Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP. Over 33 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
For use with the Guess Who? Meet the Crew app:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/guess-who/id1624777523 (iOS Universal, iOS 11.0 or later. $2.99, prices vary outside of USA based on exchange rate). There isn’t an Android version of this app yet.
Update 2/25/23: An Android version is now available in the Google Play App Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playdatedigital.guesswho (freenium – the app is free with the first three levels included then an IAP (in app purchase) of $2.99 is required to unlock the rest of the app. I was able to use a $2.00 off coupon that was available when I went to purchase it so I got it for $0.99). Note: This app was not compatible for download on my Amazon Fire tablet that I have the Google Play App Store side loaded on. I did not find this app in the Amazon Appstore.
The 2.0 app update incorporated my suggestion of offering a way to toggle off the background music. Love it!
So excited that they incorporated my feedback! The 2.0 update added a way to toggle off the background music while still allowing the voiceovers and sound effects. I just a submitted an update for my review to say “thanks” ⬇️
Update: I decided to purchase the in-app purchase for the Transformers themed card deck. It is more challenging but would be fun for kids who have a high interest in Transformers. Update 2: I didn’t purchase this additional deck on Android since I already have it on iOS and prefer the original deck vs. this add on deck.
Itty Bitty Speech has a growing library of non-tech AAC Core Boards that have been translated into several languages. Many were translated by a native speaker of that language. Some were done via Google Translate. It’s very helpful for those details to be provided.
I love the back story behind these. This SLP couldn’t find what she needed so she used the power of crowdsourcing via social media to find folks to help translate and then created them and offer them as a free resource. This is a fabulous example of being the change we want to see. We all want more AAC resources in other languages. It’s going to take lots of us doing a little and then sharing to make it happen 😊
At the time of this post update 25 languages were available:
FYI… I’m not affiliated with this company and did not get paid to post about this resource. Just sharing to help spread the word and boost the chances of it being found as folks are searching for AAC in other languages.
Have a question or want to share a great free AAC resource? The best way to reach me is via Facebook messaging over on my OMazing Kids page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/
Check out the newest resource on my Teachers Pay Teachers store. The 6-page PDF includes seven strategies for fostering AAC ownership, links to five free Preference Indicator Assessment Questionnaire forms, ways to add carrying straps to cases and three pages of printable AAC tags (three styles: device, talker, book / two sizes / in color and in black-white). Fostering AAC Ownership + AAC tags: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fostering-AAC-Ownership-AAC-tags-6990346
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 messages don’t get lost among the spam in my e-mail.
Personal Professional Facebook Page (linked to OMazing Kids): https://www.facebook.com/angela.moorad (adding “friends” who have a direct role in AAC or Assistive Technology – AAC / AT app or product developers, AAC / AT consultants, SLPs who specialize in AAC, other professionals who specialize in AAC or AT, etc.)
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 messages don’t get lost among the spam in my e-mail.
Personal Professional Facebook Page (linked to OMazing Kids): https://www.facebook.com/angela.moorad (adding “friends” who have a direct role in AAC or Assistive Technology – AAC / AT app or product developers, AAC / AT consultants, SLPs who specialize in AAC, other professionals who specialize in AAC or AT, etc.)
Unfortunately anxiety is common with Autism. It’s the main reason that I went through training for kids yoga and mindfulness. I needed tools as an SLP to be able to help my patients learn self regulation and self affirmation skills.
Here are several helpful tools:
Two Amazing “Must Have” Books for Teaching Kids Self-Regulation Skills: https://bit.ly/2T36tiR.
Owl & Star plush characters from Super Simple Learning + free printable affirmation coloring pages: https://bit.ly/3fykyfZ. Any stuffed animal or doll can be used with belly breathing. See this video: https://youtu.be/cx9vMHnjpbA
And handouts from a training “Therapeutic Yoga For Kids and Teens with Autism” that I did at the Oklahoma Autism Conference in 2011: https://bit.ly/3402Hci
I’ll update this post to add additional resources as I create or find them.
