Hey everyone! This week’s edition of “Fab app Fridays” is about our non-verbal communicators who use Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC). I love talking about AAC; it’s one of my specialty areas in speech and communication development that I find very interesting. Some children may not be able to speak for a variety of reasons, and thanks to technology, many of our patients are able to access speech and language in new, effective, and meaningful ways.
If you’re new to Fab App Fridays, here’s the scoop: Each app reviewed in Fab App Fridays are some of my favorite apps that I think are FABULOUS on the iOS system, since I often use an iPad in therapy sessions. All the apps are tested by me, and are either under $10, or free!
So, this week’s featured app is:
App name: “Yes/No” from I Can Do Apps, for the iOS system
Price: FREE in the iTunes store for a limited time!
Description: This educational app is designed in a very simple way; its main function is for the user to be able to discriminate between two icons on a black screen: “yes” (green button), and “no” (red button). Yes/No is a great way for non-verbal individuals to be able to answer yes or no by selecting an icon on the screen, and it provides a voice output (it says the choice) in order to teach answering yes/no questions, making choices, and gives them a quick, accessible tool for individuals who are non-verbal to get their wants and needs met.
Why I love it: This app is great for patients that I see who are not yet talking verbally. It’s a great way to start teaching discrimination between two choices, can be used with non-readers, and introduces technology in a very simple, yet functional way. It’s clean, straightforward, and NO ADS pop up on this one! This is also a very nice app that you can use to try out with very young children who have not yet been exposed to Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC). Something you can try: making a choice for a snack could be taught with this app. Present the item (when teaching for the first time, try to use a preferred item) and you can ask the child, “would you like [snack]?”, and they can then answer with yes or no. If your child needs help selecting an icon due to dexterity issues (trouble with fine motor/hand control), try a stylus pen. The great thing about this app is that the buttons are nice a spread apart, so even if you’re child has some limited motor control, hitting the wrong icon shouldn’t be an issue to start with; once you have more icons on a page you may want to look at selection method options. But, for now, you can show how to make basic choices during snack, play time with toys/music, bubbles, and other favorite activities. You can also give comprehension a shot; ask if a storybook character was wearing a green hat, or if your child liked the story? Providing a question that elicits a yes/no answer is key when using this app.
If your child/patient is moving beyond yes/no and needs more selections, try checking out this app developer. Below is the “I Can Do Apps” developer’s website with all of their other apps that they have created, along with descriptions. They are a great company who has designed these apps with parents, therapists, and teachers in mind. Enjoy!
http://www.icandoapps.com/apps.html
Note to readers: Jenny’s Speech and Learning Clinic is not affiliated in any way, nor do we receive any type of compensation for promoting various apps. We are simply trying to provide useful resources for parents, caregivers, fellow therapists, educators, and any other readers that are looking for great apps for our amazing kids!
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