Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP. Over 36 years experience in AAC. OMazing Kids AAC and app consulting. Creator of several AAC Feature Matching resources (https://omazingkidsllc.com/omazing-kids-aac-resource-links/). Includes info about unique features to support Gestalt Language Processors
A quick video of some of the ways that I use the GoTalk Now Plus AAC app from Attainment Company, Inc. It has several unique features that make it a “must have” on any speechie’s iPad đ.
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In case you are wondering how the sound is that loud… This is my 9.7″ iPad Pro. It is in an original Gripcase USA case with handles on all four sides. I made a “bumper” out of a piece of pool noodle to prevent the bottom handle from getting bent out of shape when using my iPad on my lap.
Pursuing funding for augmentative communication devices is not for the timid or the faint of heart.
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Unless you are working with a family who is very wealthy and can afford to purchase it themselves you need to be prepared for the paperwork & “fiery hoops”.
The funding department at the company selling the device will provide valuable support but a lot will rest on the shoulders of the SLP submitting the funding request.
It is wise to get as much information as you can before you start the process. Read through the definition of “medical necessity” and all the required elements for purchase of a speech generating device (SGD) as durable medical equipment (DME) for that insurance company and/or Medicaid in your state. This will give you both verbiage to include in your report and a checklist of all the bases you need to cover.
In my most recent funding request I had to deal with both the requirements of private insurance and Medicaid. Each had their own requirements. This patient’s insurance company required at least a 30 day trial with the SGD being requested. Medicaid in my state requires a video demonstrating clear communicative intent, independent use and for eye gaze devices “proof of accuracy”. Trying to submit a funding request before we had all of those elements would have been fruitless.
“Proving accuracy” may not sound like a big deal but I can testify that it was a huge fiery hoop when the patient was a 2.5 year old who had huge meltdowns every time I tried “show me the _____” activities. As in several sessions went down the toilet because we tried that.
So I laid in bed at night mulling over the quandary of how to “prove accuracy” in order to get her the AAC device that I knew she needed and that she had already shown me she could use. Add the extra self induced pressure of desperately wanting to get this accomplished before my retirement. Thank the Lord for stumbling upon a toy that this child was intrigued by. Not really the most highly preferred item. In fact early in the trial of the eye gaze device her Mom and I thought she may have been accidentally activating the button to request it since her reaction upon getting the toy was pretty “meh” đ. So her Mom asked if I could move the button for it to a different location. Guess who immediately activated the button for that toy again and gave us her famous impish grin. Every time I moved that button she found it and grinned. So that was our golden ticket to making it through the fiery hoop of “proving accuracy”. I added a tiny button to her home page in Communicator 5 on the Tobii Dynavox i15+ eye gaze SGD and linked it to a page set that I built with the “noisy ball” and three other items with the placement randomized on each page. The first session I showed it to her she was a little fussy so we didn’t stay there long. The next week she was well rested and especially perky. Guess who found the “noisy ball” with 100% accuracy when presented in a playful way as a game of “hide and seek”? Yup. She did. And I got it all on video including her huge smile at the end as if to say “I rocked that didn’t I?”.
Tip: When you are required to provide a video with your funding request it’s important to always have a means of videoing on you in all sessions so you can capture the moments.
That was a huge fiery hoop to make it through and I worked late that evening to start the AAC eval report to get the funding request process started. Here’s the deal…. once you start that ball rolling you have to be willing to do what it takes under very short timeframes when they request additional video or ask for an addendum for additional information. If you don’t meet their very short timeframes then the request will automatically be denied and you have to start all over. For this child I had to provide documentation as to why she could not use handwriting as a means of communicating (ummmm…… not a developmentally appropriate expectation for any 3 year old let alone one with Rett Sydrome and no functional hand use) & additional videos proving she was making independent and intentional requests with the SGD. All of which had already been documented both in video and in writing. Of course I was frustrated every time but I had to vent to my fellow SLPeeps and then did what it took to make it through that next fiery hoop. I cried tears of relief and joy when I finally got the e-mail that her SGD had been approved and the day it arrived.
In the end it is all worth it to see the look on a child’s face when they get to take home their “voice” for the first time.
