Monthly Archives: March 2022

Updated AAC Feature Matching Charts & Bluetooth Switch Interface Compatibility (AeroSwitch and Blue2)

Posted on by

I’ve been getting quite a few requests for info about which Bluetooth switch interfaces will work for specific AAC apps.

So I borrowed an AeroSwitch from PRC-Saltillo and then did trials with it and my Blue2 (AbleNet).

This video has general info:

More in-depth info about exact settings that I used and the steps involved can be found in the most recent updates for the Feature Matching Charts on 3/21/22. If you purchased them on TPT be sure to download the new PDFs for the latest info. Ko-fi subscribers can find the links on today’s post.

• Symbol-Based: https://bit.ly/SymbolBasedAACapps. More info: https://bit.ly/SymbolBasedAACblogpost

• Text-Based: https://bit.ly/TextBasedAACapps. More info: https://bit.ly/TextBasedAACblogpost

There is also a chart for Visual Scene Display apps.

Want to compare features in all kinds of AAC Apps? All three charts are available individually or in a bundle for a reduced price: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2022/02/28/three-feature-matching-resources-for-aac-apps-comparing-features-in-aac-apps/

There are now three rows dedicated to info about switch access (one row about which apps offer their own in-app settings to support switch scanning access vs. those that rely solely on iOS Accessibility to do this), one row for which apps the AeroSwitch worked for (including the very specific settings needed to accomplish that), and one row for which apps can be used with the Blue2.

For the symbol-based apps, there are four more specific videos that are “unlisted” and can only be viewed by those who have the link provided in the Feature Matching Chart. Those have more specific info and show the AeroSwitch being used in the LAMP Words for Life app on an iPad, being used on the TouchChat with WordPower app on an iPad, and one about the Blue2 and which apps it will and will not work in. For the text-based apps, there is one “unlisted” video about using the AeroSwitch with the Dialogue AAC app.

The symbol-based app chart has also been updated to include some basic info about the features new Proloquo + Proloquo Coach subscription-based apps as compared to Proloquo2Go. One isn’t “better” than the other. Like any AAC the best fit will depend on the specific needs of that AAC user and those supporting them.

Have questions? The best way to reach me with any questions is via messaging on the OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/. That way AAC related messages don’t get lost among the spam in my e-mail.

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC, OMazing Kids AAC Consulting

Using a Bluetooth Mouse or Bluetooth Trackpad to Model on an AAC App on an iPad (or as a means of alternative access)

Posted on by

If an iPad is on iOS 13.4 or later, you can use a Bluetooth mouse or Bluetooth trackpad.

It’s a way to model AAC or demo any apps without having to touch the iPad screen.

This can be helpful for kids who might become disregulated, overwhelmed or aggressive when someone gets in their personal space to touch the iPad screen to model.

Here’s a video:

Can also be used as an alternative means of access. See this example on TouchChat with WordPower. The key is to make sure the trackpad, trackball or mouse is compatible with Apple iOS

How to set up the Accessibility settings for Pointer Control: https://support.apple.com/en-bh/HT211008. Tip: You need to have your Bluetooth mouse or trackpad paired with that iPad in order for Pointer Control to show up as an option in the Accessibility settings

I already had a Dell Bluetooth travel mouse that doesn’t require a USB receiver.

I also use this cool Bluetooth remote control that has a tiny trackpad for modeling and demos of apps: TNP Bluetooth Remote Control for iPad iPhone – Trackpad Media Presenter for iOS Mac Android Tablet PC – Wireless Camera Shutter, Media Button, Presentation Clicker, iPad Air Pro, MacBook Pro Mini M1, https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B098NBYR6P/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_ABY4J6PTJQ52EM8XBF8Q?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Both of these have worked in every AAC app and other apps that I’ve tried so far 😊

Look for a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad that indicates that it works well with an iPad. I have a few older computer mouses that didn’t.

Please use wisdom and be respectful. If the AAC user doesn’t want you to model on their device even via remote means then you need to respect that. Other options for modeling include using a second device or a printed copy.

It’s important to reflect on why they may not want you to model at all.

The AAC Coach has several great posts about forming authentic connections and relationships with AAC users…

Verbal Referencing is a powerful strategy to use when modeling:

Have questions? The best way to reach me with any questions is via messaging on the OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/. That way AAC related messages don’t get lost among the spam in my e-mail.

