Product Announcement - TapToTalk Now Has Scanning

We are delighted to announce that we have added scanning capability to TapToTalk.

Scanning is a TapToTalk feature designed for individuals who have difficulty accurately tapping a touch screen or accurately using a mouse. Many physical conditions can can cause such problems. One of the most common is cerebral palsy.

Scanning is supported now by the TapToTalk iPhone/iPad App and the Web App. We are working on adding this support to the Android App but have no definite release date. We do not plan to have scanning in the Nintendo App.

Scanning with the TapToTalk iPhone/iPad App
When scanning is enabled, a blue border highlights each picture on the screen in turn. When the screen is tapped anywhere, by any means the highlighted picture is selected as if it had been tapped.

How to  get TapToTalk Scanning

• Scanning is a free feature available to all iPhone/iPad App users
• It can be turned on and off in the TapToTalk App settings on the device, so you can easily try it
• Subscribers have additional control over scan settings in TapToTalk Designer
• For more information, see Enabling Scanning in TapToTalk Designer

Works with Specialized Assistive Equipment

Sscanning does not require specialized equipment. However, often those who need to use scanning also need specialized equipment.

• Scanning with the TapToTalk iPhone/iPad App works with the iPad Cordless Super-Switch
  from RJ Cooper and Associates. This "big button" for the iPad is designed for people with physical limitations. If you are looking for a single switch that will work "out of the box," this is for you.
• The TapToTalk iPhone/iPad App also works with the iPad Cordless Switch Interface
  from RJ Cooper and Associates. This adapter works with non-iPad switches from RJ Cooper.
  Please contact RJ Cooper and Associates to see if this adapter works with switches that you may already own.
• For more information about this specialized equipment, contact RJ Cooper and Associates. 

Scanning with the TapToTalk Web App
When scanning is enabled, a blue border highlights each picture on the screen in turn. When the mouse is clicked (left-click) anywhere on the screen, the highlighted picture is selected as if it had been clicked. You can use any mouse or device that acts as a mouse to perform the click. This includes tapping a touchscreen.

How to  get TapToTalk Scanning

• Scanning is a free Web App feature available to all TapToTalk Designer Subscibers
• We have a demo of scanning you can try with just one click: Run Web App Scanning Demo
• Subscribers have additional control over scan settings in TapToTalk Designer
• For more information, see Enabling Scanning in TapToTalk Designer

Works with Specialized Assistive Equipment

Scanning does not require specialized equipment. However, often those who need to use scanning also need specialized equipment.

• Many switches perform left mouse clicks on PCs and Macs.
• One device that provides a left mouse click is the Super Switch from RJ Cooper and Associates. This provides a "big button" for PCs and Macs, specially designed for people with physical limitations.
• For more information about this specialized equipment, contact RJ Cooper and Associates. 

We are pleased to provide scanning to help more people take advantage of affordable, customizable AAC.

If you have a TapToTalk idea or story you'd like us to share with other TapToTalk users, please email us at blog@taptotalk.com.

The TapToTalk Team
www.taptotalk.com
blog@taptotalk.com

TapToTalk AAC for Mowat-Wilson Syndrome

Children with the rare genetic disorder know as Mowat-WIlson syndrome display distinctive facial features (including narrow chin, cupped ears, wide-set eyes, open mouth) and other physical abnormalities, along with delayed development and mental disability. Treatment is generally supportive in nature, and speech and physical therapy are essential components of a treatment plan. Early intervention is also important.

Because this disorder is so rare, few SLPs have first hand experience with it. One is Barbara Hallahan, an SLP in Ireland and a TapToTalk Service Provider, who shared this with us:

"I am working with a 6 year old with Mowat-Wilson syndrome. He is using the Nintendo version of TapToTalk appropriately. He has been able to communicate novel statements. He is even trying to repeat the phrases we have programmed into it. He was not doing as well with other alternative communication methods. I am delighted we have found something he enjoys that is not hard to programme."

Barbara also developed a TapToTalk album specially designed to help this child improve his ability to tap. This idea can be used to help any child with fine motor skills issues. See Helping a Child with Tapping Problems use AAC.

Children with Mowat-Wilson syndrome have the same need (and right) to communicate as do all other kids. TapToTalk can be an effective AAC solution for them.

If you have a TapToTalk idea or story you'd like us to share with other TapToTalk users, please email us at blog@taptotalk.com.

The TapToTalk Team
www.taptotalk.com
blog@taptotalk.com

Introducing a Child to TapToTalk (or any AAC device)

This is a question we hear frequently: "How should I introduce TapToTalk to my child?"

Each child is different, so the following advice should be weighed against your knowledge of your child. But talking to parents, SLPs, OTs and teachers, we have heard a common thread of advice that we would like to share with you.

1. Start simple, with just a few things the child really likes, such as favorite foods, beverages and toys. Also include core emotions, and the ever-popular toilet. Don't start out trying to do everything.

2. Show your child how to use TapToTalk to ask for those things.

3. Reinforce it every time they want those things. This can be hard--it's a form of tough love--but most children catch on fast (I see, I get my cookie when I "ask" for it, and I don't get it when I do other things, like fuss).

As TapToTalk Parent Chris Statham says, "My son is 6 years old and diagnosed with autism. I took pictures of him, family, members, our house, his toys, etc and put sentences to each picture. For instance, his picture says 'my name is Tyler.' I would say within 2 days, Tyler began to say his name for the first time."

Leigh Foster adds, "It's not just the child that is learning--the parents/other adults have to learn a new way of communicating, too!"

We have heard that many start with our Starter Albums, and modify them. Others start from scratch, Which ever way you begin, once your child catches on, you can start increasing the vocabulary, that is, adding pictures and albums.