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I’m not sharing this to brag on myself but rather to leave pearls of wisdom learned from my 28 year career as a SLP. I’ll be retiring in 11 weeks so I’m trying to pass along things that I’ve learned before I move on to the next chapter in my life. I spent several hours researching the internet and posting in AAC and SLP Facebook groups begging for ideas for how to “prove accuracy” for a 2.5 years old using an eye gaze device. But there was nothing. So I hope that this info helps some other speechie in the future. For your patient it will likely be some other random toy or activity but the concept of turning it into a playful “hide and seek” activity may be your ticket to making it through the “proving accuracy” fiery hoop.
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Update 8/2/24: I just saw a post from our Tobii Dynavox rep in Oklahoma:
Amazing news!!
To Whom It May Concern,
Effective immediately the Oklahoma HealthCare Authority will no longer require a video to be submitted for review with a Prior Authorization requests for an AAC device.
Additional Info:
When you are completing your AAC evaluation report and funding request look it over to make sure that you documented the feature matching process, consideration of several options, trials of options and why that particular one is being recommended.
Most insurance companies are looking for justification for medical necessity and will only authorize funding of a requested SGD âthat is not more costly than an alternative that is at least as likely to produce equivalent therapeutic results for the treatment of the plan member’s condition. Documentation must show that all least costly alternatives have been considered and ruled out before funding of an SGD will be authorizedâ.
Also referred to as the âleast costly equally effective alternativeâ.
Personal Professional Facebook Page (linked to OMazing Kids): https://www.facebook.com/angela.moorad (addingâfriendsâ who have a direct role in AAC or Assistive Technology â AAC / AT app or product developers, AAC / AT consultants, SLPs who specialize in AAC, other professionals who specialize in AAC or AT, etc.)
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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Here’s a screenshot of my desperate plea for help in the AAC for the SLP group on 10/20/16:
I periodically update this blog post. It is a âpay it forwardâ labor of love. I had an incredibly hard time finding info about PODD to get started with that patient back in 2016. So I was determined to make it easier for anyone trying to do that. đ
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The latest full update for this post was on 9/26/22 when I went through and checked all of the links and info and updated as needed.
On 1/8/23 I updated pricing info for the digital PODD apps.
On 2/24/23 I updated to reflect that the PODD direct access template is sold out again on the Boardmaker website.
On 3/12/23 I updated this post to add info about Feature Matching Chart for Pragmatic Vocabulary Organization AAC Apps.
On 10/18/23, I updated this post again following a Teams call with Josh Witt at Boardmaker/Tobii Dynavox.
On 2/18/25, I updated the links for where printed PODD books can be ordered.
New resource: Feature Matching Chart for Pragmatic Vocabulary Organization AAC Apps. This is a VERY deep dive beyond just vocabulary organization⊠itâs also an in depth look at the flexibility or limitations of the app platforms, customization and alternative access options plus includes detailed info about three different Bluetooth switch interfaces (Blue2, iSwitch & Cosmo).
Available on TPT: https://bit.ly/PragmaticOrgVocabAAC-FeatureMatching-TPT. This resource includes free access to over 3 hours of unlisted YouTube videos where I highlight some of the most unique features in each option and discuss the flexibility in customization, options for alternative access, etcâŠ
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
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Update 9/25/22: This website has great info about the history of PODD: https://www.cpec.org.au/podd
. 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 partnerâs 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 âI have something to sayâ. Will increase from _______ to at least ________ times documented during the auth period.”
“After signaling âI have something to sayâ, __________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.”
Update 7/24/20: Those handouts are all no longer available. The website indicates they are being updated. Fortunately I had copies saved in the iBooks app on my iPad. I merged them into one PDF and uploaded that to my blog: https://bit.ly/PODDcommunicationFocusHandouts (as of 6/5/23 2/18/25 the update for those handouts still hasn’t appeared)
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This weekend I found these handouts and videos on Linda Burkhartâs 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
Partner-Assisted Communication Strategies for Children Who Face Multiple Challenges Handout by Linda J. Burkhart and Gayle Porter ((Pre-conference Instructional course â ISAAC 2006): https://bit.ly/3f4DlNu
Partner-Assisted Communication Strategies for Children Who Face Multiple Challenges: PODD Communication Books â Gayle Porter Handout by Linda J. Burkhart and Gayle Porter (Pre-conference Instructional course â ISAAC 2006): https://bit.ly/2BvPI7y
Update 10/18/23: I just got finished with a Teams call with Josh Witt. Boardmaker/Tobii Dynavox has the PODD Direct Access CDs back in stock and will be ordering those in larger quantities to hopefully avoid them being out of stock so frequently or for so long: https://goboardmaker.com/products/podd. As far as PODD working better in Boardmaker 7, he shared this page where they have added some Quick Guides and if folks are using the most current version of Boardmaker 7 & follow the steps in those guides itâs supposedly better. I asked for another free trial of Boardmaker 7 to try it out for myself. https://goboardmaker.com/pages/podd-in-boardmaker-7
Update 11/20/25: And it’s sold out again.