Disclaimer: Anxiety is very real and can be severe. Please seek the care of an appropriate mental health professional as needed. Any tools shared here may not work for everyone. They are shared as examples and may need to be customized to meet individual needs.
The best way to reach me with any questions is via private messaging on the OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/. That way important messages don’t get lost among the spam in my e-mail
A free visual support for parents to use to help document the often unseen supports that they are providing that help their child succeed at school.
Unfortunately it’s common for evaluators who are not familiar with a child to state things like “But I don’t see any signs of Autism” or “But he doesn’t “look” Autistic” when they haven’t gathered all the info, looked deeper below the surface or even done any tests that would be part of the process to confirm that diagnosis.
This is especially unhelpful for a child who was accurately diagnosed with Autism at a very young age, has had years of intense intervention and they, their family, their teachers, their SLPs, etc… have worked very hard to make gains to achieve this level of success. You may mean well but pushing to change the eligibility category based on such limited info is harmful.
I worked with lots of kids, teens and young adults with Autism over my 28 year career. Most of the patients on my caseload either had that diagnosis or very similar needs.
So I know firsthand that Autism doesn’t just disappear. A particular individual’s needs may ebb and flow over time and can vary greatly even day to day depending on how they feel, sleep patterns, dietary changes, hormones, environmental sensory triggers, etc… And I’ve read numerous posts from adults with Autism who describe their part time use of AAC and varying need for supports depending on the needs, setting or communication partners. At it’s core Autism is a life-long neurological difference that we need to acknowledge, honor and support over the lifespan.
If you are in the process of completing an evaluation on a child you just met or don’t know very well, I invite you to:
Look deeper
Understand that Autism is a life-long neurological difference
Listen to that individual, their family and those who know them well regarding their journey and the types of supports that are needed in order for them to be successful
Remember what you are seeing in an eval, even one done over a couple of sessions, is just a tiny tip of a much larger unseen iceberg
I created this visual for the mother of one of the most amazing kids I ever had the pleasure of working with. I saw him for several years and his transformation was quite extraordinary. But he still has Autism and still needs support. He has an incredible family who have always been willing to move heaven and earth to get him the services and supports that he needs. I have no doubt he will either discover or invent something that will be world changing. So when she reached out to me of course I had to do something. I will never “retire” from caring 💕
So I’m posting a FREE PDF and pictures of this in case anyone else might find it helpful.
Or tap to open each full sized picture and then save the full sized picture of the one you want to the Camera Roll on your iPad or iPhone and then use the fabulous SnapType app to easily add text to the boxes. You can also take a picture of any worksheet to import it into that app to fill it in.
If you want more features, check out their very affordable full version: SnapType Pro by SnapType, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/snaptype-pro/id1124123246, $4.99. There are other PDF filler apps but this is by far the easiest one that I’ve used.
Example of me filling it out on SnapType (not specific to any particular child… just examples based on commonly occurring supports). After you are finished you can save it and export as a picture, as a PDF or as a SnapType file to share via e-mail or text message. The yellow highlighting only shows up while you are completing it… not in what you share.
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I made this visual using the iESLp app by Irmgard Raubenheimer, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ieslp/id912953895, iPad only, iOS 8.3 or later. The SymbolStix symbols are included in that app. The iceberg photo is an open source, non-attribution photo that I found online.
Please feel free the share this blog post but do NOT upload the PDF, any of the pictures or any of the links to those items to any online files, servers, Boom Cards, Teacher Pay Teachers, or any other sharing platforms. Just refer folks here to this post to get the items for themselves. I feel that it’s important for them to read this blog post to understand why they were created.
One of my favorite books for this time of year is “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves”. If you want free printable story props see this post: https://bit.ly/2FFaRy2.
Want a super simple way to make an interactive activity to use on your iPad or to print? Check out the iESLp app by Irmgard Raubenheimer, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ieslp/id912953895, iPad only, iOS 8.3 or later. A bargain for $19.99 (no subscription required & the app includes a huge library of SymbolStix symbols).
