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
⚠️ Important Warning: iOS 14 was released today. It is NEVER a good idea to install a new iOS when it first comes out. 🛑 There are always glitches…. sometimes big ones that cause devices to “brick” or ones that cause glitches in apps where they either crash or don’t work as expected. The developers of AAC and therapy apps need time to release updates.
Please wait until the developers of those apps announce that it’s safe to download iOS 14. Depending on how complex an app is that may take a few weeks to a few months.
I always keep automatic installation of iOS updates and automatic installation of app updates both toggled OFF.
Make sure your devices are backing up to iCloud and for AAC apps to make sure you back up any programming before installing any updates to those apps or to the iOS.
Be sure to toggle off the setting that automatically offloads apps to free up space. There is a trend in app developers switching to a subscription model and removing older apps.
I know most of us have to rotate apps on/off our devices due to storage issues. Before deciding to delete an app, it’s wise to check to make sure it is still available in the App Store and to read through the descriptions on recent updates to make sure nothing significant has changed (like it switching to a subscription based app). If an app hasn’t been updated in quite awhile that’s a red flag that it may no longer work when a new iOS is rolled out and if you have several apps like that you may want to consider purposefully keeping a device running an older iOS in order not to lose apps. I’m very glad I did that several years ago and still have an iPad running iOS 10.3.3.
Also posted this on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter to spread the word. Please share with anyone you know using an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch for AAC, therapy or learning.
Important Notice: Sadly I cannot recommend this app anymore. The app developer has chosen to price it at $99.99 to force folks over to their newer Speech Blubs app. They have chosen to go with a subscription-based model, are luring folks in with the promise of a free short trial and then charging a $9.99 per month subscription fee. They are also misusing the names of several SLP blogs including my own to promote that new app. On their website they include quotes from reviews for the original app and number of users from that app and are trying to pass them off as being related to this new app. You can see my full blog post with concerns at:
It took a social media blitz to get them to remove the OMazing Kids name from the description for Speech Blubs on the App Store but I just saw they are still using my name on their website and linking back to this post. I have written this update to this post to hopefully force them to quit using the OMazing Kids name on their website, any social media or any app stores (Apple, Google Play, Amazon or any others that might appear in the future). They have seriously messed with the wrong speechie…. I am very active and vocal on social media, am in almost every SLP Facebook group that they might try to lure SLPs in and am definitely not afraid to call them out every single time I see them post.
Also see this post on my Facebook page and the comments section on that post:
{Free App Alert} Cool! Check out the new First Blubs app to encourage kids to imitate the sounds & mouth movements of 22 different animals. Includes peer video modeling, a mirror for video self modeling, virtual animal props, stickers to encourage participation, virtual candy with hidden video surprises or animal facts, and more! This app would be fun to incorporate with play with animal toys or puppets and the Dr. Seuss book or book app “Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?”.
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Get the FREE app (includes the donkey, fish & duck) and then tap on any of the locked animals to unlock the in-app purchase for all of the animals FREE (see the 4 steps in the screenshot). Grab the IAP quickly since it will only be free this week.
{Tips: Be sure to adjust your settings to allow IAPs on your device before attempting to unlock the IAP in this app. Also make sure you have a strong WiFi connection and be patient as it takes a bit for all the animals to download after you unlock them}
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First Blubs – Speech Delay Therapy with Animal Sounds by Blub Blub https://appsto.re/us/_eOPdb.i, iOS Universal (works on iPad, iPhone or iTouch running iOS 8.0 or later)
Found out about the IAP being free via this post on the app developer’s page and then verified by unlocking the IAP on my iPad:
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App video trailer:
Check out their website for more info, tips and how to get free coloring pages to go with the app.
Their website also has a place to subscribe for a notification when the Android version of the app is released.
. Wishes for a future app update: My wish for a future app update would be for them to add these tips and free coloring pages with the option to print them each individually as a PDF in the settings area on the app rather than having to go to a website or to e-mail to request the coloring sheets. It would also be nice to add the name of the animal on the sticker screen and the practice screen to promote early literacy skills and to aide in the adult knowing what the animal is. Most are obvious but I wasn’t able to guess that the duck was a duck by the illustration. I also wasn’t sure what the two different birds were.
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Excited to see on their website that they have more apps in the works in this series 🙂
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OMazing Kids AAC Consulting 