Updated to add: The AAC Apps list has been discontinued.
I’m very pleased to say that I have just updated the AAC apps list again! This time 106 of the existing apps have been updated and there are 23 new apps. You can see a list of all the Additions and Updates by clicking here.
There are a few trends that I noticed as I was updating the list this time that I thought were worth mentioning.
- Firstly, lots of the apps are now using the iOS embedded voices – most of the apps that previously had poor quality or internet based voices are now using this option instead which means that they now have high quality voices with a range of accents.
- Several of the AAC apps now have in-built Skype connectivity – allowing users to make and receive Skype calls within the app.
- Some of the text-to-speech apps formerly on the list, such as TextExpander and Fleksy, have now become iOS custom keyboards instead of apps.
- There are a lot more subscription based apps. Some of them are pre-existing apps that have moved to a subscription model, such as AutisMate which is now AutisMate 365. Others are new apps, such as Citra.
- And, finally, it was really nice to see Picture Communication Symbols, the symbols from Boardmaker, appearing in a couple more apps again – and not just the apps from Tobii DynaVox.
And before I finished I just wanted to say a word about Avaz Together, one of the new apps on the list. Avaz Together is a new app from the people who brought us Avaz. It’s a really new concept in AAC apps that I hadn’t seen before. Avaz Together is aimed at skilling up the team around the AAC user to become better communication partners. Tutorials explain the importance of concepts such as aided language stimulation and then encourage the support team to practice implementing it. Regular reminders and activities are encouraged and appear within the app. It’s a really great way to skill up a team surrounding an AAC user, providing more opportunities for the user themselves to become more successful.
Happy Communicating!
Elena
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renacarney
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Samantha Burazin
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Shawna Behm
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Alysia
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Kyra Rodriguez
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Loren
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