At this point I’d be looking at simPODD or Mind Express 5 as more reliable sources for creating printable paper-based PODD books.
Update 7/11/24: Important information from Tobii Dynavox about Boardmaker. Text from screenshot of the post in the Tobii Dynavox Community:
âGoBoardmaker.com has a new home!
Starting July 15, we’ll begin merging goboardmaker.com with tobiidynavox.com. As Boardmaker is a Tobii Dynavox product line, we want to ensure all our customers can easily find our suite of special education tools while browsing our site.
As of July 15, purchasing will be unavailable until August 1, 2024, when the merger will finish.
Beginning August 1, customers will be able to make Boardmaker purchases from the Tobii Dynavox website.
If you have any questions, please email our customer support team at
Update 3/18/25: Gayle Porter talking about PODD on Mind Express 5… she said the Alternative Access Templates will be available “in the next month or so”:
Combination Eye-Gaze plus Partner-Assisted Visual Scanning (EG + PAVS)
Combination Direct Pointing plus Partner-Assisted Visual Scanning (D + PAVS)
Colour Coded and Partner-Assisted Visual Scanning (CC)
Full Coded (C)
With varying and evolving levels of linguistic complexity, these communication books support language development while meeting the varied needs of each user (motor, visual and language needs). The range of PODD communication books supports individuals from first words through to complex syntax. This resource on Mind Express 5 includes templates to make 22 different alternative access PODD books (20 personal books and 2 group books). Here is a list of all the books included:
9 Eye-Gaze Early Functions
9 Eye-Gaze Expanded Functions
9 PAVS Early Functions
9 PAVS Expanded Functions
12 PAVS Early Functions
12 PAVS Expanded Functions
16 Direct Plus PAVS Combination Access
16 Eye Gaze Plus PAVS Combination Access
20 PAVS Expanded Functions
36 PAVS Key Word
40 PAVS Key Word
48 PAVS Key Word
64 PAVS Key Word
80 PAVS Key Word
100 PAVS Key Word
40 CC Key Word
48 CC Key Word
64 CC Key Word
80 CC Expanded Key Word
100 + CC Complex Syntax
Group PAVS â Early Functions â Book Format
Group PAVS â Expanded Functions â Book Format
Group PAVS â Early Functions â Vest Format
Group PAVS â Expanded Functions â Vest Format
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:
So Iâve been frustrated that Iâm always fumbling through this patientâs PODD book in sessions. I wish there was a âword finderâ for PODD (one of the downsides of a no tech system). Iâm pretty âat homeâ 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 canât use the Tobii Dynavox PODD pageset in the Compass app to model since it doesnât look anything like my patientâs 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 thatâs 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 âŠ.. itâs 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. Itâs not hard but time consuming.
Open the first page of your PODD book in Boardmaker.
Go to File â Print Set Up â Print Set Up â selected âMicrosoft Print to PDFâ â OK â Remember Board Settings for New Boards – OK
Go to File â Print (make sure it says âMicrosoft Print to PDFâ as the printer) â OK
You have to repeat the process for every single page that you want to include in the PDF of your PODD book. (I donât have access to Boardmaker Online so I donât 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 âmergeâ. 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.
But I’m hearing that the solutions offered in the Quick Guides may not resolve the issues especiallyifyou are trying to do 2-sided printing. Contact yourlocal Boardmaker support team.