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC, OMazing Kids AAC Consulting

Boardmaker v6 on a Windows Tablet with External CD Drive (plus info about using a Bluetooth mouse to model on an AAC app on an iPad)

Posted on by

You may be an AAC SLP if the top three deciding factors on replacing a glitchy aging laptop are “Can it run Boardmaker v6, Grid 3 and TD Snap for Windows?” 🤓

Since I couldn’t get any confirmation that these could work as expected on Windows 11, I ended up getting a Windows 10 tablet and an external CD drive. Once Boardmaker is open, the CD drive can be removed. I have Boardmaker v6, Grid 3, TD Snap, CoughDrop, Cboard, etc. all set up and they are working well.

I did quite a bit of research and comparison of features and costs. I read lots of reviews. I wanted something small and affordable. I rarely use a laptop these days since I can do almost everything on my iPad or iPhone so this will suite my needs. This particular one had really good reviews on Amazon. It has a 10.1” screen, a built-in stand, comes with a keyboard cover that’s similar to an Apple Smart Keyboard and a stylus, and has Windows 10:

(Be sure to decline upgrading to Windows 11 during setup)

I found the perfect vintage Vera Bradley carrying bag to fit it. A Tablet Hipster in Olivia Pink from 2013. I bought it in excellent condition for a bargain on Poshmark.

  • I already had a Dell Bluetooth travel mouse that doesn’t require a USB receiver. This is the same mouse that I use to model on AAC apps on an iPad. If you search on Amazon for a Bluetooth Mouse that can work on an iPad they should also work for this since those don’t require a USB receiver.

If an iPad is on iOS 13.4 or later, you can use a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad to model. It’s a way to model AAC or demo any apps without having to touch the iPad screen. Here’s a video:

How to set up the Accessibility settings for Pointer Control: https://support.apple.com/en-bh/HT211008. Tip: You need to have your Bluetooth mouse or trackpad paired with that iPad in order for Pointer Control to show up as an option in the Accessibility settings.

I have also used this cool Bluetooth remote control that has a tiny trackpad for modeling and demos of apps: TNP Bluetooth Remote Control for iPad iPhone – Trackpad Media Presenter for iOS Mac Android Tablet PC – Wireless Camera Shutter, Media Button, Presentation Clicker, iPad Air Pro, MacBook Pro Mini M1, https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B098NBYR6P/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_ABY4J6PTJQ52EM8XBF8Q?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

This worked in every AAC app and other apps that I’ve tried so far 😊

This is just one of many tools that I use to create things with symbols. I use LessonPix – Custom Learning Materials (which is fabulous but can’t be used to create or print PODD books), iESLp App, Twinkl Symbols app, Global Symbols website, AbleNet Inc.’s SymbolOverlay app, Tools2Talk + app, Niki Talk’s Search on ARASAAC app, the PictoMaker app, ProxTalker Pro app, etc…

I don’t have any plans to subscribe to Boardmaker 7. Everything that I see indicates that it’s still a hot mess and there’s no reason for me to pay for a subscription since I have a way to use Boardmaker v6 and have lots of other ways to create things with symbols.

Note: I would not recommend this Windows tablet for use as an AAC device since there isn’t a protective case available and the speakers aren’t the greatest. I probably wouldn’t recommend any Windows tablet for that purpose unless it’s one built for rugged use. I’m just using Grid 3, TD Snap, CoughDrop and Cboard on it to try out features compared to what’s available on those on an iPad. I also wouldn’t recommend this Windows tablet for writing reports or completing paperwork. The screen and keyboard are pretty small for those labor intensive types of things.

Disclaimers:

  • I have no way to know how long this particular Windows tablet will ship with Windows 10 installed vs. the Windows 11 operating system. It’s always wise to look closely at specs and reviews when purchasing any tech.
  • I also have no way to know if Boardmaker v6 will work on Windows 11 or not but it sounded pretty iffy.
  • I am not liable for any purchasing decisions that others make. Just sharing what works for me

Have questions? The best way to reach me with any questions is via messaging on the OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/. That way AAC related messages don’t get lost among the spam in my e-mail.

