Posted by OMazing Kids in app. Tagged: App review, Apps for speech therapy. Comments Off on {New App Review} Sticker Picture Articulation by Erik X. Raj
{New App Review} My patients LOVE the newest app from Erik X. Raj! I love how you can move, rotate, resize and layer the articulation stickers and then save your creation to the Camera Roll to send home for practice. The app can be used with either the forward facing or rear camera. Kids love seeing themselves in the picture. 😂
Have you ever had a patient who you knew had something to say but you struggled to find a means of communication?
I spent almost a year trying literally EVERY possible AAC device and app and every type of access option in a quest to find a “voice” for a child who I knew had so much to say. She made it very clear that she wanted to use her hands for direct access despite having minimal use of them. She hated head pointing and eye gaze devices and any type of scanning. I would seriously lay in bed at night and ponder what else we could try. I spent hours scouring the internet looking for PODD resources and watched just about every video I could find. Thank goodness a PODD training finally came close enough and was priced affordably enough that our facility sent two SLPs to get trained. Ideally I would have gone to that PODD training but it didn’t make sense for me to take a spot being so close to retirement. But having two of our SLPs trained gave me access to a PODD book to trial with her and then was able to order a premade one for her. Ideally you would custom make and print a book but the facility where I work had not figured out the logistics of printing on special water and rip resistant paper and spiral binding. So I have customized the premade PODD book for her by using clear packing tape to add symbols. Her older sister has even hand drawn a few symbols and the family has written lists on the back of pages. It may not be perfect but it’s working for her. She is my PODD rock star. Every week I end my session by telling her to “PODD on” (rock on with PODD).
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I’m sharing links to things that were helpful during this PODD adventure and a few lessons learned….
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What does PODD stand for? Pragmatic Organization Dynamic Display
. How to get started? Ideally go to a PODD training….. but the reality is they may not be offered anywhere near you and they tend to be very expensive. This was my reality so I learned as much as I could online through blog posts, workshop handouts, videos, Facebook groups, etc….
One of the biggest mind shifts for me was to let go of the need to plan contrived communication opportunities in therapy sessions and instead model initiating saying “I have something to say” through facial expression, raising my hand and vocalizing and then using PODD to share my own thoughts or ideas. I had to get comfortable with doing lots of modeling without any pressure on the child to do anything. And comfortable with writing measurable goals in a whole different way.
Examples of some of the goals that I have written for her during this process:
“__________ will show increasing interest and attention to someone using pages from the PODD aided communication system to talk to her in natural contexts throughout the day. This will be measured by an increase in: looking towards the communication symbols or the communication partner, calming during this process, looking away to the side but with a stillness as if listening, or responding the partner’s message. Will increase from ______ to at least _______ times documented during the auth period.”
“Within natural contexts throughout the day, _________ will initiate use of PODD AAC by raising her hand and/or vocalizing to indicate “I have something to say”. Will increase from _______ to at least ________ times documented during the auth period.”
“After signaling “I have something to say”, __________will express an increasing range of communicative functions such as requests, comments, and directing actions using direct selection and/or partner assisted scanning with pages from the PODD communication book and yes/no responses. Will increase from_______ to at least ________ times documented during the auth period.”
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Reading these 1 page PODD tip sheets helped break the concept into manageable chunks: http://interactivespeech.com.au/podd-communication-focus-handouts.php
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This weekend I found these handouts and videos on Linda Burkhart’s website about PODD:
“Aided Language Stimulation and a Robust Language System: Autism a Case Example” – Presented by Linda J. Burkhart and Aura Baker at Closing the Gap Conference, October, 2016
Options for purchasing premade PODD books (you have to sign a confirmation that you own both the Boardmaker and PODD software). A big shout out to Rachael Langley & Kelly Fonner for helping me find the first two options! The third one was seen in a Facebook group:
* http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1970606/PODD-Book-Order-Form-3 (several sizes and styles to choose from. This is where we ordered this patient’s book from. The spiral binding is not very large so we had to use a wooden dowel rod to hang it on the PVC stand.)
So I’ve been frustrated that I’m always fumbling through this patient’s PODD book in sessions. I wish there was a “word finder” for PODD (one of the downsides of a no tech system). I’m pretty “at home” with most AAC devices and apps since I have had lots of time to look through them and use them. I wanted to have this same level of ease in using PODD so I decided that I needed a copy of the same style of PODD book that she is using.
Unfortunately I can’t use the Tobii Dynavox PODD pageset in the Compass app to model since it doesn’t look anything like my patient’s PODD book. Since I am only 14 weeks away from retirement it did not make sense to spend about $80 to order a premade PODD book for me. I had seen comments online of folks saving a PODD book as a PDF so that’s what I decided to do. I saved the PDF in iBooks on my iPad. Now I have a way to look through it to get a feel for what vocabulary is in it and the pragmatic branching.
Be forewarned ….. it’s a VERY tedious & time consuming process to save a PODD book into one PDF if you are using Boardmaker 6 on a CD. It took me about 3 hours for a 123 pages of PODD. It’s not hard but time consuming.