. 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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How We Speak PODD makes their carrying rods:
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Here are some examples of PODD book stands made out of PVC. The amazing PT tech at our facility made some of the first style ones for us: PODD PVC stand examples
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Update 1/19/23: Nice short video with carrying strap ideas for two different styles of PODD books: https://youtu.be/PhM4LfPjBIo
See Facebook groups for each digital PODD app below.
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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 with pragmaticbranching to use with a couple of other older patients. (Update: As of 1/13/21 the Alternative Access version of PODD is still not available in the USA and no info could be found regarding when it will be available. Update: As of 1/8/23 the Alternative Access version is still not commercially available in the USA. You could order it from Australia and get A4 paper to print it on but any binders would also need to be that size: https://cpec-store.myshopify.com/collections/podd-books/products/pragmatic-organisation-dynamic-display-podd-communication-book-alternative-access-templates. Or see the ordering info above for Alt+Shift (USA) and AAC Book Builders (Australia) for purchasing premade Alternative Access PODD books.
Digital PODD books are available on the iPad in four ways: simPODD, Grid for iPad, Snap Core First and PODD with Compass. This post is based on my personal experiences in trying all four options.
Update 7/22/21: Snap Core First has been re-branded as TD Snap AAC. The process of setting up a new user in the app has been improved. The other features remain the same.
Updated 9/25/22:
As of September 1st, 2022, PODD with Compass is no longer available for sale (http://downloads.tobiidynavox.com/Other/Legacy%20EOS/Compass%20EOS.pdf). They will continue to make effort to provide technical support for Compass on devices that have not surpassed their useful lifetime.
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3/12/23 For comprehensive and up to date info about all of the digital PODD options on the iPad and Windows devices, see this new resource. Like all of my feature matching resources it will be updated if features change in apps:
As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, I did not have the opportunity to attend a formal PODD training. Iâm in Oklahoma and PODD trainings were always too far away and too expensive for the state agency to send us. There was finally one in Texas just a few months before I retired but I gave my spot to another SLP on the team since spending that much for me to attend did not make sense that close to retirement.
So in order to support the patients that I used PODD with I taught myself via all of the resources that I shared on this blog post: videos, webinars, handouts, reading everything included with the PODD CD, participating in several AAC Facebook groups, and being cross-trained by the two SLPs who did go to that PODD training in Texas, etc. Since then I have continued to remain active with AAC.
Iâm glad to answer questions or point you in the direction of who may be able to answer them đ
Want to suggest PODD resources or info to be added to this list? The best way to reach me is via Facebook messaging over on my OMazing Kids page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/. If you are an app developer and would like to have me review a new digital PODD app for the iPad or PODD that was added to an existing app via IAP, please send the link from the USA App Store so I can look at the info before you send a promo code. I want to make sure that one of my iPads is compatible in order to try it out.
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I’m retired from providing clinical services but am doing AAC consulting, creating AAC resources, actively posting about AAC and apps and using AAC in volunteer work.
It’s amazing to see how much the field of AAC has changed over the course of my 28 year career as a SLP. Long gone are the old days of it taking years to see any major changes or improvements in AAC options. We are living in an era of rapid advancement thanks largely to social media that provides the opportunity for AAC users, therapists, teachers & parents to provide direct input to app and technology developers regarding what features we need. Most good AAC apps are now updated several times a year. Here is my list of top 10 updates that occurred for AAC apps in 2017:
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#1: Proloquo2Go – in March 2017 version 5.0 added an amazing Search feature & Progressive Language. If you haven’t checked out this AAC app in awhile, I invite you to take a look at it again. These new features are a game changer. It also now includes English, Spanish, French & Dutch languages.
#2: Speak For Yourself – in January 2017 version 2.6 made this a Universal iOS app that can be used on an iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad. It also includes room for up to 40 different users (a great feature for SLPs trialing AAC with several different patients). Other updates this year added options to share vocabulary via AirDrop, more buttons became editable, the sentence bar background color can be changed & a “Manual Whisper Mode” was added to allow users to create a whole sentence prior to speaking.
#3: LAMP Words for Life – in July 2017 version 1.6.0 added a bilingual Spanish/English pageset, Word Finder updated to show and take you through the path to a word and added the option to backup to DropBox.
