New AAC Device: The Zingui

Before I get started with this post, remember how I suggested that Tobii get a little more creative than S32 or whatever when they pick names?  Zingui is precisely the kind of thing I was looking for, Zingui, it's even fun to say.

The Zingui is a new AAC device from Jabbla.  Weighing in at just over 2.5 pounds it is light weight for its 8.4 inch screen.  Zingui basic has only recorded voice and Zingui Plus has recorded speech and a choice of Acapela or RealSpeak voices.  The Zingui runs MindSpeak software for communication, which uses SymbolStix symbols, Widget and PCS are also available.  Other options include WordPower, Picture WordPower and CALL vocabularies.  Programming can be done on the device or on a PC computer with MindExpress installed. 

Access is via touch screen, one or two switch scanning and any other USB based controller.  Windows based applications will run on the Zingui (i.e. Media Player, Power Point).  The Zingui Plus includes word prediction and grammar morphing.  The Zingui comes with your choice of decorator frames for the screen.  A carrying case is available and the Zingui has a built in stand.  The Zingui runs 6 hours on a regular battery and 12 on a double capacity battery.  GEWA Environmental controls are optional.

The price is similar to that for smaller, handheld devices in spite of the 8.4 inch screen. 

Currently the Zingui and Zingui Plus are being vended by:
Bridges (CAN)
Handicat (FR)
Techess (UK)
TNI (USA)
Zygo Australia (AU)

LocLine Assistive Technology Kits

For those of us who have, or maybe have just thought about, using LocLine Modular Hose to make switch mounts ModularHose.Com is now offering AT kits!

The kits are designed to use the most common pieces for AT intervention at a lower cost than most other switch mounts.  (Around $25-40 each.)

One tip I have is to make the Modular Hose only as long as it needs to be to meet your needs, the longer it is the less study it is.

App Screenshots

Screenshots of a variety of apps including:

• ABA Flashcards 
• Percentally  
• Talkulator 
•  Flux Tunes  
• Proloquo2Go
• icommunicate
• Locabulary
• Tap To Talk
• Picture Pusher
• Cat in a Rainbow

Back to School Contest for SpEd Teachers and Their Students

Morgan’s Wonderland, PCI Education and WeAreTeachers announce the launch of a back-to-school contest for special education teachers and their students. Teachers can nominate a student and his or her family for a chance to win a free trip to Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first ultra accessible family fun park.

Located in San Antonio, Morgan’s Wonderland is a 25-acre park designed specifically for children and adults with special needs. The park is completely wheelchair-accessible, and features more than 25 elements and attractions, including rides, playgrounds, gardens, and an eight-acre fishing lake. Morgan’s Wonderland is a unique oasis that allows people of all abilities to play, learn and share life-changing experiences together in a fun and safe environment.

In addition, the five teachers with the most votes for their nomination will receive free educational products from PCI Education. A panel will select the family finalist to receive the free trip approximately valued at $5,000. Online nominations will be accepted until Oct. 1. For more information, visit PCI Education.

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A Few Apps for Cognitive and Language Development

Kindergarten.Com offers their ABA series which includes multiple apps which range in price from free to $0.99. The apps ask a question such as "Which one do you wear?" And the user touches the photograph of the correct answer from a field of three. It is possible to use this App with partnet assisted scanning with indivudals who do not have to motor skills to access the iPad or iTouch.

The App iTouch, iLearn Words offers mutiple games to teach vocabulary and sight words. This includes animations which label words and content in text, a "memory" like matching game with the levels, a game requiring matching a sight word to a picture with a text prompt and more. This App is $0.99 but occassionally goes on sale.

Sorting by Toddler Teasers works on visual discrimination of letters, numbers and shapes and/or categories (i.e. Letter or number?). Students need to drag and drop the answers into the correct treasure chest. A triple tap of the screen reveal a menu for the adult to change some settings.

E-Touch and E-Touch Lite are interesting apps that use visual scene displays to teach vocabulary. A scene is displayed and the name of items are said aloud when tapped. There are also options to play question, answers, examples or random play. Examples is a nice feature which add the function to the word, i.e. "Aquarium. We keep goldfish an an aquarium." This App could even be used as AAC with some adaptations, for example if you added a low tech picture strip to the top, bottom or side of your iPad or device case and that strip had "yes", "no", "I want", "I dont want", and so on, it would be an even more complete system. (Actually adding a low tech communication strip or even a "Flip Talk" to an iPad case for indivuals who are non-speaking, whether or not you use this App, proloquo2go or no AAC App at all is a great idea.).

Links to be added soon.



