Category Archives: Windows

Great Portable Bluetooth Keyboard for AAC (iOS, Android, Windows)

Posted on by

My latest tech rabbit hole to go down is use of an external Bluetooth keyboard with AAC. I’ve gotten a few inquiries related to this recently so I decided to see what I could find.

Features: I wanted something that could be used across all of my tech (iOS, Android, Windows), is affordable, portable, reliable, easy to pair, has a nice feel to the keys, has a slight incline, etc. This keyboard has three separate Bluetooth buttons to be able to toggle easily between three different devices that have been paired to it (not used simultaneously on three devices but makes switching between them very quick).

It’s been surprising to discover how many AAC apps (symbol-based & text-based) support use of an external keyboard. I’ll be adding this info to the next update for my feature matching resources.

I’ve been impressed with the Arteck Universal Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard that I bought on Amazon.com: https://a.co/d/2Qn2f9d. Great price ($17.99 – an extra 20% off = $14.39), has a good feel to it and it fits perfectly in a Vera Bradley pouch that I already had.

Has a nice slight angle
The back
The Vera Bradley “Travel Baby Changing Pad” in the pattern Java Navy Camo. I have two of these and use them to hold all types of tech items. The “changing pad” part of it is separate which allows you to use the pouch part of it for lots of different things.

See more about this Vera Bradley item and what will fit in it on my Vera Bradley YouTube channel:

This item was on sale for a good price when I purchased both of them back in December ($20.75). It’s priced higher now but prices on Amazon change frequently so it’s something that you may want to save in your cart and watch for a good sale: https://a.co/d/dSPfFhM

Important Considerations: These keyboard features would likely be the top features for folks who are able to type on a keyboard on a laptop or computer and are wanting something portable to use with their AAC. A couple of the inquiries that I received were regarding adult AAC users who preferred to type on a keyboard vs. on a device screen, a couple were from folks wanting a keyboard for use when editing & a couple were related to children who have a passion for letters and keyboards (based on the info that I was provided they are likely Gestalt Language Processors with Hyperlexia) and those supporting AAC use thought that they might prefer using an external Bluetooth keyboard. Each situation is unique. If you are wanting to explore external Bluetooth keyboard options for individuals with complex access needs then it’s important to consult with an OT and/or AT Specialist. There are several alternative assistive technology keyboards on the market but those are very specialized, typically much more expensive and may not work across multiple platforms.

It’s important to find a keyboard that’s compatible with whatever operating system is used on that device. I read through tons of reviews prior to deciding to try this particular keyboard. I took the time to add my own review for it on Amazon to help others find it more quickly than I did. That’s also the reason that I decided to post about it on social media and write this blog post.

Looking for in-depth AAC feature matching resources? See this blog post: https://bit.ly/5aacFeatureMatchingResources. That post also includes videos comparing AAC apps on various devices on various platforms.

The feature matching charts for both the symbol-based and text-based AAC apps have been updated to add a row with details about whether or not that app supports use of an external Bluetooth keyboard and info related to whether or not you first have to tap the Message Window to place the cursor, if the Enter key can be used to speak the contents of the Message Window, etc…

Have a question? The best way to reach me is via Facebook messaging over on my OMazing Kids page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

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

• Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Omazing-Kids-Aac-Consulting

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/amoorad1

• Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/omazingkidsaac

• OMazing Kids AAC Consulting Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

• AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/

• GoTalk Now AAC & GoVisual Visual Scene Apps – Ideas and Sharing Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/GoTalkNowAACappGroup

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkidsaac

• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amoorad

• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/amoorad1

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamooradomazingkidsaac

• Blog: https://omazingkidsllc.com

Updated 12-26-22: Basic Feature Chart for Affordable and Free AAC apps & AAC-Related Apps (iOS, Android Google Play, Amazon Fire, Windows + a few Web-Based options). Now also includes info about apps available for Chromebook

Posted on by

Updated resource: Basic Feature Chart for Affordable and Free AAC apps & AAC-Related Apps (iOS, Android Google Play, Amazon Fire, Windows + a few Web-Based options). Now also includes info about apps available for Chromebook.

Those who have previously purchased it on TPT can download the most current version for no additional cost: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Basic-Feature-Chart-for-Affordable-and-Free-AAC-apps-AAC-Related-Apps-8327157.

Ko-fi recurring monthly subscribers can find the download link on today’s post: https://ko-fi.com/post/Updated-12-26-22-Affordable-and-Free-AAC-Apps-Cha-B0B8HBX1I or the pinned post: https://ko-fi.com/Post/Links-to-posts-about-most-current-feature-matching-F1F5C9DMD

Looking for in-depth up to date info to compare features in AAC apps for iOS, Android, Amazon Fire and Windows? Check out my 5 AAC Feature Matching resources: https://bit.ly/5aacFeatureMatchingResources

Have questions? The best way to reach me is via Facebook messaging over on my OMazing Kids page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

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

• Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Omazing-Kids-Aac-Consulting

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/amoorad1

• Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/omazingkidsaac

• OMazing Kids AAC Consulting Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

• AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/

• GoTalk Now AAC & GoVisual Visual Scene Apps – Ideas and Sharing Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/GoTalkNowAACappGroup

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkidsaac

• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amoorad

• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/amoorad1

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamooradomazingkidsaac

• Blog: https://omazingkidsllc.com

AAC Apps and Features At-a-Glance (Single Page Handouts)

Posted on by

New Resource: AAC Apps and Features At-a-Glance (Single Page Handouts). https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/AAC-Apps-and-Features-At-a-Glance-Single-Page-Handouts-8799502

TPT preview video:

This 90 page PDF resource was inspired by the numerous requests that I’ve received for simple “at a glance” info about features in AAC apps and single page handouts that could be used with parents, caregivers and anyone involved in the AAC decision making process.