#4: TouchChat with WordPower HD – several updates added new pageset options, Arabic language added through an in-app purchase, Canadian French vocabulary files available as free upgrade and vocabulary files can now be backed up to DropBox and can be shared via E-mail and iMessaging.
#5: GoTalk Now Plus – in March 2017 version 4.11.6 added PCS Thinline symbols as an option through in-app purchase. In September 2017 version 4.11.11 added the option for Hybrid Scene pages (visual scene + up to 4 buttons) & the option to share messages from the Express Bar to Facebook, e-mail and text messaging.
#6: Snap + Core First – this new app was just released in June 2017 and in December 2017 already had a major update to add a bilingual Spanish/English pageset option & Spanish voices. At the end of October 2017 they added access to voice output in the free version of this app for ASHA certified SLPs as part of your MyTobiiDynavox account.
#7: Avaz Pro – in May 2017 version 4.2.6 added the option of having up to 77 buttons per screen. In September 2017 version 4.3 added the option to share via AirDrop and the Search now takes you through the path to a word.
#10: Custom Boards Premium by Smarty Ears had a major overhaul. New templates and updated Smarty Symbols were added. A great affordable option for making printable choice boards and visual supports.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/custom-boards-premium/id463344117?mt=8
. See this updated post for info about how SLPs can get free access to several AAC apps, funding tips & links to AAC user Facebook groups: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2016/06/11/aac-tips-how-slps-can-get-free-access-to-aac-apps-aac-app-user-groups-funding-options-more/.
. 2017 was a years of ups & downs in the world of AAC apps. It was exciting to see so many great improvements in apps and a couple of new apps released but at the same time very sad to see a few AAC apps either disappear or no longer function properly after the release of iOS 11. Iâve received numerous messages on my OMazing Kids page from parents and therapists with very heartbreaking stories of AAC users losing their voice when iOS 11 came out. Several small AAC app developers had not updated those apps in almost 5 years. Itâs one thing to lose a favorite game or therapy app but a whole different thing to lose an AAC app. It’s a cautionary tale to anyone who has thoughts of developing a new AAC app. Beyond the initial costs of developing the app, it is imperative that you also have a very well thought out long term plan and finances for supporting and keeping an AAC app updated.
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{New App} Looking for an easy way to make choice boards? Check out the brand new Make A Choice AAC app by pkclSoft
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The app was developed to meet a need expressed by a parent of a child with special needs to be able to quickly create choice boards on the go. I enjoyed helping with beta testing and used it today to quickly prep for a cookie decorating activity we have on Monday. Unique features include the “Pick a Choice Board” area where you can tap on a pic to open that board, the ability to copy/paste pics into the app and the ability to reuse buttons in new boards. I like that it has a plain black background and that there is a lot of space between the buttons. Busy SLPs and parents will appreciate the value of this inexpensive and user friendly app. It would make a great stocking stuffer this Christmas đ
. Purchase it on the App Store:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/make-a-choice-aac-buttons/id1295966224?mt=8, $4.99 in the USA App Store (prices vary elsewhere based on the exchange rate)
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See examples and “how to” videos on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AppMakeAChoice
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC â inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga (note: Facebook frequently changes the link to messaging so if this one doesnât work head over to my page and click on the âSend Messageâ button)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids
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YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with 28 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.
Looking for high quality apps specifically designed for early readers? To go with classroom themes? Or to target core vocabulary for kids using AAC? Then check out the well designed series of apps by Libby Curran, an award winning teacher, at The Reading Train. Of course these apps will need to be on a separate device than the one being used for AAC.
âą over 200 books organized into 10 categories (story park, colors, shapes, numbers, animals, animal groups, creature features (body parts), life science, physical science & earth and space). The inclusion of science STEAM topics in early readers will be particularly helpful for those of us looking for age respectful resources to use with older patients/students who are still at an early reader level.
âą Levels A, B & C. It’s great to have these levels within early readers so you can start off very easy and work up in small steps.
âą listen, read and record modes
âą tap and hold to have a word highlighted and read to you
âą built in picture word dictionary with over 450 words. This area can be sorted alphabetically or by categories/subcategories. I’ve used this dictionary area to help teach kids vocabulary and simple definitions.