Open the first page of your PODD book in Boardmaker.
Go to File – Print Set Up – Print Set Up – selected “Microsoft Print to PDF” – OK – Remember Board Settings for New Boards – OK
Go to File – Print (make sure it says “Microsoft Print to PDF” as the printer) – OK
You have to repeat the process for every single page that you want to include in the PDF of your PODD book. (I don’t have access to Boardmaker Online so I don’t know what the steps are there).
After you have all your pages saved as PDFs, then go to the Small PDF website (https://smallpdf.com/merge-pdf). This website lets you upload an unlimited number of PDFs. I uploaded all 123 of the PDF documents that I wanted included in this PODD book. After they are all uploaded then you hit “merge”. I was surprised how quickly this website handled merging 123 separate PDFs into one 123 page PDF document. I then uploaded the merged PDF from my computer into the media storage on my blog (a secured area that only I have access to). From there I was able to e-mail the link to the iPad that I use for AAC and opened the PDF in iBooks to save it on the device.
. More PODD tips: http://praacticalaac.org/?s=PODD
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Mary-Louise Bertram demonstrates how to make a portable stand for a PODD book, that could also work well for other kinds of communication books.
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Gayle Porter has reportedly been working on an “alternative access” version of PODD for quite awhile but as of the time of this post it is still not available here in the USA. So I made these very simple eye gaze boards inspired by PODD to use with a couple of other older patients.
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I may add more PODD resources to this post in the future. Just so it’s clear…. I’m definitely not an expert on PODD. I’m just a speechie who was willing to jump out of my comfort zone to find a means of communication for this patient and thought it would be helpful to share resources that took countless hours to find. If you have questions about this form of AAC I suggest going to one of the Facebook groups listed above. It’s where all the PODD gurus are 😉
New Articulation App: Apraximations – Mouth Cues by Alissa Holloway
I was thrilled to see that the full version of this app was finally released! I especially like the matching game and the free build option. It’s great to have another tool in my speechie toolkit to help kids who are at the very early stage of learning about production of speech sounds. I used the “free build” screen to show a patient side by side differences between his target sound vs. error sound. I saw him have an “ah ha” moment and get a couple of correct productions in imitation. Having the voice output paired with each visual was what helped. He kept tapping, looking and listening and then on his own imitated the target sound. He sustained attention much longer than I’ve ever gotten him to look at my mouth.
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Wishes for a future app update: It would be cool to have short video clips of each sound in addition to the pictures and then be able to select which you want to use on each activity screen.
Mindful Kids: 50 Mindfulness Activities for Kindness, Focus and Calm by Whitney Stewart and Mina Braun
Be still my heart! This is the best new kids mindfulness product that I’ve seen in a long time. The boxed card deck includes 50 creative mindfulness games, visualizations and exercises divided into 5 categories to help children feel grounded, find calm, improve focus, practice loving-kindness and relax. Whimsical full-color illustrations on both sides of the cards break down each practice into easy-to-follow steps. Tips on individual cards plus an 8-page instructional booklet show modifications that make these activities inclusive for children of all abilities.
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What I love about these cards:
* Large 5″ X 7″ sturdy cards with a protective coating. The size will be helpful in groups as well as 1-on-1 sessions and the two sided card format is easy to “grab and go”.
* Whimsical colorful illustrations depicting kids of diverse ethnic backgrounds and abilities participating in the activities. The color and style of illustrations are not childish. This makes this card set useable for a wide range of ages (says “ages 4-104” on the front of the storage box)
* The front of each card has a large illustration, activity category with color coded edge, activity title and brief description.
* The back of each card has illustrated step-by-step simple instructions. I love how simple the wording is. Some cards have additional tips or challenges.
* Many of the cards deal with a wide range of emotions…. this set is a perfect addition to any SEL (social emotional learning) program!
* A few cards address “dealing with change”…. this is often difficult for my patients with Autism, OCD and other special needs so I’m especially excited about these cards.
* There are no religious images, words or symbols. This will make this card set usable in a wide range of environments.
* The instructional booklet has simple kid-friendly explanations about mindfulness and the five categories of activities. Also includes tips for modifying activities.
* The cards come in a sturdy storage box with hinged lid covered in whimsical colorful illustrations.
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List of cards included in each category:
Start Your Day: Stay Grounded. Feel strong, focused and confident as you begin each day.
* Mindful Breaths
* Mindful Mood
* Mountain Rising
* Rooted Like a Tree
* Inhaling the Universe
* Cloud Burst
* Mindful Jungle Movement
* Reflection Pond
* Words to Yourself
* Rings of Light
Find Calm: Ride Your Waves. Learn to handle tricky or challenging emotions.
* Shake the Sillies Out
* Balanced Breathing
* Tummy Ride
* Mind Bubbles
* The Power of Blue
* Joyful Jellyfish
* Happy Hum
* Fist Squeeze
* Finding the Pause
* Peaceful Place
Focus: Strengthen Your Mind. Wake up your brain, build concentration and sharpen your sensory awareness.