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Location:Summer St,Haverhill,United States

iPad Case Options for Significant Special Needs

Easy to carry cases with screen access for ambulatory individuals:

• Simplism Leather Shoulder Case includes leather case with invisible shock absorption plates and shoulder strap, $50.00.
• Crystal GABAN Case is a clear polycarbonate case with attachment point to use a carabiner clip to add a should strap, $35.00
• Modulr Case and Accessory System is a heavy duty impact resistant case, water resistant case with option for interchangeable wall and car mounting, a kick stand and a shoulder strap, $99

Heavy Duty Tough Cases

• Otterbox three layer, scratch resistant, water resistant and drop resistant (I personally swear by Otterbox cases and have them on my Blackberry, iPhone and iPad), $90.00
• Modulr Case and Accessory System is a heavy duty impact resistant case, water resistant case with option for interchangeable wall and car mounting, a kick stand and a shoulder strap, $99 

Because he is adorable, here is my friend Little Dude using an iPad in an Otter Box case:

Water Resistant/Water Proof Cases:

• Otterbox three layer, scratch resistant, water resistant and drop resistant (I personally swear by Otterbox cases and have them on my Blackberry, iPhone and iPad), $90.00
• Leisure Jacket for iPad is a water proof, dust proof case in many colors, $45.00
• Aquapac is a water proof, submersible case with a should strap, $45.00
• Modulr Case and Accessory System is a heavy duty impact resistant case, water resistant case with option for interchangeable wall and car mounting, a kick stand and a shoulder strap, $99

Stands/Easels

• Stabile is a nice looking and sturdy table mount that work in horizontal or vertical arrangement, $60

Wheelchair Mounts

• Third Hand Mounts are from Broadened Horizons and off a mean to mount light weight devices such as iPads to wheelchairs, call them and they will work with you on mounting $119-$250.00
• RAM Mounts is designed to mount an iPad in a car, but works with a wheelchair
• Note that most switch mount will work with the iPad provided you find a way to attach the iPad, likely in a case, to the mount top

Other Options

• The Trabasack Curve is a soft sided lap tray with velcro receptive fabric for a cover, it can be used as a lap tray with velcro to hold an iPad in a case in place and also act as an iPad carry bag, $40
I will be adding more to all categories. Keep a look out.

Typ-O HD TTS Word Prediction App

I am trying out a new iPad App called Typ-o HD It is a word prediction App for those with dyslexia As a dyslexic I have found spelling on the iDevices to be the most frustrating thing I can think of. The automatic word replacement nearly always does not use the word I meant. It is crazy making to have a text you worked hard on read like a Mad Lib. Additionally I often times touch a misspelled word only to have the pop up show that there is no word that is close enough to what I spelled for it to make suggestions.

The best spelling correction program I have ever used is that which is built into the web browser Firefox. It works for me because it underlines misspelled words and then gives me a list of possible words when I right click on the underlined word; infrequently I have spelled something so incorrectly that this method doesn't work for me, but then I can usually get pretty close to what I meant with a few attempts at sounding out the word (phonetic encoding). I have used word prediction programs in the past, usually Write:Outloud by Don Johnston, but I often times do not find word prediction to be that useful. Luckily I can usually pick the word I want from a list of potential words. So I am capable of using word prediction. Typeo is nice because you can click the "play" icon next to any word and hear it said to be able to find out if it is the word you meant Thus far typeo seems to be working OK for me except it is hard to get used to looking at the word prediction for words I might misspell.





I do like the spell check on Typ-o HD though. So far it is able to find the word I want for even my worst misspellings. It makes me happy for the dyslexic kids who are out there right now that perhaps they will not suffer some of the embarrassments I did when, for example, my seventh grade English teacher made our spelling lists for the week based on mistakes we made in our writing. My list was horribly long and humiliating when she paired us up to help each other study. Not to mention that I loved learning vocabulary words like obsequious or loquacious but never used them in my writing because I knew I could not spell them even well enough to look them up in the dictionary (remember those?). Typ-o HD also allows you to use text to speech to hear any selection of your text or your entire text read to you. Also you can export to e-mail or to the clipboard to paste into another program (in this case into BlogPress to post this entry).



I know that, for me Typ-O HD is the best app I have found for typing on the iPad. I have moved it to my dock and don't intend to compose text without it now that I have it.

My wishes for Typ-o HD would be better voices for the text to speech and a grammar check feature. Also what is up with the letter "I" not automatically being capitalized? I wouldn't mind automatic apostrophes in contraction either. Or at least a way to turn such features on and off.

If Typ-o HD were to upgrade to better voices the app would be an excellent AAC app. I can see individuals using it to communicate very easily by typing, with word prediction help, what they wish to say and then pressing speak. I would gladly pay five to ten times the cost of Typ-o HD for a version with the best of the best text to speech voices. Perhaps called Typ-o AAC?

Typ-o HD is for iPad and is $1.99. Typ-o is for iPhone or iTouch and is $.99.


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