âą 20 songs
âą set up unlimited number of users
âą fun train game at the end of each book
âą high quality voiceovers and music
âą nice graphics and large font against a plain white background
âą can easily toggle off the intro song on the home screen
âą intuitive app interface
âą secured parent/teacher area
Just a few examples of Core Vocabulary in these books:
* Here & come: Level A – Colors – The Gray Book, Blue Vehicle Book
* Is:Â Level A – Colors – The White Book, The Red Book
* See:Â Level A – Colors – The Green Book, The Yellow Book
* Look:Â Level A – Colors – The Black Book, The Orange Animal Book
* Like:Â Level A – Colors – The Pink Book, The Purple Book
It is similar to their first app but has over 140 books. Most are also found in the first app but there are 4 categories unique to this app: ABC, animal homes, story town & story land.
Their third app has 72 books with a sole focus on the alphabet themed books. Alphabet Park is the same as the ABC section in the Reading Train – My First Books app. But this app also offers level 2 (Alphabet Town) and level 3 (Alphabet Land) sections that are unique to this app. It also contains a picture word dictionary and the section of 20 songs. Reading Train: Alphabet Books, Songs & Games by The Learning Station, LLC, https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/reading-train-alphabet-books-songs-games/id903741015?mt=8, $3.99
See the app developer’s website for more info about the apps and how to use them:http://www.readingtrain.org
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Wishes for future updates for all of the apps in this series:
âą add the ability to adjust the length of time a user has to tap and hold to have a word highlighted and read aloud.
âą add the option for auto page turning when a book is in “listen” mode
The FAQ section on their website indicates that they have plans for this. These features would make the app more special needs friendly.
{50+ Fun Food Apps} Expanding AAC opportunities with kids cooking & food themed apps
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One of the first motivators for many beginning AAC users is to request food. But then sometimes kids get stuck there. One way to move on is to tap into that high interest area by using food and cooking themed apps on a second iPad. Many of these apps are filled with opportunities to target verbs, adjectives, emotions and core vocabulary on their AAC device all centered around a food theme. I went through my app collection and compiled this list with a wide range of ages in mind:
Cooking Fun For Kids: Healthy Playful Recipes, Food Games, and Videos for Kids in the Kitchen by Bean Sprouts by Playrific, Inc., https://appsto.re/us/s19PV.i
Cute Food – Creative Fun with Fruits and Vegetables, Healthy and Funny Meals for Kids by Software Smoothie, https://appsto.re/us/j73QM.i
Kuca Senses by Kuca Boom, https://appsto.re/us/lKmalb.i (new app that has a fun section to feed the character items, see him change color and facial expressions and talk about whether or not he liked it)
Lalaloopsy Diner – A Candy Coated Burgeria, Pizza Party Cooking Game by CUPCAKE DIGITAL INC, https://appsto.re/us/i7Qy2.i
Mini-U: The Kitchen. 6 funny educational mini-games. Color matching, Pattern puzzles, Hidden objects, Music and Sorter games by PopAppFactory, https://appsto.re/us/bIh5P.i
Veggie U A+: My Farm My Table by Veggie U, https://appsto.re/us/cQH35.i (this app has SymbolStix symbols in it so is particularly good for AAC users who have those symbols on their device)
I love bubbles and over my 27+ year career have tried all kinds of different types of bubbles, bubble blowers & bubble containers. I have several “no-spill” containers that kids can use independently but when I want to facilitate requesting and commenting these colored bubble wands are my current faves. I discovered them when I had a young patient with Autism who wanted “big bubbles” and had meltdowns that none of my other bubble options made bubbles big enough. Well these wands can make some really big bubbles if you swish/swoop them through the air just right but can also make tons of small bubbles if you move the wand while blowing into it (they should seriously have a class in the art of bubble blowing in grad school… lol!).
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I stocked up when I saw my favorite bubble wands on clearance for $1.00 per pack of 6 (usually $3.88 per pack) on Sunday at the Walmart Neighborhood Market at 36th Ave NW and Rock Creek Road in Norman, OK. I have one pink bubble wand that I bought at Michael’s for a couple of patients whose favorite color is pink. I’ll just keep refilling it. Should have enough bubbles to carry me through until retirement in 42 weeks. I know I had promised that I wasn’t buying any more therapy stuff but bubbles don’t count since they are consumables (right?).
