I want to apologize for running this article for two weeks. I have been traveling and didn't get a new one ready in time. I will publish a new article Sunday, August 2.
The following article was published on www.strokewise.info hosted by David Valiulis.
The following article was published on www.strokewise.info hosted by David Valiulis.
David has allowed me to re-publish some of his articles on our blog. Thank you David! Please visit his site when you get the chance.
David has attended our Rockford, Illinois camp in previous years, and this year I might have the opportunity to meet him since I will be there helping with camp duties. The apps mentioned here are for iPads but as David mentioned there are many Android apps on the Google Play store as well as the Android App store. Android tablets exist that are much cheaper than iPads yet just as powerfull for these apps.
As a precaution, if you don't use the above mentioned internet stores or the sites mentioned in this article, be certain you trust who you are downloading from. I have not verified any of these sites personally so I am assuming that the sites mentioned in this article are legitimate sites that David trusts. I would recommend a stroke survivor getting a dedicated tablet used only for these types of apps and not for storing personal information.
David has attended our Rockford, Illinois camp in previous years, and this year I might have the opportunity to meet him since I will be there helping with camp duties. The apps mentioned here are for iPads but as David mentioned there are many Android apps on the Google Play store as well as the Android App store. Android tablets exist that are much cheaper than iPads yet just as powerfull for these apps.
As a precaution, if you don't use the above mentioned internet stores or the sites mentioned in this article, be certain you trust who you are downloading from. I have not verified any of these sites personally so I am assuming that the sites mentioned in this article are legitimate sites that David trusts. I would recommend a stroke survivor getting a dedicated tablet used only for these types of apps and not for storing personal information.
People who have had strokes and aphasia might be candidates for using small computers (primarily tablets) for communication or to relearn how to speak.
These tablets are great for complex communication because they have a speech generating device, text to speech, virtual keyboards, pictures, symbols, and video; plus you can download Skype to make phone calls.
The iPad is the best platform for AAC for stroke survivors at the moment. Apple iPad is a small, portable, wi-fi enabled, 10" communication device that has a ten-hour battery and starts out with a price a little over $500. But Android-based devices are plentiful. (See the Android app store and this handy page.)
Augmentative and Alternative Communication covers a large range of techniques which support or replace spoken communication. In the following list, AAC means the iPad app speaks for you instead of helping you to improve your speech. As opposed to AAC apps, therapeutic apps help the patient practice (and thus improve) their speech.
You can read my list of apps below. For a more-complete list of apps, see http://tactustherapy.coam/downloads/#8e74e7178ec1f94c8.
iPad Apps for AAC
SmallTalk apps (free)
- Aphasia (blue) – a male voice speaks various words and phrases (includes the same words/phrases spoken by a woman’s mouth for practice).
- Aphasia (pink) – same as #1, except using a female voice throughout
- Conversation – a male or female voice speaks conversational phrases
- ADL – a male or female voice speaks daily-activity words/phrases
- ICU – a male or female voice speaks words/phrases for intensive care
- Pain – a male or female voice speaks common words/phrases about pain intensity and location
- Dysphagia – a male or female voice speaks various common phrases applicable to eating and swallowing
Proloquo2Go ($250)
It provides natural sounding text-to-speech voices (American, British, and Indian English), high-resolution symbols, automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of over 7000 items, word prediction, expandability, and accepts your own pictures.
Lots of great features and icons, but you can get lost using them.
http://www.proloquo2go.com/
RocketKeys ($160)
A customizable talking keyboard. This app lets you build the keyboard by choosing the exact keys, size, layout, colors, prediction, and voices you want.
- Turn on accessiblility for users with complex needs
- Includes an innovative prediction engine based on analyzing 9 million Twitter tweets
- Guesses misspelled and incomplete words
- Includes terms and names from news and culture
- Includes lifelike Acapela voices for men, women, boys, and girls
- Set pitch, speed, and volume
- Optionally configure distinct voices for speaking, tapping, and prompting
- On-screen cursor shows exactly where you touch
OneVoice ($200)
- Add your own phrases and photos
- 4 synthesized voices (2 male and 2 female)
- 100 custom-made icons
- Drag and drop organization of phrases and categories
http://thinklegend.com/onevoice/
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/easy-speak-aac/id449435222?mt=8
Assistive Express ($25)
A simple keyboard-based app.
- Word prediction to minimize the keystrokes required
- Self-learning of new vocabulary into the word prediction list
- Favorites list for users to save commonly used sentences
- 3 voices included
- Adjustable volume and speed for voices
- Large font and buttons for easy access
- Recent list for quick access to previously spoken sentences
Verbally (free, the full version is $100)
- contains 50 essential words to save you typing.
- offers common phrases to enable faster conversation.
- Text prediction - learns the words you use.
- Choice of 3 keyboard layouts.
- Choice of male or female computer-generated voice.
- Turn on “Speak Each Word” to have the app speak as soon as each word is completed or when you tap a phrase.
- A chime to get someone’s attention.
- Steady Hands feature makes the app type only when you lift your finger off of the intended letter on the keyboard.
- No Wi-Fi or 3G connection required.
Talk Assist (free)
Phrases are saved to a history, and favorite phrases can be bookmarked for regular use.
http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/talk-assist/id329338159?mt=8
Therapeutic iPad Apps
Constant Therapy ($20/month, 30-day free trial)Constant Therapy is an iPad application with 60+ tasks with up to 10 challenge levels, allowing for personalized activity programs for each individual. Constant Therapy provides tools for stroke survivors who want to improve their speaking, reading, writing, counting money, solving problems, reading maps and calendars, and more.