Table of Contents:

A Preview Sample PDF is available for this resource on TPT. It includes the Table of Contents and a few sample pages.

This resource includes:

• A hyperlinked Table of Contents to jump straight to a page. Tap in the top left corner to jump back to the Table of Contents (when being used digitally)

• 11 Features At-a-Glance Handouts

• 36 AAC App Summary At-a-Glance Handouts (see Table of Contents for a list)

• 12 Gestalt Language Processing & AAC Handouts

• 4 Just-a-List Lists of Free AAC apps Handouts

• 2 unlisted videos (5 min demo of how to view 2 pages side-by-side using Split View & a 20 min Resource Overview)

• Links to additional resources

• How to contact me with questions (includes my email address exclusive to TPT)

These will be helpful on either side of an AAC evaluation that involves feature matching and trials of a few options:

• Beforehand to help simplify the process of knowing which apps and/or features you might want to consider during an AAC eval

• Afterwards to place at-a-glance sheets side by side as a reminder of apps that were included in the trials and help simplify the process of deciding which ones warrant a longer term trial or which one might be selected for submission in a funding request.

• These can also be helpful during the feature matching process to help provide simple explanations about some of the features and why they might be important.

It would be impossible to include all of the features in a particular AAC app on a single page handout. These are just “highlights”. These handouts should be used alongside (not instead of) in-depth up to date feature matching resources.

This resource is optimized for both printed and digital use:

Printed:

• Print a single page first to see if you need to choose “shrink to fit” on your printer. Print pages and place them side-by-side to compare features or apps.

• In order to keep the aesthetic of single page handouts the pages are not numbered. If you want to add page numbers, either write them or use a PDF editing app to add them.

Digital:

• The Table of Contents has hyperlinks to tap a page number to jump straight to that page. Tap the top left corner on any page to return to the Table of Contents.

• There a few other underlined hyperlinks in this resource to take you straight to additional information. I purposefully did not include App Store links since those can vary by country and aren’t always redirected.

• There are several options to view two pages side-by-side to compare features or apps:

• Use two iPads or tablets or open on two windows on a laptop.

• On iPadOS 13.0 or later, save the PDF in two different PDF viewer apps and use Split View to view them. The demo video included in the resource shows how.

• The PDF Expert and GoodNotes 5 apps offer a way to view two documents side-by-side within that one app

Looking for in-depth info about features AAC apps? Check out these resources:

• iOS Symbol-Based: https://bit.ly/SymbolBasedAACapps

• iOS Text-Based: https://bit.ly/TextBasedAACapps

• Visual Scenes & Video Visual Scenes: https://bit.ly/AACvsd

• AAC Feature Matching Resource Bundle (includes all three, save 10%): https://bit.ly/aacFeatureMatchingBundle. If you are looking to purchase resources for several staff / team members, take a look at the Multiple Licenses discount (saves 20%)

• Robust Android AAC Apps (Google Play & Amazon Fire): https://bit.ly/RobustAndroidAACappChart

• Affordable and Free AAC apps & AAC-Related Apps (iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, Windows & a few web-based options): https://bit.ly/BasicAffordableAACchart

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

• Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Omazing-Kids-Aac-Consulting

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/amoorad1

• Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/omazingkidsaac

• OMazing Kids AAC Consulting Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

• AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/

• GoTalk Now AAC & GoVisual Visual Scene Apps – Ideas and Sharing Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/GoTalkNowAACappGroup

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkidsaac

• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amoorad

• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/amoorad1

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamooradomazingkidsaac

• Blog: https://omazingkidsllc.com

New Resource: Basic Feature Chart for Affordable and Free AAC apps & AAC-Related Apps (iOS, Android Google Play, Amazon Fire, Windows + a few Web-Based options)

Posted on by

This new resource was inspired by the frequent requests that I receive for info about less expensive options and for info about apps for devices beyond just the iPad. Everything featured in this chart is priced under $10

Available on TPT: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Basic-Feature-Chart-for-Affordable-and-Free-AAC-apps-AAC-Related-Apps-8327157

Recurring Ko-fi subscribers can find the free download link on this post: https://ko-fi.com/post/Basic-Feature-Chart-for-Affordable-and-Free-AAC-Y8Y7E02Q1 or https://ko-fi.com/Post/Links-to-posts-about-most-current-feature-matching-F1F5C9DMD

It has 11 columns with the following info for each app:

• App Name

• App Store link(s)

• Website

• Price

• Is it Robust (Yes, Partially, No, or Not applicable)

• Type of App

• Type of Keyboard

• Voice Options (includes option for Recorded Speech)

• Option to Play Videos

• Backup & Sharing capabilities

• Basic info about other features in the app. For iOS, it includes info about device compatibility and minimum iOS requirements

There are 123 rows with apps available across each of the major platforms: Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon & Windows + a few Web-Based options

Why this is helpful to you is I have done all of the digging and sifted through hundreds of apps to get you straight to the ones worth considering. This is a vetted resource where everything was tested on my personal devices.

Preview video:

See the description on my TPT store for more info about this new resource and why it was created.

Have a question? The best way to reach me is via Facebook messaging over on my OMazing Kids page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

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

• Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Omazing-Kids-Aac-Consulting

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/amoorad1

• Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/omazingkidsaac

• OMazing Kids AAC Consulting Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

• AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/

• GoTalk Now AAC & GoVisual Visual Scene Apps – Ideas and Sharing Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/GoTalkNowAACappGroup

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkidsaac

• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amoorad

• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/amoorad1

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamooradomazingkidsaac

• Blog: https://omazingkidsllc.com

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