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Once I open them, I store the bubble wands in an empty rice container since they sometimes leak if laid down flat. I label the container with a large laminated symbol. I cut the smaller symbols apart, laminate & then cut again and store on a small section of plastic file folder in the container. That way the symbols are always with the bubble set to used for Aided Language Stimulation or for the child to request or comment.
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Here is a free printable 1-page color PDF of the symbols:
{App Review} Communication Adventure – An app for communication training for caregivers of children with complex communication needs by Avaz, Inc.
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This app from Avaz provides several scenarios to practice opportunities for encouraging and expanding communication. The tips are pretty universal and could apply to any robust AAC system or even general language development. There were a couple of items that I might have coached a parent a little differently in but overall the app has good info and would be a fun and very affordable way to train parents, teachers, aides or other caregivers on ways to encourage & expand communication. After you complete all the modules you then have access to an area with additional tips / ideas.
[FYI… if you have the  Avaz Pro – AAC App (https://appsto.re/us/19nrH.i) then you have similar scenarios in the “dashboard” area but they take longer to unlock there since that is contingent upon practicing sentences]
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language PathologistÂ
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC â inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilitiesÂ
Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.Â
As we are on the verge of heading into April, I wanted to post a request to those of you who follow my OMazing Kids blog, Facebook page, AppPeeps Facebook Group & other social media sites. I would like to keep this a safe place free from the crankiness that sometimes occurs this time of year:
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 Please be kind.
It is not helpful or encouraging to leave rude comments on my Facebook page or social media sites. Everything I post is done in an attempt to provide helpful information.
Not all AAC or therapy app developers choose to offer app sales or may only offer them in certain countries. That is their choice and may be due to expenses they have incurred in keeping an app updated, licensing fees for premium voices and symbols, pricing laws in foreign countries and royalties that Apple takes from sales.
I am NOT the developer of any of the apps that I post about so therefore have no control over pricing decisions. If you have concerns or questions, please contact that app developer directly via Facebook messaging on their page or by e-mail. Most AAC app developers have a Facebook users group for that app so you can also ask questions or leave feedback there. They will not see feedback made via comments here on my page.
I have never monetized my blog or social media sites and therefore have no plans to pay to promote posts. So please don’t leave cranky comments if you miss a sale. I cross post on my AppPeeps group and several other groups when I see really great apps that are either free or on sale to help spread the word. But I work full time as a SLP and do not have time to recheck prices throughout the day and then update posts. If you notice that an app sale has ended, feel free to leave a comment about that on a post but please word it in a kind way.
Please check app prices before downloading. I verify app prices in the USA App Store at the time of the post. If I have received details from an app developer regarding dates of a sale and what countries it will be available in, I will include them in the post. Otherwise, I have no way to know how long an app will be on sale and pricing or availability in other countries. Prices are different in every country based on the exchange rate.
App prices can change very rapidly so it is wise to take the initiative to go check pages frequently that announce app deals and then download what you want quickly.
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 Please do not post cranky comments about app developers not caring about other disabilities.
They are generously offering app sales during April as part of Autism Acceptance & Awareness Month. These same app developers often offer sales at other times of the year and there are no rules saying your child has to have this diagnosis to get the app on sale.
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Please be mindful and respectful of each others opinions.
Despite what is reported in mainstream media, not everyone wants to “light it up blue”, be represented by a puzzle piece, loves Julia the new Sesame Street character, wants to find a cure, supports Autism Speaks, believes in “people first” language or wants an Autism Awareness day or month. Some do and that’s fine. But there is a growing community of those who do not. I invite you to read blogs and posts on Autism Acceptance and Neurodiversity to broaden your perspective. I have done so and it totally changed the way I practice and post as a SLP.
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Thanks in advance for keeping OMazing Kids a safe and kind place đ
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Update 10/18/23: I just got finished with a Teams call with Josh Witt. Boardmaker/Tobii Dynavox has the PODD Direct Access CDs back in stock and will be ordering those in larger quantities to hopefully avoid them being out of stock so frequently or for so long: 
Update 10/3/23: Jabbla now has PODD Communication Books â Direct Access â A4 AUS-UK English available for printing within Mind Express 5: 
OMazing Kids AAC Consulting 