If you have a TapToTalk idea or story you'd like us to share with other TapToTalk users, please email us at blog@taptotalk.com.

The TapToTalk Team
www.taptotalk.com
blog@taptotalk.com

Print a TapToTalk Manual

TapToTalk user documentation is available in two places: the Help link in TapToTalk Designer, and the Online Help and Documentation page on taptotalk.com (found in the Customer Zone). Both locations have the same content, including web pages, pdfs and brief videos that illustrate how to use TapToTalk.

But sometimes, you just want a printed manual. Now you can get one. Well, actually, there are two. One is for general TapToTalk users, and the second has additional information for TapToTalk Agency users. The links for downloading both of these manuals are right at the top of the Online Help and Documentation page. There is also a little help (question mark) icon next to the links--click it for instructions on how print the manuals.

These manuals are collections of pdfs from the Help system, so if you use Help, you won't find anything new in them.

But if it's a manual you need, you can have it.

If you have a TapToTalk idea or story you'd like us to share with other TapToTalk users, please email us at blog@taptotalk.com.

The TapToTalk Team
www.taptotalk.com
blog@taptotalk.com

Guest Post: Helping a Child with Tapping Problems use AAC

Guest blogger Barbara Hallahan, SLP is a TapToTalk Service Provider in Ireland. She developed a simple yet effective method for helping a boy whose finger control issues got in the way of using AAC. Here is her story: 

Some kiddos have difficulty controlling their fingers, so it is important to help them develop the skills to tap where they need to as firmly as they need to in order to get the best results. The boy I work with has difficulty isolating a single finger and also has difficulty tapping only once. Despite this problem, there were some items he can consistently press successfully, so I knew he was able but needed support.

When encountering this kind of problem, it helps to break it down and tackle the issues separately.

The first thing I did was isolate the problems:

1. Without resistance he would tap lightly and quickly, but with someone holding his wrist (resistance) he had to push down harder and did not tap repeatedly, he tapped once with more control and force.

2. I found that it worked better to hold his forearm--both because it positioned his hand further away from the screen (better visibility) and because it prevented me from subconsciously directing his finger to the "correct" choice. It is very easy to accidentally make the choice for the child and think he is doing it.

The next thing I did was develop two "warm up" TapToTalk albums for him so he could practice self-calibration--get used to refining his aim and accuracy.

The structure of the warm-ups is as follows:

Basic TapToTalk Warm-up Album

Page 1: Six pictures, with one picture containing a motivating icon (I used a dog) and the other five just plain white squares. Only the dog will bring you to a new page (after barking for you).
Page 2: The new page contains six pictures, five white squares and a fish in a different corner than the dog was on the first page. Pressing the fish gives a new sound and the next set of six pictures.
Page 3: On this page, the "prize" is a cat, and on the next page the "prize" is a frog.
Page 4: When the frog is pressed, a single icon (magic wand) appears and...
Page 5: Pressing it produces "Bravo."

You can substitute any motivating pictures and sounds. It is better to use different ones than all the same, and keep changing the location of the motivating picture among the six.

Advanced TapToTalk Warm-up Album

The second "calibrator"  uses twelve pictures per page instead of six and has five levels. I use the same concept with plain white squares producing no results. Place a star in the upper left corner for the first level, a slightly different one in the upper right corner on the second level, lower left (again just slightly different--colour or size) on third level, lower right (again a bit different) on fourth level. The last page has a single icon and delivers a positive sound message when pressed.

If you use these for a warm up with children who are inconsistent in their responses, you can collect data regarding the number of unsuccessful or incorrect attempts between the first page and the finish. You can also track the time it takes to get from beginning to end. Both of these methods of data collection can be used in outcome reporting and in setting goals.

I also developed a variation on the numbers template so the boy I am working with can practice counting out loud with his fingers. Pressing number one brings him to a page with a single blue box. Pressing the box produces the spoken word "one." Back on the top page, pressing the number two brings us to a page with two blue blocks. Pressing the first produces the spoken word "one." Pressing the second blue box produces the spoken word "two." And so on.

He continues to vocalize more than before he had the tap to talk, and is making more spontaneous attempts to communicate more effectively with and without the DS.

You'll find lots of great pictures to use for this if you explore the various categories in the TapToTalk Picture Library. You can get the white square from the Colors category and magic wand in the Circus-Magic category. You can explore the library in Designer, or on the TapToTalk website's Picture Library page (this page has a nice search feature).

If you have a TapToTalk idea or story you'd like us to share with other TapToTalk users, please email us at blog@taptotalk.com.

The TapToTalk Team
www.taptotalk.com
blog@taptotalk.com

New! TapToTalk Adds Text-to-Speech

Now you can use text-to-speech in TapToTalk Designer to add sounds to your pictures. Type the text, pick the language and voice, and TapToTalk Designer speaks it. There are over two dozen voices to choose from! TapToTalk Designer remembers your preferred voice, so you don’t have to choose it over and over.

Text-to-speech gives you another choice for creating your sounds. You can still record sounds, upload sound files or use the starter phrases in the Standard Sound Library.

Text-to-Speech has male and female voices for English (in several accents), French, German, Spanish and Italian. Of course, you can still record your sounds in any language.

If you are a TapToTalk Designer subscriber, you already have this new feature. The next time you use TapToTalk Designer, you will see a "TTS" option wherever you add sounds: Properties, Picture Library and Sound Library.

Learn More

Step-by-Step Instructions

If you have a TapToTalk idea or story you'd like us to share with other TapToTalk users, please email us at blog@taptotalk.com.

The TapToTalk Team
www.taptotalk.com
blog@taptotalk.com