Podcasts about proloquo2go

Today we had the opportunity to sit down with Katja Piscitelli and chat all things gestalt language processing! Katja, also known as @BohoSpeechie on Instagram, is a pediatric speech-language pathologist. She owns her own practice called Total Spectrum Speech. We talked about what gestalt language processing even MEANS, how it applies to our kiddos, and ways that we as parents, teachers, and providers can help our exceptional children. This was such a great episode and we are so excited to share it with you! If you don't already follow Katja on IG, be sure you go find her! Her content is so helpful! In addition, we mentioned a few apps: TD Snap, Proloquo2go, Touch Chat, and Nova Chat. We also mentioned a few other notable items/people/websites: Katja Piscitelli - www.totalspectrumtherapy.org - @bohospeechie Marg Blanc - www.communicationdevelopmentcenter.com Lisa Baskin Wright (@lisabaskinwright) Meaningful Speech (@meaningfulspeech) - Meaningful Speech Course

Hallie and her guest Alexia Bassin discuss AAC and high school studentsIn this episode, we're thrilled to welcome Alexia Bassin, a seasoned speech-language pathologist with 15 years of experience in the NYC Public Schools! With a passion for empowering fellow SLPs, Alexia shares her journey working in special education and her expertise in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). From her role as an assistive technology evaluator to creating 'AAC Corner,' a series of bite-sized videos to help SLPs master AAC, Alexia's dedication shines through. Tune in for practical tips, collaboration advice, and real-world strategies that will help you elevate your AAC game in the classroom. Let's dive into all things AAC!Bullet Points to Discuss:Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)Age-Respectful CommunicationExpanding AAC Beyond RequestsResources and SupportAdapting to Technology ChangesAdvice for Newcomers to AACHere's what we learned:Evolution of AAC technology from clunky devices to apps like Proloquo2Go.Importance of choosing a flexible AAC system that grows with the student.Leveraging Instagram and online communities to stay updated on AAC strategies and tools.Balancing student interests (e.g., Disney Cars) with age-appropriate content.Encouraging exploration of new, age-respectful topics through AAC.Collaboration with teachers and other related service providers to implement successful strategies.Learn more about Alexia Bassin:Instagram: alexia_slp_chroniclesTikTok: lex_slp_chroniclesLearn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP:  

April is autism acceptance month. If I had the ability to make a change, I would like to upload my speaking voice into communication apps like Proloquo2Go. This would be a huge benefit to those that don't have the ability to speak. This would also give people an opportunity to choose from a synthesize voice to a natural one. Spread the word on social media. #AutismAcceptanceMonth.

In this episode, I gave an overview of the top six AAC applications and how to get access to them. I discussed some features of Lamp Words for Life, Touch Chat HD, Tobii Dynabox Snap or TV Snap, Go Talk Now, Proloquo2Go, Cough Drop, and how to obtain trial devices.

This week, we share Part 2 of Chris's conversation with Kristina Edie (SLP), Erica Sauer (Director of Special Programs), Joy Mockbee (OT), and Bernadette Wiley (PT/AAC) with Hancock County Schools in West Virginia. They continue to talk with Chris about the Specific Language System First approach and how it might work for their district, including how to choose the “tier 1/2” device that you give every AAC user.   Before the interview, Rachel shares about working with a new client who has had some difficulty with implementation over the last 5 years with other therapists. Her client's school-based SLP recently recommended that the AAC User should go to a paper based book to communicate. The SLP said Rachel's client wasn't using the device “functionally” because he sometimes hit different buttons and treated the device like a “toy”. When Rachel got a chance to work with the student, she was blown away by all of the ways that this AAC User can communicate, and Rachel was frustrated that he was being denied robust AAC when the problem is poor implementation.   Key Ideas This Week:  

Today we had the opportunity to sit down with Katja Piscitelli and chat all things gestalt language processing! Katja, also known as @BohoSpeechie on Instagram, is a pediatric speech-language pathologist. She owns her own practice called Total Spectrum Speech. We talked about what gestalt language processing even MEANS, how it applies to our kiddos, and ways that we as parents, teachers, and providers can help our exceptional children. This was such a great episode and we are so excited to share it with you! If you don't already follow Katja on IG, be sure you go find her! Her content is so helpful! In addition, we mentioned a few apps: TD Snap, Proloquo2go, Touch Chat, and Nova Chat. We also mentioned a few other notable items/people/websites: Katja Piscitelli - www.totalspectrumtherapy.org - @bohospeechie Marg Blanc - www.communicationdevelopmentcenter.com Lisa Baskin Wright (@lisabaskinwright) Meaningful Speech (@meaningfulspeech) - Meaningful Speech Course  

Today is #WorldAutismAwarenessDay. If I had the ability to make a change, I would like to upload my speaking voice into communication apps like Proloquo2Go. This would be a huge benefit to those that don't have the ability to speak. This would also give people an opportunity to choose from a synthesize voice to a natural one. Spread the word on social media. #WorldAutismAwarenessDay.

This week, Rachel interviews Chloe Rothschild, an autistic advocate, author, teacher, and speaker who uses AAC to communicate part-time. Chloe currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Arc, a disability advocacy group, as well as working with the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence. Chloe joins the podcast to share her amazing insights into using different communication modalities depending upon the demands of the situation, as well as a discussion of using her Apple Watch for AAC, working with nonspeaking children in an autistic classroom, why she like to use symbols to communicate even though she is a fast typer, and more!    Key ideas this week:  

This week, Chris interviews Ken Hackbarth, Christine Baudin, and Micheal Dicpinigaitis about 3D printing custom items related to assistive technology, including keyguards! Ken, Christine, and Michael share about discuss Ken's website volksswitch.org, which has resources for how to create files for 3D printers that tell it to build a keyguard that fits an iPad with AAC apps perfectly.    Before the interview, Rachel and Chris talk about environmental core boards (e.g. “playground boards”) and some considerations to make before you install one, including making sure that the board is at the correct height for the students who will be using it.   Key ideas this week:   One great thing about volksswitch.org is that they provide an app that lets you customize your keyboard based on several common combinations of iPads, cases, and the most common AAC apps (e.g. LAMP WFL, Proloquo2go, TouchChat). This allows someone with limited coding and engineering experience to create and print a keyguard effectively.    Michael sells 3D printed keyboards on his Etsy website, https://www.etsy.com/shop/AdaptedCreations. In addition to selling keyguards, he also sells cases that match the keyguards, switch adapted toys, and switch mounts.   One reason that keyguards were an obvious choice for 3D printing is the high cost of getting a keyguard laser cut (approximately $80-$150). The materials used in 3D printing are inexpensive, so as long as you have the printer you can make many 3D printed keyguards for the price of one laser cut keyguard.   Visit talkingwithtech.org to access previous episodes, resources, and CEU credits that you can earn for listening to TWT episodes!   Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!