* Tap and Wiggle
* Finger Fiddle
* Mind Castle
* Wise Old Owl
* Mental Snapshot
* Mind Magic
* Open Ears
* The Nose Knows
* Sharp Eyes
* Mindful Munch
Open Your Heart: Accept Life with Kindness. Feel a sense of self-acceptance and connection to the world.
* Sharing Friendship
* Everything Changes
* Sitting With It
* Name That Feeling
* Finding Feelings
* The Inner Me
* Cooking Up Connections
* Breath by Breath
* Loving-Kindness
* Heart Garden
Rest & Relax: Unwind Your Tangles. Reflect, relax and ease your busy mind.
* Animal Dance
* Swaying Trees
* Figure Eights
* Rain Shower
* Safekeeping
* Rock, Roll and Rest
* Squeeze and Release
* Floating Smiles
* I Am Thankful
* Folding Flower
{Book Review} “The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School” by Laura Murray
Uh-Oh! This leprechaun is trouble!
After a mischievous leprechaun makes a mess in the school band room, the Gingerbread Man vows to catch him. He follows the leprechaun’s clues all around the building finding chaos everywhere–even in the library! But then he finds a clue that almost scares the buttons off of him. It says the leprechaun’s next target might be a house made of gingerbread! Luckily, the Gingerbread Man makes it to his classroom in time to set a trap for the leprechaun. He’ll show that mischief maker that he messed with the wrong cookie this time. ”I’m on a mission! I’ve got a good plan. I can catch him! I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
. What I love about this book:
* wonderful rhyming text that is fun to read
* funny illustrations (many have speech bubbles)
* lots of great verbs & adjectives
* clues for where the leprechaun is going next
I can’t wait to use this book in March as part of a St. Patrick’s Day theme ☘🍀.
{Book Review} My Pillow Keeps Moving by Laura Gehl
A clever pup ends up in a cozy home, and she’ll do anything to stay there. She impersonates everything the lonely homeowner needs–a pillow, a footstool, a jacket. But in the end, being herself works best. Laura Gehl’s spare, humorous text and New Yorker cartoonist Christopher Weyant’s expressive characters will leave young readers giggling and begging for more.
What I love about this book: Over half of the pages in this fun book are wordless…. great for sparking conversations about the comical illustrations. The pages that contain text have lots of adjectives. This book is a fun new addition to my speechie library 📚.
a.c.t. – Apps, Consulting & Training
Jackie Bryla founder of a.c.t. – Apps, Consulting and Training is a speech language pathology assistant (SLPA). Fabulous info about kids apps & great videos of her using them in therapy.
AAC Funding Help
Great general info about AAC funding under Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare, private insurance, etc. Includes info about federal laws related to AAC & AT.
Educational App Talk Facebook Group
Great App Chat on Thursdays 8:00-9:00pm CST. Great info about apps & some promo codes. An extension of Teachers With Apps
Kreed's World
This is the story of how we were able to become part of Kreed’s World through his communication device. Kreed learns to communicate more and more each week and this is our attempt at documenting how Kreed found his voice and is finally being heard.
Linda J. Burkhart
She’s been doing Assistive Technology & AAC before the internet, cell phones or iPads were invented. She’s a guru of low-tech solutions, PODD & the original MacGyver in the special needs world!
On Sarah's iPad
Another great group for info about kids app deals.
On the Train With Sophie
I started this blog to chronicle our journey with Sophie who was diagnosed with autism in 2012. A “routine” MRI revealed Bilateral Perisylvian Polymicrogyria, a rare brain malformation. Our journey just took a detour. Sophie is still Thomas’ number
Our Ordinary Day
An ordinary mom sharing glimpses of her life, including transracial adoption, special-needs kids, and the typical stuff of life
Small Steps in Speech Grant
Their grant will fund an assistive technology device and/or iPad AAC app (does not fund iPads). Very specific criteria & application deadlines.
Speak For Yourself Users Group
Fabulous supportive FB group! Open to discussing anything related to AAC or special needs in addition to SFY.
Star in Her Eye
Star in Her Eye is a blog by author, Heather Kirn Lanier, about mothering a little girl with a rare genetic condition called Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. Great posts about presuming competence & AAC (uses SFY)
Technology for Special Education Needs
I love integrating technology with classroom instruction. It offers differentiation and accessibility to all students. I also enjoy the creativity it offers the classroom teacher.
Uncommon Sense
Blogging our way through special needs parenting with honesty and sarcasm. A lot of sarcasm.
United Healthcare Children's Foundation
Medical grant to be used for medical services & equipment not covered or not completely covered by commercial health benefit plans. Very specific criteria.
Variety Club – The Children's Charity
Variety aids children with physical challenges whose families cannot afford, nor obtain through insurance, necessary mobility equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, specially-designed adaptive bikes, and other mobility devices.
Vlinder Communication Therapies
Vlinder is Dutch for ‘butterfly’. One family I worked with long ago thanked me with butterfly-themed items along with an analogy. This family felt that their loved one had been “trapped” in a cocoon by his inability to effectively communicate.
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