Credits for Augmentative and Alternative (AAC) Assistive Technology (AT) Blog

Credits for Augmentative and Alternative (AAC) Assistive Technology (AT) Blog

The hope for this blog is for the viewer to gain knowledge about AAC devices and services and enjoy the information presented.

All videos in the AAC AT Blog are from www.youtube.com

AAC Keys. (2010). Retrieved from www.abledata.com and www.aacinstitue.org

Advancing Adventures in Communicating (AAC) Camp. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.sliers.org/aaccamp.html

Assistive Chat App. (2011). Retrieved from www.abledata.com

AutoVerbal Pro Talk Sounding Board App. (2011). Retrieved from www.abledata.com

Boardmaker v.6 software. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.mayer-johnson.com/boardmaker-v-6/

GoTalk9+. (2012). Retrieved from www.abledata.com and http://www.attainmentcompany.com/product.php?productid=16147#

Custom Boards App. (2012). Retrieved from www.abledatacom and www.smarty-ears.com

Dyanvox Tango! Device. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.dynavoxtech.com/products/tango/.

EC4ALL App. (2011). Retrieved from www.abledate.com

Interpretype. (2010). Retrieved from www.abledata.com and www.interpretype.com

My Choice Board App. (2012). Retrieved from www.abledata.com

Say-it! SAM Communicator. (2007). Retrieved from www.abledatacom and www.words-plus.com

Springboard Lite Communicator. (2012). Retrieved from https://store.prentrom.com/product_info.php/cPath/11/products_id/8

Tobii c15, a communication device for speech and language. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.tobii.com/en/assistive-technology/global/products/hardware/tobii-C15/

Tobii Sono Flex App. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.tobiisonoflex.com/

My Choice Board App

Description and Purpose of Device:

My Choice Board is an app that enables and iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch to work as an augmentative and alternative (AAC) communication for individuals who cannot speak, have speech difficulties, learning disabilities or people with autism.  The app is created to be voice output program and allows users to direct select items for effective and faster communication.

Device Usage and Features:

The app allows the user, a teacher, a parent or other care giver to select images to display on the choice board and by touching the selected choice, it is displayed on the top of the screen.  The app also allows the user to record a message for the image by touching the image twice and allows for multiple choice boards to be saved for future reference and usage.  My Choice Boards has the ability to create customized themes to display user personal preferences and the choices can consist of food related items, places, activities or sensory.  The app also has the ability to display more than six images on the screen and the choices can be edited with a red circle with a slash over it to indicate that choice is unavailable.  This app only operates on Apple devices with operating system 3.1.2 or later.

Manufacturer and Cost Information:

The designer of the My Choice Boards app is Good Karma Applications, Inc. and is located at 14384 Sawgrass Circle, Valley Center, California 92082. This company’s belief is helping individuals with disabilities lead functional lives through the use of exceptional mobile device technologies.  They create applications for Apple and Android products.  The cost of My Choice Board app is $9.99 and is available at iTunes in the App Store.  

EC4ALL App

Description and Purpose of Device:

The EC4ALL is an app that enables an Android device to function as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device allowing the user to communicate with doctors, nurses and emergency responders.

Device Usage and Features:

The EC4ALL app uses symbols and voice direct output through the Android device for users who have communication and speech challenges, learning and developmental disabilities, or cognitive issues to have the ability to communicate accurately their needs to emergency personnel.  It has a variety of screens with symbols that relate to a person’s health and safety.  The individual uses the app by selecting symbols on the screen to create a sentence and then press the “play” button to generate speech through the text-to-talk capabilities of the mobile device which is accessible under the “Accessibility” settings of the device.  This product works only on the Android mobile devices that have the Android 2.1 or later operating system.

Manufacturer and Cost Information:

The EC4ALL app is designed by CreateAbility Concepts, Inc. and is located at 5610 Crawfordsville Rd, Suite 2401, Indianapolis, Indiana 46224 and can be reached at 800-484-8401 or 317-484-8400.  The company develops assistive technology to suit the needs of people with disabilities in order to live functional lives despite their disability.  The cost of the EC4ALL App is $3.00 and is available through the Android Market.



Dynavox Tango! Device

Description and Purpose of Device:

The Tango! Is an augmentative and alternative communication device the generates speech by direct selection or scanning for use by children, teens and young adults with speech, language, and learning disabilities. It is used as an every day-to-day communication speech generating device to allow the users for effective communication with others to express themselves and their needs through the devices many communication methods.

Device Usage and Features:

The Tango! comes equipped with many features that allow the individual to communicate faster by using a six button layout that allows for fewer distractions and fewer mis-hits for those with fine motor challenges when compared to other speech generating devices.  The device can learn from the users usage  and remember the language used.  The device has a built-in camera and voice morphing, turning an adults voice into a child’s voice, for personal configuration.  It also features over 2,500 pre-recorded, digitally enhanced phrases and over 6,000 words for sentence building.  It has the ability to interface with a PC or MAC computer allowing the device to become a keyboard and allow for mouse movements.  The voice capabilities allow for natural sounding voice and voice tone control through its built-in speakers as well as the integrated microphone that allows for high quality audio recordings.  The outer casing is water and shock resistant for a very durable and rugged product.  The Tango! uses rechargeable lithium-ion polymer batteries or alternating current (AC) power adapter (included). 