Kristin has a very special guest on today, Gina Glasgow. Gina is a mom of two, wife and a extremely funny blogger. I am being serious- before you listen to this episode go take a peek at her instagram reelfunnywithgigi. Gina talks about how it really is to have two children on the spectrum. We talk about the common misconceptions about children on the spectrum and we talk about how can other children include children on the spectrum. You do not want to miss this informative/ educational episode.Gina Glasgow Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/reelfunnywithgigi/Gina Glasgow Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@reelfunnywithgigi?lang=enAAC Device (his voice) - iPad that Gina was gifted from Carmine and Christopher from The DeSantis Foundation.http://www.crdesantis.org/Then downloaded the Proloquo2Go it's an app for her son to use to communicate with everyone for his wants and need

This week, we present Part 2 of Rachel's interview with Alma Partida (@aacforyouandme on Insta), Sarah Lee (@aac_together), Melissa Tapia (@hablame_de_language), and Maria De Leon (@code.switch.slp) about Bilingüe AAC, a platform that supports evidence-based, culturally affirming Spanish AAC. In this segment of the interview, the Bilingüe AAC team provides lots of useful information, including research that supporst bilingualism for AAC users, some of the myths of bilingual AAC, and information you can share with families who are hesitant to teach an AAC user two languages. To listen to Part 1 of this interview, click here.   Before the interview, Rachel and Chris answer a question posed by Patreon member Anna, who has a 15-year-old autistic son who is a complex communicator and AAC user. He has a verbal vocabulary of around 200 words, and a more limited AAC vocabulary. Her son went to a well-regarded ABA school, where they they used AAC to only teach only fringe words and as a backup to verbal speech when they couldn't understand him. His mother learned more about AAC implementation and moved him to a new school. Now, the new SLP wants her son to use a different vocabulary template (in his case, Crescendo for Proloquo2go) that better supports core language, and Anna wanted to know how best to transition her son from his old vocabulary template to his new one.    Key ideas this week:  

This week, Chris interviews Stacey Maijala, an SLP who recently started a new AT Specialist position in Michigan that supports 13 school districts and five transition programs. Stacey had lots of questions for Chris about creating a lending library for technology, providing AT and AAC to everyone through Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), informing teachers about Tier 1 resources (i.e. resources available to everyone without the need for an evaluation or special education eligibility), and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel discuss a patreon users question - is it OK to choose one particular AAC software application (eg. LAMP WFL, Proloquo2Go) as your “go-to” choice for new AAC users? Chris and Rachel describe the “system first approach” and why that is a valid reason for choosing one system over others. Chris and Rachel also touch upon making one AAC app your “Tier 1” option if you are using a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support model.   Key ideas this week:   