I didn’t see an “Old Lady” symbol that would work for feeding the items so I exported one from LessonPix in PNG format (transparent background), saved it to my Camera Roll and then imported it into iESLp. LessonPix working on mobile devices is a game changer (https://lessonpix.com).
I also imported a PNG “Achoo!” clip art that I found online.
Here’s a quick video to show what the finished activity looks like in use.
See this post for a video screencast showing how to export a picture from LessonPix:
This post is dedicated to iOS apps and mobile-friendly websites that can be used to make printable communication boards, PECS symbols, pictures for visual schedules, visual supports, therapy materials, etc… I’ve also included info about Android options but since I don’t own any Android devices I can’t comment on how well they work on that platform.
It’s 2022… we are all busier than ever and need to be able to make these printable items all from the convenience of our iPad or iPhone (not having to sit at a computer). Imagine creating things in the middle of a therapy session and then being able to email them to a parent or sending them wirelessly to a printer. It’s a common request that I see from busy SLPs especially during the pandemic so this post was inspired by you.
Looking for a web-based option that CAN be used on an iPad or iPhone? (or any device on any platform)
LessonPix has recently updated their website to be mobile-friendly and are frequently adding features SLPs are needing for teletherapy / distance learning (https://lessonpix.com/m/). It’s so cool to be able to create things from my iPad or iPhone! Since it is web based it can be used on any device regardless of the platform.
Hundreds of templates to make custom materials (https://lessonpix.com/articles/4/Articles/Custom+Materials). It’s especially handy to make materials to adapt commonly used games such as Cranium Cariboo, Guess Who?, Headbandz & Zingo.
Vector images that can be scaled to any size without pixelating or becoming grainy.
Images are available in color, stencil or outline (black & white).
SLPs will especially LOVE the Sound Finder, Letter Finder, Pattern Finder (find words for specific syllable shapes – CVC, CV, VC, etc), Number of Syllables, Rhymes With and Minimal Pairs options
Save your image tray as a collection to easily reuse later.
LessonPix add-ins for Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. Don’t have a new enough version of MS Office or work in a setting where your IT department blocks add-ins? You can copy and paste items from LessonPix into these documents. The moveable game pieces, spinner and dice in PowerPoint looks really helpful for those doing distance learning / teletherapy.
New Play Tools side bar. The “Play” tab on their PowerPoint add-in has been a huge hit, allowing SLPs and teachers to share custom Dice, Spinners, Draw a Card and more with their remote clients. Those of you not using PowerPoint need the same tools… so they just added a stand-alone version of the Play Tools that you can launch as a separate window. That means it will work with ANY platform you’re using. See this video for details:
Can be used in Google Slides and Jamboard.
Sharing Center with access to lots of items other folks have created and shared. Love how it’s organized.
This is just a brief overview of what you get with LessonPix. I’m totally hooked after trying it for several days. I can definitely see why so many SLPs love LessonPix!
So I hope you add LessonPix to your therapy toolbox. But you may need a few more tools. What about situations where you may not have internet access or need other types of symbols? Keep reading…. there are several iOS apps that are affordable (some are even free):
Here’s one that’s easy to use and very affordable:
iESLp by Irmgard Raubenheimer, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ieslp/id912953895, iPad only, iOS 8.3 or later, $19.99 (Updated 6/9/22: The app developer is in the process of updating the app to be compatible with iOS 15). Includes over 20,000 SymbolStix symbols plus you can import photos from your Camera Roll or use the in app camera. Can change the font, font size and font color. Has lots of templates for boards, game boards, grid templates and visual systems to choose from plus you can use several of them on one page and resize them. Pics can be any size you want. You can print from within the app or send the board as .jpg image attachment via e-mail. Can backup/restore via Dropbox. Unique in that you can also make interactive activities to use on your iPad and you can add recorded voice output. See my review: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2016/11/24/50-off-the-amazing-ieslp-app-create-your-own-interactive-and-printable-activities-visual-supports/. More info: https://ieslp.wordpress.com. Plus check out their Facebook page for several videos with creative ways to use the app: https://www.facebook.com/ieslpapp/.