Manufacturer and Cost Information:

The Dynavox Tango! Device is manufactured by DynaVox Mayer-Johnson located at 2100 Wharton Street, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15203 and can be reached at 866-DYNAVOX or 412-381-4883.  The company was founded in Pittsburgh, PA in 1983 on the belief that technology’s greatest benefits are realized when it empowers individuals with disabilities.  They provide many communication solutions to those who are unable to speak by providing high quality devices.  The cost of the Tango! is $6899.



Advancing Adventure in Communicating (AAC) Camp

Description and Purpose of Service:

The Advancing Adventures in Communicating (AAC) Camp is a camp where only individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication devices can come for a week and participate in fun activities, social interactions since they may not know others who use devices like theirs, and receive training for usage of their devices. 

Service Usage and Features:

The camp is designed so individuals who use speech generating devices (SGDs) can come and participate with others in an environment where the only people at the camp are users of SGDs. It allows children to meet others at various communication levels to interact socially and receive training in a fun, caring, respectful, and realistic social environment.  The activities provided allow the child to improve their communication skills.  Some of the activities offered are swimming, rock climbing, field trips, social time, computer time, arts and crafts, and they provide counseling and training for the parents.

Services Location and Cost Information:

The Advancing Adventures in Communicating (AAC) Camp is offered at Northwestern Nazarene University campus in Nampa, Idaho.  It is conducted by the St. Luke’s Elk Rehab and the cost is only $75 per child.

Springboard Lite Communicator

Description and Purpose of Device:

The Springboard Lite Communicator is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device that is easy portable and ready to use right out of the box.  The device can be used with individuals with learning disabilities, speech and communication challenges or those who are non-verbal to allow them to communicate with others.  Many schools and AAC centers like the ability of the device for it’s easy-to-change access options.

Device Usage and Features:

The Springboard Lite has many features that allow the user to effectively communicate with others.  It can display configurations consisting of 4-, 8-, 15-, and 36-locations using a Unity language system with five integrated versions of pre-stored vocabulary.  It can be accessed by direct selection; single- or dual-switch scanning; USB connectivity allows use of head pointing systems, mouse, USB joystick and mouse emulation access products.  The unit also comes equipped with a built-in media player and serial port for computer access.  It can also control lights, televisions, dvd players through its infrared environmental control functions and is Bluetooth accessible.  Software on the device also allows for targeting and picture recognition as well as activity monitoring of language usage and has introductory therapy exercises preloaded.  It comes with prerecorded male and female voices and has the capacity for more than 500 minutes of digitized speech memory.  Standard and custom keyguards are available so user won’t touch an incorrect key.  The unit is bilingual in English and Spanish which is standard.  It is available in four colors of midnight black, sunset orange, seafoam green, and vineyard grape.

Manufacturer and Cost Information:

The manufacturer is Prentke Romich Company (PRC) located at 1022 Heyl Road Wooster, OH 44691 and can be reached at (800) 262-1933 for sales and at (800) 268-5224 for funding of devices.  The company is employee owned and has been operating for 45 years.  Their approach is client-centered in providing quality assistive technology to its clients to improve their quality of life.  They also provide trials of their products through trial contracts so the client can best suit their needs with the appropriate assistive technology.  The price of the Springboard Lite Communicator is $2595.



Say-it! SAM Communicator





Description and Purpose of Device:

The Say-it! SAM Communicator is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device that uses direct selection of symbols and is text-based that fits into the palm of your hand and only ways ten ounces.  This device helps those with communication or speech disabilities the ability to communicate more efficiently and effectively with others.

Device Usage and Features:

The Say-it! SAM Communicator uses a dynamic display graphical interface and an intelligent keyboard interface along with DECtalk speech synthesizer with nine different voices for speech output.  The voices consist of four male, four female and one’s child voice for selection of speech output.  The user is able to use any of the five buttons and unlimited page links to create sentences from simple to complex.  The user can also import symbols, photos and voice files to link to the button as well as record voice messages onto the device.  The device is comes with over 6500 color Picture Communication Symbols from Mayer-Johnson on a CD-ROM and a 128 MB memory card.   Other features involve PC applications that allow the user to create layouts and pages for importation or exportation or managed offline.  The Say-it! SAM Communicator has the capability to learn the client’s vocabulary all through the customizable dictionary and phrase lists that are created by the client and comes preloaded with the capability of word completion and prediction along with phrase prediction.  The device also allows for text magnification for silent communication.  The device uses a 400MHz Intel processor with 64 MB RAM and comes with a docking cradle, USB and serial connectors, auto-syncing cable, built-in audio amplifier with dual speakers, and a protective carrying case with belt clip.  The unit is powered by batteries or an AC power adapter which is included.

Manufacturer and Cost Information:

The Say-it! SAM Communicator is designed by Words+, Inc. at 42505 10th Street West, Lancaster, California 93534-7059 and can be contacted at 800-869-8521 or 661-723-6523.  Since 1981 the company has been dedicated to helping people with disabilities improve their quality of life by providing state of the art equipment.  The price of Say-it! SAM Communicator is $2995.00 which includes a carrying case and neck strap.