Zafer Elcik - Otsimo   The following is the written transcript of the audio recording of my interview of Zafer Elcik of Otsimo, which you can listen to in the podcast version of this post. This transcription was aided by Otter.     SPEAKERS Anne Zachry, Zafer Elcik   Anne Zachry Thank you so much for being in this podcast with me today. I really, truly appreciate you making the time, especially since we're having to accommodate international time zones, and I'm here in the United States and you're in Turkey. If you don't mind, could you just go ahead and give us just a brief introduction of yourself and your product?   Zafer Elcik Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. My name is Zafer. I am co-founder of Otsimo. At Otsimo, we are developing apps for kids with special needs, mostly for autism, Down Syndrome, and mental challenge. What we are trying to do is to provide early intensive education to the mobile devices and the speech therapy, as well. I have a brother with autism. He has been vulnerable for a long time. And I realized that he has special interest in smart devices one day, but I couldn't find any suites or apps for my brother. The typical apps have a lot of advertisements, as well as, like, they have a lot of sounds, animations, and so on, and my brother actually liked to play with them, but he ended up with a bad situation. I decided to create app companies just helping kids on the spectrum. Well, right now we have kids all across the US, UK, as well as Turkey. We have already met the Minister of Education of Turkey. We reach education and speech therapy all across the world through the mobile device.   Anne Zachry That is so cool. That's such a powerful outcome to make happen. That's such an accomplishment. That's so cool.   Zafer Elcik Thank you.   Anne Zachry Oh, thank you. So well, one of the things that because we're here in the United States, and we're constantly advocating for kids with special needs to get the services they're supposed to be getting and the supports that they need. And, very definitely, the whole issue of alternative communication methods and kids who have language impairments who can't get their words out, but that doesn't mean they don't have words ... I mean, I've worked for over 30 years with kids with every kind of disability you can imagine, and lots and lots of kids on the autism spectrum with language challenges, but also across all age groups. And, so one of the things I wanted to ask you about - because I did download and install your app and mess around with it, so I could become familiar with it - the graphics and the imagery, and the age ranges that look like on the app max out at like seven and older. And, for my kids on the spectrum who are middle school and high school age or young adult age, they don't see themselves necessarily in the apps, and the tools that are are out there for children who are younger. And, the accommodations they need evolve over time as they get older, and they may still have the language skills of a very young child, but they are still a teenager on the inside. And, so, my question to you was, "Is there ... are there plans to expand the app to have a version that is more grown up and more adult looking and more age appropriate for teens and young adults that will follow them into college?" Because I'm seeing kids who everybody thought they would never go to college. But once they get the help was like "Oh, hey! That's a possibility for you, now ..."   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry ... but these tools can't follow them necessarily. And so my question to you is, "Are you looking to expand it to for to make the tool something that will support older users, especially as your kids get older ... your child users?"   Zafer Elcik Yeah, actually, it's a great question, because my brother is getting older and older. And, we try to test with my brother as well to what the level will be of the new content in the app. Like, at Otsimo, we approach early and intensive education, because, like, you heard a lot of the time that you know it, like, if the kids can get early and intensive education, it affects our ...   Anne Zachry Right, right. Those are my kids who are now growing up and going to college, who, when we first started when they were four and five years old, that wasn't even a thought. But, now that they're 18, it's like, "Oh my gosh! Look what you can do!", because we got all those services when they were little.   Zafer Elcik That's because, like, I realized that, in the US, as well as in Turkey - I mean - a lot of countries in the world, because, like, we have a lot of users all across the world, and we realized that, like, getting a diagnosis and, then after that, getting the first education is a really big hassle. Like, in the US, as well, like, you need to go to IEP meetings ...   Anne Zachry Yep.   Zafer Elcik ... to get what you need, and it's a big hassle and you lose a lot of precious months, sometimes a year, to just getting the education. That's because we, at first, we focused on the, like, really early and intensive skills, like, small hand gestures, or social skills, and so on. But, after that, we really found out that we need to create content for a really diverse community. That's because, like, right now we have more than 100 games, some of them is really easy, some of them is kind of middle school-ish. But we haven't, like, created, like ... I can set it up, like, we ... our apps are at pre-K to K-2, but after K-2, right now, we don't have real content. That's because, right now, we are developing new content every month, just to keep updated. I don't think so we will create content for university or high school and so on, but I believe it's so go we can go to like pre-K to K-8, and so on, in the near future. We will have a lot of content for that.   Anne Zachry Right. Well, definitely the early intervention is a huge part of it. I mean, that's certainly important. And, you know, my background is also in educational psychology. That's what my master's degree is in. And I can tell you from an instructional design standpoint ... but, also I've worked in IT. I've worked it ... I can do some coding, it's not my greatest skill, but it's not like I don't have any coding skills at all. I understand what it takes to build something from scratch in code. And you want to start with the simpler skills and move into the ... progress into the more complex skills, anyway. You know, that those simpler younger skills are foundational, not only for human beings, but also for technology. So, you build on that not only with the kid, but with the tech over time, I would imagine. So, that totally makes sense.   Zafer Elcik Yeah. Right now, we are developing these apps for more than five years, and still, I believe that we are in the, like, really beginning.   Anne Zachry Right.   Zafer Elcik We have more than 20 people. Like, we have psychologist on team. We have educators, developers, designers, testers. A lot of people lately, designers working with us, and so on. And it takes a lot of ...   Anne Zachry I can only imagine. I mean, I'm just trying to envision what all the logistics are of making something happen, you know, like what you're doing. And, it's just ... you know, what you're doing is moving the earth. That's huge. And you said something a moment ago that ...   Zafer Elcik Thank you.   Anne Zachry Thank you ... that really caught my ear, and that was, you know, the diversity within the autism community. And, we have a saying over here that, "When you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism."   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry Because, no two people with autism are alike, you know. Just like everybody else, that no two brains are alike, even if they have a common disorder. And so, how it manifests ... and I've got, you know ... and this goes to my next question is, you know ... I've got situations out here where we have students with IEPs that will say in the IEP that they're supposed to have an AAC device, with hardware and software loaded on it, but they won't specify what they're using. They won't name the device and they won't name the software in the IEP, as though all AAC tech is interchangeable. And, it's not! Each technology is different and nuanced, and every student has to learn that piece of technology as a way to learn language. Like, if you start a kid out on ProLoQuo2Go, and then you move that kid to another school, and they see that, "Oh, well. You've got an an AAC device with some kind of software in your IEP. We have to implement your IEP that you came in with, but we don't know what you were using." And they'll go off and get, you know, a Samsung smart pad with some kind of who-knows-what software installed on it. And it's not the iPad with the ProLoQuo2Go the kid knew how to use from the last school. And so, what happens is their language gets taken away. And so, I guess my question to you then becomes, "If there's other technologies that are going to be used as these children get older, like ProLoQuo2Go, going into the adult world, do you think that it's wise to start them off on something different and then switch them, or does it make more sense to get them accustomed to one piece of technology and have it carry them through, or does it make sense to teach them more than one type of AAC tech so that if one goes out of business, the other one's still around?" I mean, that's my concern. It's about the people in the public schools who tend to think that AAC technology, if they're not specifically trained in it, they think it's plug-and-play, and you can pull one out and push another one in. And, I wonder what your feedback on that what would be.   Zafer Elcik Yeah, my feedback on that, like, is, we have also AAC solution in our special education app.   Anne Zachry Right.   Zafer Elcik We are targeting mostly young children instead of, like, ProLoQuo2Go or other AAC devices as well. And I believe in ... so, like, we need to introduce the AAC to the people and individuals on the spectrum as soon as possible, because, like, we have a lot of research also going on there. AAC actually doesn't have any disadvantages to learning a language. It also have advantages to learning language or concepts of vocabulary, and so on. I believe ... so, we need to, we need to show the AAC in really early stages, because it's helpful for them. And the second thing I need to say: We need to find a way to, like, a different kind of solution. Like, sometimes you need Tobii Dynavox with a eye-tracker device on it ...   Anne Zachry Right.   Zafer Elcik ... and so on, and sometimes you need also some AT with a light reading cue and open source system with you. I think that, like, the schools doesn't ... like, schools must not mandate an AAC over others. They need to accommodate the diversity, the diversity of different assistive technology. That's because, like, I also came across some schools, like, they're using just one tech and they don't want to change, but it doesn't help anyone. Like, it just helped the teachers, maybe the managers there. It doesn't help the kids and the family. Because I think that, like, teachers also have a lot of goals, as well, because of the ... I don't want to say that, but, like, teachers need to accommodate the diverse kids ...   Anne Zachry Yeah. Right.   Zafer Elcik ... diverse problems or ... the diverse solutions of the kid, and find a way to use the ... what the kids like, what the individuals like. Because, like, communication is essential, and when you are changing a device, you're actually changing the whole communication system. And, you force them maybe to voiceless.   Anne Zachry Right.   Zafer Elcik And that's a huge drawback for diverse communities. That's because, I believe it. So they don't need to see a lot of different AAC, but they need to stick with what they feel comfortable.   Anne Zachry Right. It's doesn't do any good to teach a kid how to speak using the tool and then take the tool away from them. And...   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry ... and that's our concern. And that, again, goes back to how special education is legally regulated here, because you can't just go and change things up once it's written into the IEP. That's a legally binding contract that the parents can hold the school to that says, "Hey, these are the things you're supposed to do for my kid." But if the contract itself is flawed, if the what it describes in writing is not appropriate, then that's what's enforceable. And, what we run into is ... Yes, I agree with you that you have way too many school districts that will standardize on a particular technology, because they get bulk discounts. If they buy in bulk from the vendor, they get it less per unit.   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry And so, it's cheaper to get multiple licenses of a particular AAC and a particular device because they can buy those in bulk, because all of these vendors have realized that they can sell more in quantity to the schools if they can convince them that their technology will solve all these problems. And, for a lot of kids it will, but you have to specify what it is in the IEP. Because, if a kid has started out, say, on your technology and it's part of what's being done in the classroom, if it's not written into the IEP, and that child moves to another area, and that IEP has to follow them to the new school, but it doesn't say in there ... that they were using your technology, the new schools not going to know to put that in. And so, what we run into is sort of a mixture of too vague of a description of the accommodation, as well as what you were talking about, what is sometimes is over-specified to the point where there's no flexibility to try anything new.   Zafer Elcik Yeah ... Yeah.   Anne Zachry So, you don't ... you have to strike a balance where there's enough flexibility with the way the document is constructed that trying out new technologies is not prohibited, but what the child is familiar with is also not taken away. And so, it comes down to the wording of the document. And I think that that's something that a lot of solution developers find frustrating when they enter into the American special education system because they're thinking, "Oh, America loves special ed! They actually have laws and they make it free and they do all this stuff!" But, when you actually try to participate in it, it looks a lot different to live through it than it looks like on paper. Yes, there's an embracing of it. But there's also all of these rules that get in the way of actually doing something about it, sometimes. And so, sometimes the rules are there to help, and sometimes they get in the way. And I think that, especially as an international developer, for you coming in to try and insert your product into that kind of situation and have been successful, that's enormous. Because that's not an easy thing for anybody to do. And for you to come from outside of the country, and insert yourself into such a heavily regulated situation, with a solution that people are actually adapting and accepting and using, I think that's huge. So that's ... congratulations on that. That's enormous.   Zafer Elcik Actually, like, the system in the U.S. is changing by state-by-state. And that's because like, maybe it's district-by-district.   Anne Zachry Yeah.   Zafer Elcik You are right. They're involved in that kind of stuff. We here are actually trying to be a company like family-friendly, or special individual-friendly. What we try to provide is an additional value. Like, they can pick what they want. Mostly ... most of the other companies, like there are big corporations in the U.S., like, they are selling bulk, but they don't update the software for a long time or doing anything like that, specifically.   Anne Zachry That's true. Right.   Zafer Elcik That's because, like ... and also, some states and district doesn't ... they need to cover by IEP by law, but they have a lot of that system. That's because kids couldn't reach out for, like, the AAC they need.   Anne Zachry Right.   Zafer Elcik That's because we try to find a way to be an affordable and accessible solution for all families, instead of, like, binding the districts or states to just forcing them into one single product. But, you are also right. On the other side, if the kids started some sort of specific AAC, I think, I believe it, so they need to follow the same system in the other schools or other districts because, like, they learn how to communicate through that. Like, it's something like you learn in English in one nursery; while you carry on your school, you need to ... you're forced to talk in French and ...   Anne Zachry Right.   Zafer Elcik ... it's impossible for you to actually ... it's something like that.   Anne Zachry I agree.   Zafer Elcik ... take a special tech from their hand just because of the bulk discount or so, but it doesn't help anyone.   Anne Zachry Right.   Zafer Elcik It's helping the ... maybe the district managers and so on.   Anne Zachry Exactly. And that's a lot of what we run into is ... we run into administrators who spend zero time in the classroom, who are business office people making decisions that affect the classroom based on finances, which is illegal, but it happens all the time, because they don't know any better. They don't realize their decisions are going to have that big of an impact on a kid. They're not even thinking about that because their business office people. And so, that's I think it's ... we're running into an issue over here with respect to how the bureaucracy is organized. It was created during the Industrial Revolution and emulates a factory. And, even though modern business technology has evolved well beyond that, public education technology has not. Public agency technology has not. The public sector, our government agencies, are decades behind technologically speaking, which I'm sure you've encountered with all of their different business systems ...   Zafer Elcik Yeah, yeah.   