AAC Apps--Say What?

A quickie orientation for the new initiate...

AAC stands for "Augmentative and Alternative Communication." AAC apps are software applications for mobile devices that can help individuals who are non speaking or those whose speech is not usually understood by others. The apps generate speech when a user selects symbols programmed with words or phrases or when they are used to create text.

Types of AAC Apps (and a few well-known examples):

Symbols/pictures representing a single meaning (select and sequence pictures to generate messages):

• Tap to Talk
• TalkTablet
• Sono Flex
• SmallTalk
• iCommunicate

Text-based apps (use the alphabet to generate messages):

• iEssence (with TouchChat)
• SpeakIt!
• NeoSpeech
• Verbally

Combination apps (use both symbols and text):

• Proloquo2Go
• WordPower (with TouchChat)