 - there are some less um... legal ways to do this of course) or a free symbol set like Imagine Symbols with considerable effort and use of your iTouch memory
  
• although this is not really an AAC application (simple choice making yes, AAC not-so-much - if this app wants to compare itself with AAC it needs compare itself honestly, not with devices that do millions and millions of times more what it does) the website feels the need to "bash" AAC companies with high tech, well developed, specialty products, not realizing, perhaps, that without those companies we would not have the research and development, the knowledge and the ideas to do what we do with AAC and technology with individuals with communication disorders everyday - in addition they state that these companies "prey" on vulnerable school districts and parents, that's a gutsy accusation to make publically when opening a new company
  
• the company uses the term "Social Story" (which is trademarked) in its documentation incorrectly (Social Stories are a very specific format with a very specific focus) and does not credit Carol Grey

In summary, this is a very expensive app for what it offers that is buggy, not terribly customizable and meets very limited needs. However it might be perfect for some individuals who just need those basic picture schedules and simple visual, horizontal two choice options. If you think it might be you should check out the YouTube tutorial video and their website, or download from iTunes. You should also consider using it with the iPhone versus the iPod for the avaliability of a camera to help overcome the lack of symbols.

In some cases it may be best to spend a little more money ($75 more) and get Proloquo2Go (introductory price currently $150), then you will have a high quality, well researched AAC, fully tested application that, when place in "list" format can do the same type of visual scedule and will allow you to create endless "choice" boards (that talk with your choice a top of the line voice) and then just use the regular count down timer on your iTouch for countdowns (the only app Proloquo2Go can't currently do).

P.S. That makes me wonder when there will be a Time Timer app. Wouldn't that rock?

Proloquo2Go hits the big time!

See that, fourth picture down in the iTunes showcase? It's Proloquo2Go! And if you go into the iTunes store from iTunes itself chances are you will see Proloquo2Go featured in the large scrolling gallery at the top.

Right up there with American Idol, Linkin Park and Hotel for Dogs!

Imagine what this could do for AAC users and poternial AAC users!

Proloquo2Go in the iTunes Ap Store!

Proloquo2Go, Assistiveware's and Sennott Consulting AAC software that runs on an iPod Touch or iPhone is now officially available to the public at the iTunes ap store online or via your iPod Touch or iPhone. Envision balloons and confetti falling from the ceiling!

I was privileged enough to be the coordinator for a young woman who beta tested the software and let me tell you it is some amazing stuff. Amazing!

The software is sleek, intuitive and well designed. The teacher of the young lady beta testing said to me last week, "Can I just tell you, this thing is the best thing since mayonnaise!" This teacher, AAC user and speech therapy assistant had never really used anything higher tech than a Go Talk 4+. Yet the software is so well designed that the student and paraprofessionals had it figured out immediately. Those of us who have had extensive literacy, language and cognitive development training will take one look at Proloquo2Go and see the lastest research jump out at us. There are no features thrown in because they are the next hot thing (visual scene displays) inspite of very little supportive literature across broad bases of AAC users, there are just many, many features that are supported by well studied aspects of special education, speech and language development, lingiuistics and other fields.

This reasearch has lead to the software has many higher level features that our beta testing student doesn't need, like automatic verb tensing and grammatical features, which will greatly benefit many users. Additionally it is configured to us Goosen color coding out of the box to add phrase and sentence composing users.

The voice is smooth and easy to understand. The symbols are SymbolStix from the News-2-You folks and seem to easily generalize to students who are used to Mayer-Johnson Picture Communication Symbols.

Our beta testing student uses an iMainGo case to amplify the voice and protect against bumps and bangs. I am sure there are other case options out there.

I honestly cannot recommend this software application enough. It isn't for everyone (i.e. not for users who need a keyguard, switch access, eye or head tracking, etc.), but any clinic or clinician should have it on hand to trial (especially at the trial price it is being offered at right now) to test with users who have decent vision and good fine motor skills.

Please remember that like all AAC it is important to properly evaluate the user for an appropriate device, with the right features. It is necessary to collect data on AAC usage, to use a TEAM approach with the SLP as the lead and the involvement of the user and the family during the programming and updating phase (which is much shorter on the Proloquo2Go because it is so well designed). We all get jazzed about cool new tools, but they become old, dusty tools if we get them for us and not the user!

Proloquo2Go gets a Website

Proloquo2Go, AssistiveWare and Sennott Consulting's new iPod Touch/iPhone based AAC program finally has a website you can check out at Proloquo2Go: AAC in Your Pocket. Sam also has a new post up about it on his blog.