Anne Zachry ... and things and accounting systems and was like, none of them are running the same operating system. None of them are running the same software. So, it's a highly disparate situation. And it kind of reminds me when I was working in IT years ago, around the, like, the late 1990s, early 2000s. I went through that whole Y2K thing ... and ... when I was working in IT. And, at the time, the customers that I had for the company I worked with were mostly in the freight forwarding business. And, it was when U.S. Customs was switching to paperless. And, my goodness! The pandemonium and chaos that broke out amongst all of the people who handle paperwork for shipping goods back and forth overseas. I mean, this was all a paper driven processing, and now Customs wanted to go paperless, and it was something. And, nobody had the same operating system. Nobody had the same software. But, everybody's stuff was somehow supposed to magically talk to U.S. Customs electronically. And, making that all come together over the span of like five to seven years was outrageous. But at the same time, I see that now happening in public education where we're finally starting to reach that place where we're just going to have to deal with it in do the upgrades. And, I think that once the upgrades get done, and we get to a more cohesive modern system, that it'll be a lot easier because ... we have better technology being implemented in the classrooms than we having implemented in the business offices. And, I think that that's a lot of the problem is that we have this antiquated bureaucracy responsible for teaching modern children. And so, we have all these innovators like you bringing technology in, but what's it supposed to integrate with? It's like a green cursor on a black screen or an amber cursor on a black screen. I mean, some of the tech is so old. And so, I know that you're having to go in and blaze a trail in a place where, you know, in a space in an industry where technology is not as easily as embraced as it is in other places. So that's another thing that you have to be proud of yourself for, because it's another accomplishment, to be able not only to come into the American market, with all of the regulations involved, but also just all of the backwards technology that you're going to have to overcome. And so you've really taken on something that's enormous. You know, I have one last question. I have a young man on my caseload that I've been with for a very, very, very long time, and he's severely, severely, severely autistic. But he's even more severely intellectually disabled. I think the intellectual disability gets in his way more than the autism does. But, when he was much younger, he was very self-injurious. And he would hit his head against very hard surfaces, like floors, and roads, and walls and ...   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry ... and so he was a head-banger. And, he would hit himself and he would hurt other people. And, it was because he couldn't get his words out. And, when he would speak, people wouldn't take him seriously, because he did a lot of scripting. So they didn't listen to anything he said, even when he was trying to speak for real. And so, it got to the point where the behavior became his method of communication. And it took a long, long time; he had to be institutionalized to break him of that habit, and teach him to use his words again, and to get him to, you know, where he could be more functionally communicative without engaging in these violent behaviors. Unfortunately, in the course of all of this before I, you know ... by the time I got involved with him, a whole lot of harm had already been done. And he had managed to, as best as we can tell, detach his own retinas from head-banging. So, now, he's permanently blind.   Zafer Elcik Oh, wow!   Anne Zachry He hit his head so hard that he blinded himself, or at least that's what the doctors are saying, because he just ... all of a sudden, his retinas peeled off the backsides of his eyeballs and he couldn't see anymore, and, so, you know, and it was after years and years of head-banging against really hard surfaces. And, his school would ... they didn't know what to do with him, so they would just put them in a seclusion room and leave them in there to whack his head on the wall for 45 minutes at a time. And, needless to say, there was a lawsuit. And, you know, we got compensatory services for him. But what we can't do with him, now, is teach him to use a traditional AAC or any kind of device-based technologies where, you know, all these wonderful things like what you created, because he doesn't have eyesight anymore. He can't see the screen.   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry And so, you know, we've had him evaluated by experts to help figure out what we can do for this guy, you know. And, he's now my friend. I love him to death. He's my sweet little lamb. He ... I mean, I don't have any behavior problems with him. But, here he is now, you know, as a young adult finally starting to say, "Okay, well, I think I want to have a life and do something with myself," and the tools and the resources are so now limited for him because of the eyesight loss, because everything for autism was all about visual schedules and visual cues.   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry And, you know ... and I can't do that with him. And so, what we've had to do is, I create tactile schedules for him where I take dollhouse miniatures, and I glue them on a great big piece of foam board. And, I make like a visual schedule, but instead of looking at it, he's got to touch each item, and it moves through a progression so that he can, you know, follow the flow of what it is we're going to do. And once he learns the routine - once he gets that ritual down - he knows the order of events, I don't have to use the schedule with him anymore, because he already knows what's coming. Now he knows the routine. But, to teach him new schedules, I would have to glue together $200 worth of dollhouse miniatures off of Amazon onto a piece of board to give him an idea of what was about to happen. And, what I'm not seeing ... and so, I'm kind of putting it out there, hopefully you'll ... this is something you can think about ... are tools for individuals with autism who are also blind or are deaf and have these sensory impairments on top of the autism that makes the typical solutions inaccessible to them. And just your your thoughts maybe of what you think might be a good way to go in terms of adapting a device for use with someone. Like, I can see if someone has hearing loss ... hearing loss, you could do vibration. You could make the device vibrate ...   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry ... in the absence of sound. But when for someone with vision loss, I don't know how you replicate a visual schedule, other than to just audio record yourself, like in the voice recorder, you know, just speaking your way through it. I've done that, too. But it doesn't seem to be as powerful as a tactile schedule. And I'm curious as to, you know, when I talk to developers, what do you think about that? What do you think could be done for someone who's got multiple disabilitiees and the autism is just one of many?   Zafer Elcik Yeah, it's a nice question. Like, we also came across like, people with hearing disorders with autism, and so on. We try to make our product as much as accessible for that. I don't know, literally, like, because we are not doing visual schedules. I don't know, in specific people region schedule basis. But for the Apple devices, there is, like, assistive disability techniques. And I know that, for example, ProLoQuo2Go has a system. You can actually use the switches or you can ... they will actually scan the screen with them. But, you need to teach them this assistive tech on the Apple devices to the kid. And, I believe it, we are also ... there will be our apps right now. I can't say we are 100% accessible for vision problems, or hearing problems and so on, but you can use that assistive settings in the settings in Apple devices. And, combined with that assistive settings with the apps like us or ProLoQuo2Go, or if you're using a visual schedule app, you should reaching out to developers and saying them, like, "Could you implement assistive settings to our device on your app, because we are using it for for this, this this?" And, that's the only chance I can see from my point of view ...   Anne Zachry That stands to reason.   Zafer Elcik Apple has a great assistive settings for people with vision problems, as well as hearing problems. That's because, if he or she can use them assistive techniques while using the device, apps also can be a part of it and you can use that settings in the specific apps, and you can just scan the screen instead of picking seeing regionally, and so on. You will see here what you, like, the device actually loudly saying that what they're clicking, and they can actually talk thanks to that, while just memorizing what they were seeing. That's doable and a lot of companies are doing but, yeah, it's a one more additional step of teaching.   Anne Zachry Is it like an API where you if you're a developer, you could reach out to Apple and say, "Hey, we want to link in with your accessibility tools. What's the code?"   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry Okay.   Zafer Elcik Yeah, it's kind of an accessibility feature. You use that kind of specific codes in your app. At times, too, the Apple accessibility feature actually can be used in the app as well. The name is ... or ... you can use voice over, or you can use in the voice over settings. You have, like, Braille alphabet, as well as, like, the others. And also hearing devices can be connected to the Apple devices and you can use for specifically hearing disorders and so on. That's because like, the settings if the app using that specific API or SDK, for just specific assistive technology settings, you can use it in the app as well. And Facebook, Google, using these APIs a lot. You can test it out there. You can see how they ... how it's working. And if you're using one, we just schedule it out. You just reach out to developers and say what you want. That I believe in, so they will implement it in near future.   Anne Zachry That's a really good point. I know that one of the colleagues that I work with who I've actually have involved with this student in the past to teach independent living skills, she herself is blind. And she ... her whole house is an Apple smart house at this point, because she's become so dependent upon the Apple technologies to ... as her accommodations ...   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry ... but it's interesting you would say that because the first time I introduced the two of them to each other, we met at a restaurant in the community that is entirely staffed by individuals with mental disabilities. And, we were there to meet each other - for him to meet her - and I went inside to go get the menu. And, there was a line! And, I had to wade through a sea of people before I could even get the menu to bring it back out to him and read it to him and ask him what he wanted. And my colleague had already looked up the menu on their website, and had her phone read it out loud to the both of them so that, by the time ...   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry ... I got back outside with the menu, he already knew what he wanted.   Zafer Elcik Yeah. Like, Apple devices are expensive, but Apple as a company, really pro assistive technology. That's because, like, they devices are best in case for using that kind of technology.   Anne Zachry Right, they've got the most experience working with this kind of stuff; they've been doing it longer. And well, it just for the for the benefit of our listeners who are hearing this conversation, I mean, here in the United States, if you if you're on the autism spectrum, especially if you have other disabling conditions, other developmental disabilities, you're also going to be eligible for services from Department of Developmental Services. And every state has a Department of Developmental Services. Now, again, federal regulations that come down from the top, just like special education law, but then how each state ...   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry ... implements the federal regs varies from state to state. And so with Developmental Services, some states, the DDS is its own thing, and you just go to the DDS office and that's who you deal with. It's the state agency, and they have offices in different communities around the state. But in California, and in other states, it's a little bit different, where you have what's called regional centers. And, regional centers are non- ... here in California, are non-profit organizations that contract with California's Department of Developmental Services. And, their function is to provide anything that someone with a developmental disability needs above and beyond what any of the other generic agencies have to do. So, for example, for a child who's in, you know, K-12 age, the school district is going to have the primary responsibility for meeting their needs in terms of publicly funded programming for people with disabilities. But if there's anything that doesn't have to do with school, like afterschool childcare, or social skills in a non-school setting, like a Boy Scout troop, or something like that, there's services above and beyond what the school is obligated to do, those things fall to regional center. So, if a child gets an iPad with your technology - with Otsimo - loaded on it, for example, at school, that's only for school. If they need to be able to use it to communicate with people outside of the school day, they need a second separate iPad that they keep at home and take out into the community, and that's regional center. Because the school's ...   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry ... only responsible for what happens at school, or anything to do with homework, you know, anything that's school related. But, if it's beyond that, if it's just life in general, now, you're talking about regional center. And, for our individuals who have graduated from high school with a diploma or aged out of special ed, and now they're young adults and they're going out into the world, regional centers and the Department of Developmental Services are obligated to serve these people their entire lives, not just when they're children. So, if someone is using an iPad with your technology, or ProLoQuo2Go or anything else, and then they're no longer a public school student - they've grown up, they've gone on - but they still need that iPad with that technology on it to communicate with people, then they have to go back to DDS, or regional center, depending on how its configured in their state and say, "Okay, well, this is a life functional skill thing for me. This is an activity of daily living. If I don't have this device, I don't have a means of communicating with people." And so, the laws very definitely protect their communication rights. And so, it falls on a different agency to purchase that equipment. It doesn't automatically fall on the shoulders of the families to come up with all this money to buy all of this tech. There's public dollars out there for it. Just, people need to know which agency to go to for which circumstance. If you're talking about someone who is an adult who's looking to get a job and needs to have this technology to communicate in order to be employed, well, now you're talking about the Department of Rehabilitation, which is also federally funded and also regulated under the same bodies of law as special education law on a federal level. But again, every state does it different. Some states will roll their Department of Developmental Services and their Department of Rehab together as one solid agency that takes care of both of those responsibilities. Where others, like in California, DDS it's its own thing and it's got its regional centers, and the Department of Rehabilitation is a completely separate entity that you have to go to separate from everybody else and go ask for their help. And so, getting all of these different agencies that each may have an individual responsibility to one person can be a lot, but any one of these agencies could end up having to finance the technology, the communication device and software, that these individuals would need. And so, I'm just putting it out there not only for you, but for our listeners, that there's more than one way to get the job done, and if one avenue is not appropriate for an individual, there may be another avenue that is, and that could still make your technology accessible to people outside of just the schools, even if they can't afford to buy it personally. And so, I just, you know ... Yes, I want my families who can afford it, they can just go straight there and get it. It could even be something they could get reimbursed on by the schools, if they buy it themselves because the schools haven't given them anything appropriate, and that ends up working for them. And so, there's a lot of different ways here in the United States where families can access these tools, including your technology, even if it's not through the public schools.   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry There might be another way to do it. So I just wanted to put that out there. Have you worked with any other agencies other than the school districts out here?   Zafer Elcik Not yet. But we will like to working with agencies and so on. Right now, we are on track to complement ...   Anne Zachry I think what I'm going to do is I'm going to share your information with, here in California, we have First5, which is an early childhood intervention program, separate from the schools, but it works with them, sort of, but it's separate. And, it is all early intervention. And, very often they're the ones making the referrals.   Zafer Elcik Yeah, that would be awesome.   Anne Zachry Yeah, they're the ones often finding out, especially when you're talking about children from low-income, non-English-speaking families, immigrant families ... they don't know what to look for necessarily, or, even if they see something's up, they don't know what to do.   Zafer Elcik Yeah.   Anne Zachry Very often, First5 will be the one that catches it and makes the referrals and gets these kids into the appropriate supports and services. And so, this is the kind of stuff that they're going to want to know about. So I'm very definitely going to share it with them. And, then I'll also have it on our website and everything and I'll put it out there on our social media.   Zafer Elcik So, I forgot to mention we have also a Spanish version, as well.   Anne Zachry Ooooh!   Zafer Elcik Many families are using our apps in U.S., is reaching out to special education.   Anne Zachry Oh, that's huge. That's enormous to know. I'm excited to see what your project is going to be doing as it expands use through here in the United States, and as it evolves over time. I'm going to be putting links to it on our ... on this ... the post for this podcast. Wanted to ask me about anything?   Zafer Elcik No, thank you for your time. Like, it was a nice coffee talk with you. Like, I haven't imagined that, like, we are going to talk in this prophetic situations, and how I am thinking about it. It was nice questions. It was the one of the best questions I ever ask. Thank you for that and thank you ...   Anne Zachry Oh, of course! Thank you!   Zafer Elcik ... for your time and showcasing our product, as well as me. Happy to see you in two years, three years after this podcast, out with the new products focusing on adults on spectrum. That will be really awesome!   Click here to see Zafer's TED Talk (go into the video settings on YouTube to turn on English or other language translation), and see how disability rights advocacy and smart device-based interventions transcend borders and can put evidence-based practices into the hands of the people, regardless of whatever rules and regulations may apply where they live.

