Join CafeMom Today! Apps4Autism: November 2010

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Friday, November 12, 2010

iConverse Autism App










iConverse - Assisted Communication - Xcellent Creations, Inc.iConverse - Assisted Communication - Xcellent Creations, Inc.

iConverse is an educational tool designed for young children and individuals with communicative disabilities, and also toddler-aged children who have yet to master language. iConverse is an Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) application for the iPhone and iPod Touch that replaces bulky and expensive communication devices used in the past. iConverse gives users the ability to carry an AAC device in their pocket creating a means of communication that is appropriate, effective and discreet.









iConverse - Assisted Communication - Xcellent Creations, Inc.iConverse - Assisted Communication - Xcellent Creations, Inc.

iConverse displays 6 different icons that represent a person’s most basic needs. When activated by touch, the icons give both an auditory and visual representation of the specific need or want.

iConverse allows parents, teachers, and the general public to understand the basic wants and needs of individuals who are unable to verbally communicate. This application breaks down the barriers of communication for special needs individuals or children who have not yet mastered language. iConverse replaces bulky and expensive communication devices and provides freedom from a communication book of individual printed icons. Everyone involved in an individual’s life will never have to guess what their wants and needs are again.

iConverse’s Common Button Mode features:

  • 6 touchable, color, easy to understand icons.
  • 6 icons displaying basic everyday needs: Bathroom, Drink, Food, Sick, Break and Help.
  • Visual display of illustrated “iConverse” icons.
  • Settings which allow a visual display of text when specific icon is touched.
  • Audible sentence stating the icon that was touched.









iConverse - Assisted Communication - Xcellent Creations, Inc.iConverse - Assisted Communication - Xcellent Creations, Inc.

iConverse’s My Buttons Mode features:

  • Ability to make custom icons with pictures.
  • Add text to the pictures to enable text to audio.
  • Visual display of custom icons with scrolling ability.
  • Audible sentence stating the icon that was touched.

Dynavox doesn't get it










Dynavox's stock price has taken a nose dive of late. Sales are down.
For the 13-weeks ended October 1, 2010, net sales were $21.6 million or 11% below net sales of $24.3 million during the 13 weeks ended October 2, 2009. Sales of the Company's speech generating devices declined 8% from the prior year to $17.2 million, and sales of its special education software declined 22%, to $4.4 million, for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011.
They blame lack of government money in a time when government spending is through the roof.
The Company believes that reduced domestic government funding, and particularly more constrained state and local government funding of school budgets, is adversely affecting its product sales in the United States.
How about this? Dynavox won't let me purchase the software to run on a computer or other device which would be a huge benefit for us. We have touchscreen computers and laptops at our house that my daughter loves and it would be great if we could run the Dynavox software could be used elsewhere.

They seem a tad oblivious to the fact that iPads and similar devices are on the verge of cleaning their clock and providing superior products at a fraction of the cost. Wake up, Dynavox. You make your money on the durable devices, drop the paranoia about your software.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Dump that Dynavox? Proloquo2go on the iPod iPhone iPad

Proloquo2Go - AssistiveWare
Proloquo2Go - AssistiveWare














Proloquo2Go - AssistiveWare
Proloquo2Go - AssistiveWare

Proloquo2Go™ is a new product from AssistiveWare that provides a full-featured communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking. It brings natural sounding text-to-speech voices, up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of over 7000 items, full expandability and extreme ease of use to the iPhone and iPod touch.

iPad

Proloquo2Go is now available also on iPad, Apple’s revolutionary new tablet device. Now you can use it on an iPad at home, at work or at school and use it on an iPod touch or iPhone when going to the movies, a restaurant or hiking.

iPhone and iPod touch

Proloquo2Go is a custom designed, full-featured communication solution for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Never has AAC been so portable and affordable.

How does it work?

If you know how to use an iPhone or iPod touch you know how to use Proloquo2Go. While Proloquo2Go has a lot of advanced features the basics are extremely simple and easy.

Features

Proloquo2Go includes natural sounding text-to-speech voices, up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of over 7000 items, full expandability and extreme ease of use.

The vocabulary: VocaSpace™

The basic structure of Proloquo2Go is made to utilize the best of both worlds: word based construction and powerful phrases. So whether you are chatting with a friend, answering a question about a current event, or constructing a story to tell later in the day, the system is designed to be easy and effective for a broad range of individuals.