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
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.
Thinking about getting an AAC app? Many AAC apps typically go on sale for a few days in April (or May) and October. You can see the pricing history for any app on the AppSliced website (https://appsliced.co/apps) and watch Lauren Enders’ page for her round up posts of AAC app sale dates/details (https://www.facebook.com/LaurenSEndersMaCccSlp/).
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Looking for a way to try out AAC apps before making a purchasing decision? If you are in the USA, all states are supposed to have an Assistive Technology Lending Library program where you can borrow AAC devices, iPads with AAC apps & other AT for short-term trial. It’s a great way to try various options out before making purchasing decisions. How to find the AT Lending Library in your state: https://www.at3center.net/stateprogram
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.)
Free printable AAC core board with alphabet, numbers, shapes & colors (4 page PDF that you can print, assemble and laminate). It was recently shared in the AAC for the SLP Facebook group (original source seen on Pinterest from the Angelman Syndrome Foundation but the link is broken… appears to be no longer available on their website). I saved it to my blog:
Avokiddo has just released Thinkrolls Space, a new app in their “Thinkrolls” collection, and it’s awesome! Highly recommended 😊
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I previously used Thinkrolls apps extensively in my work as a SLP to work on problem solving, sequencing, logic, etc… and like to play the games myself as well. This newest one has a fun space theme, extra characters that can be unlocked by collecting stars and hearts along the journey (adding another opportunity to strategize the best route to collect the most), has an “easy” level with 110 puzzle paths on 7 planets and a “hard” level with 108 puzzle paths on 7 planets, high quality graphics and sound effects and is a blast to play.
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Navigate through seven unique-themed planets, each focusing on a different set of skills and puzzle elements. Throughout, you’re encouraged to experiment. You’ll learn through trial and error to combine elements, as well as how to build on successive lessons to strengthen creative thinking, logic, problem solving, spatial cognition, and memory. Look for the key and exit gate. Try to visualize your route. Use and combine objects to clear a path, get the key, and move to the exit. Trapped? No problem. Just tap the reset button at the top right of the screen and try again. The app offers unlimited, penalty-free retries, and no time limits. This along with the option to toggle off the background music contribute to it being special needs friendly.
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Since the puzzles are designed to be solved in order, levels are greyed out at the beginning and become available as you go along. To facilitate the app review process, the app developer provided me with a code to unlock all levels. This way I could visit any planet without having to complete all previous levels. Based on my experience working with numerous kids with special needs who became very frustrated when they couldn’t finish a game it would be nice if the app developer could add this “unlock all levels” in the settings area in a future update.
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Progress is saved automatically so you can pick up where you’ve left off. Puzzles become increasingly harder combining skills learned earlier in the game.
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The easy level is recommended for younger kids (5+). As I tested the app I found the “easy” level of Thinkrolls Space to be a bit harder than the “easy” levels in the Thinkrolls 1 & Thinkrolls 2 apps with Planet 7 in the “easy” level requiring the most thinking ahead several steps to formulate a plan. The hard level is more challenging (targeted for older kids (8+) and even adults). This new app is definitely easier than the Thinkrolls Kings and Queens app but there were several puzzles in the “hard” level that I found to be very challenging and a few that I ended up skipping after several attempts. But I may come back and solve those later 😊
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The app allows you to create up to six separate player profiles, which is useful if multiple users share the same device. The selected difficulty mode is player-specific and can be changed at any time. Progress, collected hearts and stars, as well as won characters are also player-specific.
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The elements: In Thinkrolls Space, you’ll meet goo monsters, bleeping robots, spring-like soprano aliens, and cheese monsters who love munching moon cheese. You’ll face vanishing rainbow bridges, plasma fields, teleporters, and more. Each of these can help or hinder.
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Helpful info and tips on how to play can be found in a “for parents” section that is secured behind a parental gate in the top left corner of the home screen.
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There are no third-party ads or in-app purchases in this app. But there is a link to other apps by this developer in the bottom left corner of the home screen. It would be nice if that area could be toggled off and/or add a much more difficult parental gate since it contains links to purchasing other apps. The current parental gate could be easily hacked by older children who can read. In the meantime I will secure this area with Guided Access. Of course it is always wise to have a strong password set for purchasing apps and to toggle off app purchasing in the settings area on any iPad that a child is using.
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I highly recommend this new app and hope the developer continues to release more Thinkrolls in the future.
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Retired Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist with 28 years experience …. still figuring out what I want to “do” in this next phase of life. 😎
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC
Yup…. I’m really retiring in 1 week. I’ve been doing this for 28 years and am very excited to “despeechify” my life and start a whole new adventure. Info about my retirement sale can be found on this post: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2018/04/14/omazing-kids-slp-retirement-sale-what-i-have-where-i-will-be-selling-it/.