Have you been wondering what gifts your child will love this holiday season that is also going to promote their development? I have placed my top gift recommendations into 4 categories: Sensory tools and toys STEM projects tablet/cell phone applications Fun activities to do at home. Recommendations Sensory Tools and Toys  Weighted Blanket (should be about 10% of child's body weight) Provides deep pressure stimulation helps with sleep, calming, and self-regulation. https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/make-and-decorate/crafts/how-to-make-a-weighted-blanket Water Beads https://www.amazon.com/Kinetic-Sand-Sandtastic-Playset-Tools/dp/B07M5TPM8Q/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2ZWOYFSRYRHUP&keywords=kinetic%2Bsand&qid=1637875314&qsid=146-1346417-0430338&s=toys-and-games&sprefix=kinet%2Ctoys-and-games%2C237&sr=1-5&sres=B084BNW2PW%2CB07M5TPM8Q%2CB07GTB3H8T%2CB08S75BPRY%2CB08S7LDZ84%2CB08FCR35QB%2CB084BTPVFQ%2CB07PGTLGK1%2CB08T6DVTZ6%2CB084BNRGCZ%2CB08LZN7LFR%2CB084PTWQ91%2CB0886RL2F7%2CB075Y9G5JV%2CB081VVNWKN%2CB08S71687H%2CB08LZJGHDV%2CB08S75JPFB%2CB01K16G83A%2CB07R9N35FR&srpt=ART_CRAFT_KIT&th=1 Kinetic sandhttps://www.amazon.com/Kinetic-Sand-Sandtastic-Playset-Tools/dp/B07M5TPM8Q/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=kinetic+sand&qid=1638604650&sr=8-10 Fidget/sensory toys https://autismcommunitystore.com/collections/sensory-toys Pop its Fidget spinners STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) projects STEM toys make for a great gift idea because they promote so many functional life and developmental skills. STEM TOYS (learning/creativity) Amazon Coding starter kit Woodworking kits Science projects https://stemgeek.com/diy-stem-activities-kids/ Rubber band fan powered car Catapult Make slime or playdough Raft Paper paper airplanes. Tablet/Cell phone applications AAC/language/communication apps Proloquo2go  (iphone) For nonverbal children https://apps.apple.com/us/app/proloquo2go-symbol-based-aac/id308368164 OTSIMO https://apps.apple.com/us/app/otsimo-special-education-aba/id1084723774 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.otsimo.app MITA (Mental Imagery Therapy for Autism) helps supports language development Available in various language Researched Routines  & Schedules I create- social stories social learning tool that supports the safe and meaningful exchange of information https://apps.apple.com/us/app/i-create-social-skills/id513666306 add images, record voice and organize a schedule Cause and effect learning First then visual Schedule https://apps.apple.com/us/app/first-then-visual-schedule/id355527801 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.ausoft.firstthen&hl=en_US 3. Sensory light box Cause and effect sensory light box (android) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.cognable.lightbox https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sensory-light-box/id533976433 Experience/memory together your kids want to bond with you Cooking /baking Decorative/holiday Cookies Cake Play around with colors and dye House themes Lights Make shirts Holiday Decorating Get Outdoors Make snowman if its snowing Play catch Run around and play tag Go to the playground Recap:  Sensory based Water beads Weighted blanket Fidget toys STEM Activities Crafts Science projects Woodworking kits Slime Coding Cellphone/Tablet applications Proloque2go MITA I create First then schedule Sensory light box Experiences/Memories Cooking/baking Decorating Outdoors Subscribe Now & Leave a Review Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  Google Podcast, &  Stitcher Visit our Website www.pureheartstherapy.com Follow Us: Facebook: Pure Hearts Therapy Facebook Group: Autism Family Toolkit Instagram: Purehearts_Therapy