SmallTalk apps (free)All the SmallTalk iPhone apps are not editable and icon-based.
Blends – video of a woman’s mouth saying /bl/, /br/, etc. up to /xt/
Phonemes – video of a woman’s mouth saying all the phonemes
Days – video of a woman’s mouth saying the days of the week, the months, and the ordinals to 31st
Letters – video of a woman’s mouth saying the letters of the alphabet, cardinal numbers to 20, and colors
Phrases – video of a woman’s mouth saying various common words and phrases
Oral Motor – video of a woman’s mouth doing lip, tongue, cheek, jaw, and soft palate exercises
https://www.aphasia.com/products/communication-practice-apps/
SpeakinMotion Trial (free, for now)
An iPhone app where the patient can follow close-up videos of mouth movements. The combination of visual, auditory, and in some cases, written cues prompts patients to produce speech.
The cost: “The basic idea is that there will be minimal to no cost associated with trying the technique. If you benefit from this technique, the basic service will be reasonably priced on a monthly basis, with no long-term commitments.”
http://www.speakinmotion.com/
Speech4Good ($5)
Digital Speech Graph (oscilloscope) in real time
Delayed auditory feedback (DAF) at adjustable levels
Record, add notes, and play back your practice
Custom-built library to save and organize your files by date
Email your session's recordings and notes to anyone
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speech4good/id467558411?ls=1&mt=8
Speech Trainer 3D ($8)
This is a 3D demonstration of all sounds in the English language. Has detailed 3D animations that demonstrate the correct positioning of the tongue, lips, and mouth.
Has 30 sounds represented; 23 consonants and 7 vowels.
Speech Trainer 3D demonstrates the sounds in two views: Front and Side View and uses the International Phonetics Alphabet.
In horizontal orientation, the camera goes on to show you your own face to help you practice (acts like a mirror).
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speech-coach-3d/id418333616?mt=8
Articulate it! Pro ($30)
Meant to help people practice their pronunciation skills (aimed at children).
Contains over 1000 images and all sounds of English.
Audio recordings for every word.
Built in voice recording allows the person to compare their productions with the audio recording.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/articulate-it!/id391296844?mt=8
Bla | Bla | Bla (free)A variety of artistic faces that react to noise, with bigger reactions the louder the sound. This simple app encourages voicing (apraxia/aphasia) and loud voicing (dysarthria).
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bla-bla-bla/id430815432?mt=8
Speech Sounds on Cue ($29)
Shows how to produce speech sounds and words. Contains 530 videos, sound clips, and color photos designed to help adults and children to produce the consonant speech sounds in isolation, in words, and in sentences.
iTunes also has a free Lite version that contains only words that begin with the letter W.
http://www.mmsp.com.au/speech-sounds-on-cue-for-ipad/
Dexteria ($3)
Is a set of hand exercises (not games) that improves fine motor skills and handwriting readiness.
http://www.dexteria.net/
Spaced Retrieval TherAppy ($3)An app to improve memory of names, facts, and routines for all people, including those with memory impairments.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spaced-retrieval-therappy/id498787795?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Comprehension TherAppy ($20)
Targets auditory and reading comprehension of single words. Designed to help people with receptive aphasia and alexia. It can also be a tool to treat attention and other cognitive deficits.
3 modes: Listen, Read, and Listen and Read
500 nouns with full-color photographs, recorded voice, and clear text with the option of adding over 100 verbs and adjectives
Real recorded male voice provides neutral North American accent in slow, natural speech
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/comprehension-therappy/id438069999?mt=8
Naming TherAppy ($20)
Stroke and brain injured patients can practice word-finding on their own or with a therapist. Full-color photos with real recorded voice for over 500 nouns. App is self-scoring.
Goal Areas:
Word-Finding, Verbal Expression, Confrontation Naming, Responsive Naming, Cued Lexical Retrieval, Semantic Memory, Repetition, Circumlocution, Describing, Semantic Feature Analysis
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/naming-therappy/id451093640?mt=8
Writing TherAppy ($15)
An app to practice spelling single words and to practice write to dictation. With 4 modes and 3 levels of difficulty in each, users have access to 12 different exercises to practice spelling over 500 words.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/writing-therappy/id464224299?mt=8
Language TherAppy Lite (free)
A trial of Language TherAppy, a 4-in-1 app combining Comprehension, Naming, Writing, and Reading TherAppy. Each Lite app contains reduced functionality with a limited set of words (5-7) instead of the 500-700+ included in the full versions. Add one of your own words to Writing & Naming TherAppy instead of unlimited custom words in the full apps.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/language-therappy-lite/id527100035?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Speech FlipBook ($10)
Have access to nearly every single-syllable word in the English language, suitable for all ages. Pick which sounds you want to appear in initial, medial, & final positions and then flip between sounds or words to create the targets you want. Then hear the sounds and words, or record yourself & play it back instantly.
- over 2300 recordings of words in natural speech
- 125 phonemes and clusters
- all vowels & consonants of Standard American English
- over 250 sets of homophones
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speech-flipbook/id582842245?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
SpeechPrompts ($20)
Designed for individuals exhibiting abnormal prosody. Prosody refers to the musical aspects of speech, including rate, rhythm, volume, phrasing, and intonation.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speechprompts/id575636222?mt=8
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