Here’s one that’s also easy to use and has more robust features specifically for building communication board grids. It’s more expensive but well worth the price and a very affordable way to access PCS Symbols:
Tools2Talk+ Create your own communication aids and chat by Scope (Aust) Ltd, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tools2talk-create-your-own-communication-aids-and-chat/id1074982035, iPad only, iOS 8.0 or later, $47.99 (Updated 6/9/22: This app is not currently available). Includes over 20,000 PCS symbols (PCS classic core symbols, PCS ThinLine (sets 1 & 2), PCS classic addenda, as well as PCS Australia and PCS New Zealand.) If you work with adults, look for the ThinLine symbols that have a more adult look to them. Also includes Compic symbols. Plus you can import photos from your Camera Roll or use the in app camera. Has several templates to choose from (ABC board, calendar, chores chart, communication book cover, communication book 1, communication book 2, daily timetable, first-then, personal communication dictionary cover, personal communication dictionary, personal history, phrase list, QWERTY, shopping list, weekly timetable, who’s here today). You can choose any grid combination using a row-column picker from 1-9, you can set a default font, font size and font color. You can print from within the app or send the board as a PDF attachment via e-mail. Unique in that you can also use these boards with text-to-speech voice output. This app is quite affordable compared to the price of Boardmaker software (Boardmaker v.6 for Windows: $399.00 + PCS Classic: 2000-2012 Addendum Bundle: $125.00 + PCS ThinLine Set 1 & 2: $260 = $784) or a Boardmaker Online subscription (Personal: $9.99 per month or $99.00 per year; Professional: $19.99 per month or $199.00 per year) and allows you to make things from the convenience of an iPad (this is a huge plus…. especially since Mayer Johnson has indicated that they are still not going to have iPad compatibility when they launch Boardmaker 7) and is much easier to use than the Snap Core First hack outlined below. See my review: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2016/06/19/app-review-tools2talk-an-affordable-way-to-access-pcs-symbols. More info: https://shop.scopeaust.org.au/shop/tools2talk-app/. Video overviews: https://youtu.be/YH6EBU96G6U & https://youtu.be/dzoUyxbtrBE (from the developer at TherapyBox). A longer video tutorial: https://youtu.be/cIDa5xUrdHQ. An archived webinar: https://www.callscotland.org.uk/professional-learning/webinars/WEB112/.
Thinking Outside of the Box: Two Creative Uses for Snap Core First:
Idea # 1: Use this free app as a tool to access PCS symbols to use in another app (especially helpful if you need the PCS High Contrast symbols).
Idea #2: Use this free app as a tool to make printed communication boards, personalized core boards, PECS cards, symbol label cards, cards for visual schedules, visual sequences, story props and other visuals.
Here’s an option to consider if you want lots of templates for overlays for several mid-tech AAC devices as well as grids, game boards, etc. and would use it enough to be worth the cost of a subscription:
Custom Boards Elite by Smarty Ears, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/custom-boards-elite/id489935586, iPad only, iOS 10.0 or later. The app is free and has a 7 day free trial. After that ends, it requires a subscription via IAP ($9.99 per month, $49.99 per six months (= $8.33 per month) or $59.99 per year (= $4.99 per month). That’s similar to the cost of a subscription to their online Smarty Symbols website which is designed to work on a computer (not an iPad). See my review: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2016/12/14/review-smarty-symbols-image-club/). The description in the App Store shows other IAPs so watch for those. The app includes over 20,000 Smarty Symbols plus you can import photos from your Camera Roll or use the in app camera. More info: https://www.smartyearsapps.com/custom-boards/. Video tutorial: https://youtu.be/fTDKw44rK3c Smarty Ears used to offer a fully paid version of the app that didn’t require a subscription (Custom Boards – Premium, https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/custom-boards-premium/id463344117?mt=8) but it is no longer available for purchase. I own that app so I was able to compare it to the subscription version. The subscription version contains the same templates but offers more symbols (often with various skin tones and hair styles). Tip for finding symbols quickly: Instead of leaving it at the default “All-All-All”, pick a “All-Initial- and then the first letter in the word you are searching for.