I’m joined by David Niemeijer, founder and CEO of AssistiveWare. AssistiveWare make Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps, that help many people communicate better in their lives. AssistiveWare have a long history of Apple applications and iOS, and so I thought I’d get him on the show to talk more about how they started and what they do. We talk product development, market fit, and the counter intuitive aspect of pricing that enables both sustainability of the product and the ability to reach users that benefit. David ✨ Links: * https://www.assistiveware.com (https://www.assistiveware.com) * https://www.assistiveware.com/products/proloquo2go (https://www.assistiveware.com/products/proloquo2go) * David Niemeijer on Twitter (https://twitter.com/niemeijerd) * David Gary Wood on Twitter (https://twitter.com/davidgarywood) * Waiting For Review on Twitter (https://twitter.com/wfrpodcast) * waitingforview.com (https://www.waitingforreview.com) Special Guest: David Niemeijer.

Our Son Emmett turned 5 years old in March and he is still consider non-verbal. Emmett probably has less than 5 words in his verbal vocabulary. We have tried several different forms of communication for Emmett. We found that using a AAC device (Augmentative and AAC are tools or technology that help people communicate if they can't (always) rely on speech) was the most helpful for him. Having a non-verbal child is very difficult you don't know when they are hurting and sometimes we do not understand what he needs. Emmett having a form of communication has been a priority for us. With his AAC device he is able to communicate some of his basic needs. This has relief Emmett of frustrations and meltdowns. His meltdowns decreased so much after he started to learn how to use his AAC device. More information on AAC Device meaning etc. https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/aac/ The program we use for Emmett is called Proloquo2go : https://www.assistiveware.com/learn-aac Find Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erika.amaya0815 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourfragilexlife/ Youtube at OurFragileXlife: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLkcITGVgGUvA4cgghC49Yw?view_as=subscriber Email: ourfragilexlife@gmail.com Blog: https://www.ourfragilexlife.com Intro&ClosingMusic By:SongTwo-Chord Terror - Pictures (Garage)@ clipdaddy.com