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I have received numerous messages asking “What will happen to your blog?” & “Where can we find info about apps that are free or on sale for a great deal?”. So I wrote this post to pass along info.
. What will happen to my blog and social media sites:
I am planning on leaving my blog and social media sites up for 12 months after I retire to allow folks plenty of time to save any free printables, workshop presentation handouts, the big post listing apps for SLPs by goal areas, the big blog post with tips about how SLPs can get FREE access to AAC apps, AAC app user groups, funding options & more, AAC core vocabulary ideas, kids yoga lesson plans and other info that I have shared over the years. I’ll decide later what to do with my blog and social media sites beyond that.
. Reviews:
I am not accepting any requests to do any new reviews for products, books or apps. I have a couple of reviews that are currently in process but those will be the last ones that I do.
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Blog:
I will be doing very few new blog posts or updates to previous posts since I will be focused on selling off my stash of materials and getting our house sold so my husband and I can move to the mountains in Colorado and do some traveling.
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If you run into dead links on old blog posts please keep in mind that all links were active at the time that blog post was done. Please use Google to look for whatever that resource might have been.
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If you are looking for something on my blog, please use the “search” feature.
. How to find info about app deals:
If you still have an iPad running something prior to iOS 11, then these are the two ways that I use to find apps that are either free or on sale for a great deal that day:
Unfortunately most of the large app review sites have either disappeared, post very infrequently or have moved on to focusing on reviews for products. To be honest by the time some sites post about an app being free I have already found it myself using the methods listed above.
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AAC App Sales:
Be sure to follow Lauren Enders’ Facebook page for the most reliable info about upcoming AAC app sales:
The AAC for the SLP is also a helpful group to brainstorm case options.
* Looking for non-AAC apps with certain features or to target specific goals? Since I will no longer be doing therapy I won’t be keeping up on these details. Unfortunately I don’t have a specific place to refer you to for this.
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I rarely check the e-mail that I have associated with this blog since it is flooded with spam mail and after retirement will only occasionally respond to questions on Facebook unless they are specifically related to my retirement sale. It is hard for me to walk away from something that I spent so much time on but need to do so to focus on the future.
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Thanks to everyone who has left kind comments or messages. I’m glad that you have found my posts helpful over the years 😃.
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5/14/21 – This old blog post from April 2018 has been archived. This resource started as ablog post where I documented core words in picture books that I was selling when I retired from clinical practice. I remember sitting in my living room surrounded by piles of over 1,200 kids picture books and Post It notes. Later I expanded it to include more books that I had used digitally and offered it on TPT after I had received numerous requests for it.
An updated and expanded list is available in this download over on my new Teachers Pay Teachers store. Be sure to click “Follow” on my store to get notifications when new items are added and updates are made.
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.)
There have been LOTS of folks interested in what is happening to my stash of materials, books, games, toys, etc. when I retire. I have been flooded with Facebook messages on my personal account and on OMazing Kids. So much so that I realized that I need to write this blog post with details to make it easier to share.
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First off here’s what I DON’T have: no tests, no test protocols, no Kaufman apraxia kits, no decks of articulation cards, no materials for feeding & swallowing. The hospital where I work has those. Plus I typically use my iPad with high quality apps to work on articulation. I am not selling my Boardmaker CD.
. Here’s what I DO have and where I will be selling those items. I am only shipping items within the USA:
Books (regular kids picture books that I have organized by themes): I have LOTS of these books. All are in great condition (may have name on cover). A few are board books, a few are paperback and most are hardcover. These can be shipped inexpensively via media mail shipping. I am selling these books in my own OMazing Kids SLP Retirement Sale group since the group has gained quite a few members and things are now selling pretty quickly there 😃.
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Plush Book Buddies: I have a few that I will be selling as a Book + Book Buddy set and several plush Book Buddies that I will be selling separately. Prices will vary and will be included in that post in my own OMazing Kids SLP Retirement Sale group. Plush Book Buddies cannot be shipped via media mail. The shipping costs will be based on the weight, size of box, how many zones it crosses in shipping, etc.
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Books for targeting Core Vocabulary for AAC users: I will be selling these in my own OMazing Kids SLP Retirement Sale group. These are priced a little higher than my regular book bundles due to their unique usefulness in targeting specific goals.
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Specialty books (books for kids yoga, books to target specific speech & language goals, etc.) – I will be selling these in my own OMazing Kids SLP Retirement Sale group. These are priced a little higher than my regular book bundles due to their unique usefulness in targeting specific goals.
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Kids music CDs – I have a lot of great kids music that I used when teaching a variety of groups and during therapy sessions. I also have kids yoga CDs. I will be selling all of them either in my own OMazing Kids SLP Retirement Sale group or my garage sale. Prices vary. See list on each post. All in very good condition. May have name on cover and/or on the CD. These can be shipped inexpensively via media mail shipping.