Just looking for a very basic free option? There are several free AAC apps that aren’t specifically designed to make printable boards or symbol cards but can easily be used to do so. All involve taking a screenshot of the page and then printing that so I’m only suggesting ones that won’t take tons of ink to print and don’t have extra things besides buttons or those where that can be easily cropped off. Be sure to crop your screenshot before printing to save on ink.
Choices2Go by University of Victoria, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/choices2go/id1182138316, iPad only, iOS 9.0 or later, FREE. You create boards by importing pics from an album on your Camera Roll. The number of pictures you select determines the picture size and number of pics on a grid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6). No way to add text to the buttons or to change the background color on the page (pale yellow). Take a screenshot, crop and print that.
GoTalk NOW LITE by Attainment Company, Inc., https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gotalk-now-lite/id953164338, iPad only, iOS 9.0 or later, FREE. You can create one communication book with up to five pages and can have 1, 2, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36 or 49 buttons per page. This app is super easy to use. You can use images from their free library, do an internet search from within the app, take a photo from within the app and/or import pictures from your Camera Roll. You can change the border color on each button and change the font, font size and font color. This free lite version doesn’t have a way to export a PDF to print so I take a screenshot of a page, crop and print it. Works best if you set the page background and button background both to white to save ink when printing. I know there’s a GoTalk Start version that looks tempting since it’s priced at $19.99 but it doesn’t add the ability to export a PDF. I own the GoTalk NOW PLUS version of this app (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gotalk-now-plus/id742150885) so I also have access to SymbolStix and PCS symbols and have used it frequently to make printable boards and symbol cards.
MyTalkTools Mobile Lite by 2nd Half Enterprises LLC, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mytalktools-mobile-lite/id376401959, iOS Universal, iOS 9.3 or later, FREE. The app includes 6 pre-made boards (Adult Male lite, Adult Female lite, Child Male lite, Child Female lite, Hospital Rehab & Basic Starter) that can all be edited plus a Blank Board (up to 20 buttons – build what you want from scratch). Add/delete rows and columns on a page to get grid size you want. Import your own pictures. Take a screenshot, crop and print that.
Alexicom AAC by Alexicom Tech LLC, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alexicom-aac/id395122088, iOS Universal, iOS 14.0 or later, $0.99. Has content included or you can build your own board from scratch. You can create new pages and set the number of rows, number of columns & pic width. FYI…. if you tap on the “info” area and scroll all the way to the bottom there is a list of “pic width” numbers that work best with various combinations of rows & columns. This app developer also has several apps specifically designed for adults in medical situations. Those are all currently free and could also be used to make boards to print (https://www.alexicomaac.com/elements-apps). Take a screenshot, crop and print that.
Choice Boards by Lukasz Wroczynski, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/choice-boards/id1059544273, iPad only, iOS 9.3 or later, FREE. Grid options are 6 or 12, only in Portrait orientation. No way to make larger pictures but you can choose to leave cells empty and that leaves blank space. Take a screenshot, crop and print that.
CoughDrop is an affordable web-based AAC open source option that can be used in a web browser online and works in apps across multiple platforms – iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle, Windows: https://www.mycoughdrop.com. They offer a free 2-month trial. After that it’s either a monthly subscription (currently $6.00 per month).
Info about pricing options: https://www.mycoughdrop.com/pricing. They often offer a 50% off discount on the Lifetime Subscription fee in April (Autism Acceptance month) & October (AAC Awareness month).
Coughdrop has Open Source symbols, has PCS symbols and SymbolStix available as a separate purchases and can be linked to a LessonPix account.