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 021 Healthier Healthcare for All Christie Olson is interviewing me and we’re firing up a conversation about the healthcare challenges along my journey with Ford in hopes that it shines a light on some of these issues that parents face regularly.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Effie, introduce the Once Upon a Gene podcast.  On October 31st, 2019 I launched my podcast, which I started in order to have conversations about raising children with disabilities and rare disease. I wanted to help create a community for parents with families like mine.  Let’s talk about how we know each other and how we met. At our mutual favorite place, Kindering,our local birth to three center, there’s a program for kids around 16 months old where you can bring them out of the home setting and bring them into a mini preschool setting where the parents come to the class as well. We met because your son, Peter was in the same class as Ford for a few months.  Introduce you son, Ford.  Ford is my favorite subject. He’s the brightest light, so hard-working, so smart and so funny. His laugh is constantly in my head- I hear it all the time. He has this spirit about him that brings you down to Earth, He loves the comfort of his home and his stuff and being with family. He loves weather, being outside and the wind on his face. He’s really easy going and he just never gives up. He’s the hardest working person I’ve ever met.  Talk about when Ford began receiving outpatient therapies from Kindering. Ford was admitted into Seattle Children’s at about three months old for failure to thrive. When we left after about a week, I think they set things in motion for us. I don’t recall making those calls, although maybe I did. I think Seattle Children’s played a huge part in connecting me to Kindering. They set up an evaluation for Ford and I brought him in and theses two therapists did a few different things with Ford. I was really emotional and not really understanding the scope of what was going on with Ford at the time and they were so calm with me and so patient. They confirmed that Ford definitely needed therapy services, that he qualified and that they would contact me. When they contacted me, they also said Ford qualified for home visits, which was the biggest relief. We were set up with speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and vision therapy. We then found our footing with which ones we needed to focus on more.  Can you tell me about what Ford’s diagnosis is? Ford was diagnosed with CTNNB1, which is a gene that mutated. It’s a random occurrence and not something that Casey or I passed down to Ford. That gene specifically is in charge of producing a protein called Catenin beta-1 and has lots of jobs that has to do with cell growth, reproduction, cell adhesion and it affects many parts of Ford’s body. There’s cognitive disabilities, motor disabilities and speech disabilities. Ford isn’t able to sit or walk yet and he’s non-verbal. It creates a lot of difficulty in getting around and doing daily tasks. Random things also affected include his vision and a sensitivity to the sun. Most of the children diagnosed are really young, so we don’t have a lot of knowledge about what can happen later. CTNNB1 was found in 2012 and there are fewer than 200 people with the diagnosis so there’s a ton we don’t know yet. We’re growing a lot with the access to genetic testing, so hopefully we can keep learning more and connect it to similar diagnoses. Are there adults with this mutation? There are about three people older than 18. Yes, there are probably hundreds throughout the world who have never been diagnosed or who have been mis-diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. If someone were tested before 2012, they wouldn’t have been tested and wouldn’t have been diagnosed. That’s the case for a lot of rare diseases where the science, innovation and genetic testing is coming out so fast that anything prior to that, a person would never know unless they were re-tested. Were there any challenges or difficulties that you had accessing the genetic testing you needed? At the time, I didn’t know what genetic testing was or that we needed it. We got referred to a geneticist by our pediatrician. She thought she knew what Ford had, but she wanted him to get a full exome sequence because she was positive that something genetic was underlying for Ford. I’m thankful that she took the initiative to do that so early on because I see so many families who’s doctor has never even brought it up and they learn years later from other parents to ask for it.  Discuss what a typical day with Ford looks like. The first thing we do is give Ford his medications. He takes medicine for dystonia, which is the same medication that someone with Parkinson’s would take. After he has had his medicine, we hug, I open the window and we look outside. I get him dressed and get his food ready. Ford’s muscle tone also prevents him from swallowing well and he’s never been able to really get a meal down without gagging or vomiting. He’s g-tube fed, so I get his food ready, plug it in to his tummy and cross my fingers for about an hour and a half that it doesn’t come back up. Then I spend a few minutes getting his foot braces and shoes on, which are tough to get on.  Is there certain equipment or supplies you’ve had to make work for you?  One of the biggest challenges that I had in the beginning was finding a way for Ford to sit. There are zero things on the market for a child who has low muscle tone that are under $1000. I spent so much money trying to find a way for Ford to sit, to sit safely and in a position for his body to do its jobs- and nothing really worked. This amazing woman named Trish at Kindering made a chair at her house with wood and screws. She made Ford a chair just for his body and we used that for two years until he grew out of it. Have you found there’s any insurance reimbursement for equipment?  Medical insurance itself is a huge challenge. Eventually I was able to get a feeding activity chair for Ford. It took me about a year to get it and I still use it today. It takes a long time to get things like that approved, so you have to figure something else out in the meantime. You can wait a really long time and go through appeals and denials for a long time. And you have to actually have to know about it. My therapist didn’t recommend it or mention it. I actually saw other people using it before I even knew something like that existed.  What are the technicalities of the g-tube and feeding pump you guys use?  For the first few months, when Ford was very young, he used an ng-tube which went through his nose. His g-tube was placed, which is sewn into his belly and there’s a manually pump that goes with it. Some kids use a pump, some don’t and some the food is administered with a syringe. He receives 100% of his nutrition from the g-tube. It’s simple to use once you have done it a couple times. You measure the food, pour it in the bag, click it into his stomach with an extension that goes from the tube to the bag and you press play. Ford uses an infinity pump which seems like the easiest pump to use from what I’ve seen. It’s still a struggle for myself and Ford’s providers to determine what Ford will tolerate as far as rates and amounts. I think it has to do with Ford’s condition and we haven’t figured out the why or how to master it. He doesn’t gain weight much, he’s been the same weight for the last two years- maybe gained a pound. We’re constantly worried about his nutrition and whether or not he’s getting enough calories. What do family meals and holidays look like even though Ford’s not eating food at the table?   That’s not as hard as it used to be. We have a chair that Ford sits in at the grandparent’s homes. He sits in his chair and we plug him up to his g-tube at the same time and most times, if not always, Ford gets to have his ipad while we’re at the dinner table and he gets to watch videos. Sometimes he wants a taste of food, which is exciting. Sometimes he actually can participate, but he mainly just wants to be around the family. Everyone is good about making Ford feel like he’s at the table. He joins us, just differently than most kids.  Does Ford utilize an ipad for communication? We recently got an application called Proloquo2Go to go which we’re all still learning. Ford thinks it’s funny because he can push all the buttons and it speaks back to him. Ford’s means of communication for other people will probably largely be this app. It’s an amazing resource and Ford’s responding to it.  For people who work in healthcare, how can we come alongside you and provide you tangible help and validation? What would have been really helpful for me in the beginning is a person or packet with every resource I would need- a comprehensive take home packet to know next steps. Having this packet would have been helpful to know where I was supposed to go. In appointment settings in general, the empathy from providers matters. It matters that we feel listened to, that they know the diagnosis and have read the chart before coming into the room, that they think outside the box. Including us in the care plan as a teammate would be awesome, but I know that comes down to how long a doctor has to prepare for a visit. I want doctors to give me hope and encouragement, motivation and I want them to have a positive outlook on their future- just being on my team on a human level and not just my doctor. It would also be helpful if there were better collaboration between providers.  What are things that you appreciate most about the healthcare system? I’m appreciative for having healthcare. I’m grateful for the nurses involved in healthcare. They’re such a beautiful bridge for patients and families. They’re so helpful, empathetic, a lot of them go out of their way to make sure you know about something or to give you something that you can take home and find useful for your child. I’m grateful for doctors who take the initiative and want to seek out a diagnosis for your child. I’m grateful when doctors and healthcare professionals stop to think about it and they don’t just go through the motions- to look at the big picture. It’s helpful when doctors go beyond the appointment to help.  LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED Billy Footwear Kindering Proloquo2Go TUNE INTO THE ONCE UPON A GENE PODCAST Spotify Apple Podcasts Stitcher Overcast CONNECT WITH EFFIE PARKS Website Twitter Instagram