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Kids DVDs – I have several kids yoga and mindfulness DVDs and a few other kids DVDs. All are in good condition (may have name on cover). Prices vary. They will be sold in the CD post described above. These can be shipped inexpensively via media mail shipping.
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Therapy books – including several books from Hanen, books for teaching social skills, books for teaching self regulation skills, books with strategies for stuttering, language, Autism, early literacy, AAC manuals, etc…. Prices will vary. all are in good condition (may have name on cover) and can be shipped inexpensively via media mail. These will be sold in my own OMazing Kids SLP Retirement group. Some may be sold as part of “Build your own specialty book bundles” (see info above).
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Therapy card decks & materials: I have a few Super Duper fun decks (Function Match Up, Yes/No, Multiple Meaning Words, Syllable Drilling, What Does Miss Bee See, Rebus Infer a Word, Auditory Memory for WH questions fun deck, Phonemic Awareness). Also have from Super Duper: Anytime Go Togethers, Webber Inferencing Big Deck, Sequencing Verb Tenses. Lots of other language stuff from various companies. All are in good condition (may have name on box). Several are hard to find since they are no longer available from that company. These items cannot be shipped via media mail. The shipping costs will be based on the weight, size of box, how many zones it crosses in shipping, etc. (I’ve seen conflicting info about whether “flash cards” are considered eligible for media mail. I asked in person at my local post office and even they did not have a definitive answer…. so it’s not worth risking especially since many are in metal storage tins.). Given the shipping costs I anticipate selling most of these items at my in home garage sale (see details below).
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Therapy games: I have a few games specifically designed for language, spatial concepts, storytelling, categories, colors, shapes, articulation, early literacy, etc…. These items cannot be shipped via media mail. The shipping costs will be based on the weight, size of box, how many zones it crosses in shipping, etc. Given the shipping costs I anticipate selling most of my therapy games at my in home garage sale (see details below).
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Games: I have lots of games. All are in good condition. I even have the much sought after Cranium Cariboo (in pristine condition – Update: SOLD) and also much sought after Candyland Castle (also in pristine condition). Due to the demand for those two games I will be selling them on my own OMazing Kids page or my OMazing Kids SLP Retirement Sale group. Games cannot be shipped via media mail. The shipping costs will be based on the weight, size of box, how many zones it crosses in shipping, etc. Given the shipping costs I anticipate selling most of my games at my in home garage sale (see details below).
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Toys: I have a ton of toys. All are in good working condition. I have several items by Melissa & Doug, Fisher Price, Playskool, etc. Also have several sensory items. Toys cannot be shipped via media mail. The shipping costs will be based on the weight, size of box, how many zones it crosses in shipping, etc. Given the shipping costs I anticipate selling most of my toys at my in home garage sale (see details below).
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Other stuff:
Materials for making communication books & visual schedules
Storage containers, work bins, finished bins
AAC stuff
Visual supports & Time Timers
Things that have been symbol adapted
Symbol-supported teaching materials
a Sensory Storytime kit for “Dog’s Colorful Day”
an Owl Bumpidoodle cushion & things for a “calm down” kit
Tiggly stylus sets
Kids styluses
Props used in kids yoga classes
Kids yoga card decks
iON Clipster Bluetooth speakers (used to amplify iPad for AAC)
Bluebee Pals Bluetooth plush animal speakers
Posters
Clipboards
Award certificates (what I used when kids “graduated” from therapy)
Other random stuff….. etc….
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Tips for Facebook buy-sell-trade groups:
join my OMazing Kids SLP Retirement Sale group: (group set to inactive now)
be sure to change the settings for “notifications” to “all posts”.
Payment is made via PayPal. If purchasing a bundle you must have the minimum number of items or $ amount for that bundle. Then I will send an invoice via PayPal. Please make sure your mailing address is correct in the PayPal system. After you pay your invoice that is the address that I will use to ship items to you.
*** UPDATE: I will no longer be selling things in any BST group other than my own OMazing Kids SLP Retirement Sale group. Too many fishy shenanigans going on in other groups. ****
. In Home Garage Sale: For those of you who live in Oklahoma (or want to make a road trip here) here are details about my in home garage sale. I have my living room set up with shelving, bookcases & tables full of all the stuff listed above. I’m trying to sell off most of the stuff that can be shipped via media mail before then…. ’cause right now there is barely a path. I knew I had a lot of stuff but the sheer magnitude of my speechie hoarding is now very apparent that I have it all in my living room (and have totally taken over the tables in my kitchen and dining room as I sort, weigh and prep for mailing items. You should have seen the looks that I got lugging my huge tub filled with boxes into the Post Office to ship earlier this week 👀 Yup. I was “that” person we all hate being behind 😂🤣). I’ll post a pic on my page and group once I get everything organized and priced so you can see what I mean by a “SLP hoarders stash”.