Like Snap Core First, the printing feature was designed as a means to print a no-tech copy of a user’s board. After some trial and error and test prints, I settled on a 6 column x 4 row grid as being really close to 1.5″ x 1.5″ symbols when printed. Be sure to test print a blank grid to make sure you like the size before adding symbols to save on ink.
Web Browser: CoughDrop is a web-first application, and should work with many modern web browsers.
There are a couple of other free apps specifically designed for creating and printing communication symbols but I don’t find them nearly as easy to use and how well they work depends on the version of iOS running on that device:
PictoMaker by Les Applications C, Inc, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pictomaker/id1477449329, iOS Universal, iOS 10.0 or later (but the app crashes when trying to print if using anything older than iOS 11. Worked fine on my iPhone running iOS 13.5.1), FREE. There’s a +/- button on the app to make the pictures bigger or smaller and thus also changing the grid size.
ProxTalker® App – Lite by ProxTalker.com LLC, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/proxtalker-app-lite/id593099176, iOS Universal, iOS 8.0 or later (pictures are not showing up when trying to print if using anything older than iOS 11 but you can still take a screenshot and then print it), FREE. This free lite version includes a few of their symbols (most of those seem more appropriate for kids) but you can import photos from your Camera Roll.
Other apps that can be used to make printable overlays for specific mid-tech AAC devices:
LessonPix is web based and works on any platform and any size screen. See info above.
CoughDrop is an affordable web-based AAC open source option that can be used in a web browser online and works in apps across multiple platforms – iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle, Windows. See info above.
If you want real photos, many of the apps offer the option to use an in-app camera. Or you can search and save images from the internet to the Camera Roll on your iPad. Tips: Look to see what shape of pictures work best in the app(s) you will be using. Most work best with square pictures so I crop them and then organize them in folders to be able to find them quickly later.
📥 Want to suggest iOS apps or mobile-friendly website to be added to this post? The best way to reach me is via Facebook messaging over on my OMazing Kids page.
If it’s a free iOS app or website, please include the link in your message so I can try it out. If it’s a paid iOS app and you are the app developer, 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 or iPhone is compatible in order to try it out.
It took quite a bit of time to compile this list so please mention OMazing Kids when sharing it on social media and do not copy/paste it onto other blogs or documents or upload the post to servers. I have it available here on my blog and plan on keeping my blog up for the foreseeable future.
You may have noticed that I have been posting on social media frequently during the COVID-19 / Coronavirus pandemic. I’m SO incredibly grateful to be retired and have the time to help others through the sharing of resources, prayers, helping elderly relatives get groceries/supplies, etc… I have all my fellow SLPs in my prayers for God’s safety and provision. I also have all the families of kids with special needs in my prayers that God would give you the wisdom and peace needed to help you help your child/children during this incredibly stressful time.
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Here’s my most recent post about apps that were currently free. I primarily post about iOS apps but am also sharing the Android version of apps if available and free. I typically cross post in my AppPeeps Facebook Group and sometimes on Instagram and Twitter to spread the word.
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The whole world is currently frustrated with last minute routine change … Not so fun is it?
I have especially had all the individuals with Autism (and their families) in my thoughts and prayers. 🙏🏼
I know how incredibly stressful any change in routine can be and this is a bunch all at once.
I’m a huge fan of Lita’s books so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review this new one. Here’s what I LOVE about it:
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Gorgeous rich illustrations in deep calming colors.
Great message of being patient, waiting and enjoying silence.
Large easy to read text on each 2-page spread. I love that some pages have minimal text so the focus can be on the details in the illustrations.
Peep’s sounds are fun for kids to attempt to imitate (ploppety splop, swish swoooooo, scrrinkle scrattle, schweepity peep, chickity choot, hoooo, scwheeee, thwump, etc….).
As an added bonus, there are a few opportunities for kids yoga activities based on the illustrations and text: owl, rooftop partners, star, crescent moon, blowing wind breath, tree, squirrel, bird, mouse, snowflake, self hug, etc.
OMazing Kids AAC Consulting 