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC, OMazing Kids AAC Consulting

LAMP Words for Life +S & TouchChat with WordPower -s (and other word endings) App Crash (updated 4/15/22 – new glitch with Speak Characters affecting LAMP Words for Life, TouchChat & Dialogue AAC)

Posted on by

Update about the TouchChat glitch (5/2/22): I heard back from TouchChat Support and they asked for a picture of all of my settings in the app since they hadn’t been able to replicate the issue. I had already deleted and reinstalled the TouchChat with WordPower app on my iPad. So I didn’t have any way to know what the combination of settings were that caused it or if it was an odd glitch that might have happened when I downloaded the most recent app update. Good news though… I just tried the Hide All Icons and now I’m not having the glitch anymore. So deleting and reinstalling the app seems to have resolved the issue.

Important TouchChat Info (4/29/22): I just encountered a glitch with the TouchChat with WordPower app (version 2.36.0). I had toggled off “Show Icons” to demo a text only setup. When I tried to toggle back on the icons that toggle button would not work. I tried a Forced Restart but it didn’t resolve the issue. So I backed up all of my customized Vocab Files, deleted the app, reinstalled the app and imported all of my Vocab Files. I’ll be including this caution when folks ask me about using a text-only setup in this app until the app developer fixes the glitch.

Updated 4/15/22: The most recent update seems to have fixed the crash related to a user tapping a word ending without something else being in the Message Window but unfortunately there’s now a new glitch across all three apps (TouchChat with WordPower, Dialogue AAC & LAMP Words for Life. When “Speak Characters” is toggled on it is doing an odd speaking like it’s trying to do some funky word prediction. I’ve seen several posts from others experiencing the same issue. I reported the glitch to the support e-mail address. Hopefully it will be fixed quickly

The LAMP Words for Life app and the TouchChat with WordPower apps are both crashing when the +S button / -s button (and several other word endings) is tapped if another button hasn’t been tapped before it. It’s happening on both of my iPads (one on iOS 15.3.1 & one on iOS 14.5). I reported it to both PRC & Saltillo customer service e-mails and received the following reply “Thanks for reporting. This is a known issue that will be addressed in our next major release.” I received this reply when I asked for more details about an estimate of when it might be: “There is no eta at this time”.

So my temporary solution is to hide that button in both apps. I never recommend hiding buttons but in this particular case it’s the lesser of two evils. I’ve seen a couple of reports of users crashing the app enough times that the whole iPad then froze up 😬

How to hide the button:
Menu – Edit Page – tap the +S button – Edit this Button – scroll down an toggle off “Visible” – tap Save – tap Done. Same process for -s button in TouchChat except you’ll have to do this for each page that has a -s button. So for that app I’d just hide as they become an issue. When this is fixed in a future update you’ll need to go back through and toggle “Visible” back on for any buttons that have been hidden

Update, 3/13/22: Well it turns out that this glitch is affecting most of the word ending buttons in both apps. I saw one report of blocked buttons causing the keyboard to pop up. I haven’t had that happen but who knows what combo of an exact device + the exact iOS + and endless exact combo of Settings might cause. Hopefully PRC-Saltillo has prioritized getting this fixed ASAP

*** I’ll edit this post to announce when an update has been released to fix the issue in both apps. ***

Have questions? The best way to reach me with any questions is via messaging on the OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/. That way AAC related messages don’t get lost among the spam in my e-mail.

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC, OMazing Kids AAC Consulting

RadSounds – Cause and Effect App (direct touch and switch accessible)

Posted on by

The RadSounds – Cause and Effect app has a Momentary SwitchPlay option that can be used to only play the music while the screen is being touched or switch is being pressed.

It also has a Timed option to allow music to play without having to hold down the switch or touch the screen the whole time.

Surprisingly the app works on the latest iOS (iPadOS 15.3.1) even though it’s been quite awhile since the app has been updated.

Demo video:

The iPad-only app is very affordable (has been priced at $1.99 in the USA App Store since 9/15/17): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/radsounds-cause-effect/id420977569.

Have questions? The best way to reach me with any questions is via messaging on the OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/. That way AAC related messages don’t get lost among the spam in my e-mail.

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC, OMazing Kids AAC Consulting