When: Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 9:00am-1:00pm CST
Where: in the living room of my home in Norman, Oklahoma. Please send me a private Facebook message for my address. Please only message me if you will be coming and please don’t pass my address along to anyone else. I don’t want the general public showing up. This is a specialty sale geared towards therapists (SLP, OT, PT) and teachers.
Payment Options: Cash only at the in home garage sale.
I cannot hold items since I need to get everything sold and paid for quickly to be able to prepare for selling our home.
Also there are no returns or exchanges for this same reason.
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Feel free to message me on Facebook with any questions.
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga (note: Facebook frequently changes the link to messaging so if this one doesn’t work head over to my page and click on the “Send Message” button)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
Spanish AAC Apps, Devices & Resources (Hablo con CAA)
It can be challenging to find information about and resources for AAC in languages other than English. Since Spanish is the most common language after English in my state I have compiled a list to make it easier to share with parents:
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Hablo con CAA is a great website in Spanish: https://habloconcaa.wordpress.com. They also have a Facebook page & Facebook group. Most posts are in Spanish.
* PRC’s Accent series of devices with UNIDAD bilingual English – Spanish language system.
* Saltillo’s NovaChat series of devices. Several Spanish pageset options.
* Tobii Dynavox offers Snap + Core First in several dedicated devices. This vocabulary has a bilingual Spanish/English option.
. Robust AAC apps:
(For this app: https://www.attainmentcompany.com/gotalk-now. The same guide should be applicable to the other versions of the app. I use this version: https://www.attainmentcompany.com/gotalk-now-plus). The Users Guide is also available within the help section in the apps. The Spanish version will only appear if the iPad’s language is set to Spanish (Settings > General > iPad Language & Regions). Then, when in the app, if you go to the Help section it will display the Spanish guide.
More info: As you adjust the language on that iPad (Settings > General > iPad Language & Regions) the buttons in the app are translated and the user guide has been translated for Chinese, Czech, English, Finnish, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, and Ukrainian. Then, for Danish and Greek, the app is translated into the language, but the user guide remains English.
It is also worth noting that the app can be programmed to speak any language supported by the iPad. For instance, someone who speaks French and has a French keyboard downloaded on their iPad, when they use the text-to-speech within the app, it will speak in French.
Fingertip Sphere Breathing for Self Regulation & Calming
I learned this technique during one of the webinars in the Preschool Mindfulness Summit in January. It was amazing to see how well it worked with one of my patients who has Autism (and possibly OCD and Explosive Disorder). This child has a very short fuse and when he explodes it is painful for everyone including him. We had tried several different strategies to help him learn self regulation and self calming skills with little success. The issue was in that explosive moment he was too out of control to use any strategies.
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During our last session he became obsessed over a particular page in a board book, insisting that he had to “see the page in the middle” and then exploding when I removed the book to prevent it from being damaged. I then closed my eyes, placed my fingertips together and slowly expanded them (like a Hoberman Sphere) as I took a deep breath in through my nose and gently pressed them back together as I blew the breath slowly out of my mouth. After about 3 breaths I heard him calming down and he asked “What you doing?”. As I continued my slow breathing process with my eyes closed, I softly said “Ms. Angela is taking a break. ________ (child’s name) yelling scared Ms. Angela. When I get scared I take deep breaths.”. Then I continued doing the fingertip breathing with my eyes closed. Within a second or two I heard him breathing, peeked and saw him imitating what I was doing. Once he was calm I gently placed a new activity in front of him. He started to re-escalate and obsess over wanting the book again so I closed my eyes and started the breathing again. He again imitated and this time calmed down and was able to maintain that state of calm for the rest of our session. I cannot express what a HUGE moment this was for him. As he took a play break after the session I talked with his mother to make sure she understood what I had done and how powerful it would be for her son to experience the ability to self regulate and calm.
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It is important to note that I did not tell this child to “calm down” or to “take a deep breath”. When I calmed and centered myself and modeled this breathing technique he began to imitate what I was doing and then got to experience the power of self calming.
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Moments like this are exactly why I sought out training in kids yoga and mindfulness seven years ago. When a child is totally disregulated they are not going to learn anything I had planned for that session. So I needed tools in the speechie toolbox to help my patients.
Of course I also make referrals as needed to good pediatric psychological services in our area.
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I have shared several resources for “breathing”, “self regulation”, “calming”, “mindfulness” and “social emotional learning” over the years on my blog. You can find those posts easily by doing a search for those terms. I have also shared additional resources out on my OMazing Kids Facebook page. Many of those posts are saved in the photos/albums area…. so feel free to look through those as well.
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This gif shows a Hoberman Sphere in action for those that may not be familiar with it:
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 😃.
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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.
OMazing Kids AAC Consulting 