Jamie Knight is an autistic web developer, writer, speaker and mountain biker. Lion is a plushie who goes everywhere with him. The duo has spent almost 10 years at the BBC working on everything from iPlayer Radio to children’s gaming. Millions of people use Jamie’s code each day.  Lion’s BBC career has mostly been in antelope management.  Jamie has been speaking about his autistic life for over 10 years. He’s also contributed to books, magazines and co-presented a podcast series for the BBC. In this edition of our podcast, Jamie explains the importance of the tech he uses and the vital role it plays in helping him to manage communication, mood and life generally. Jamie and Lion’s Gadgets list: Proloquo2Go http://bit.ly/30taTyy Apple Watch https://apple.co/32XSdHX Phillips Hue Smart lights https://amzn.to/330eFzZ Nest Smoke alarm https://amzn.to/32V6V2o

Check out Win's books at https://www.amazon.com/Win-Kelly-Charles/e/B009VNJEKE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1538951782&sr=1-2-ent. To buy Win's new book, Smile with Dictation, go to https://books2read.com/Win. I, Win: http://books2read.com/Iwin Check out Danielle's books at https://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Coulter/e/B00OFIOY3C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?qid=1483655853&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl2&tag=paradimarket-20&linkId=8490a064c62cededb762ed5b949ed144. Please read Outsource Your Book to a Wall Street Journal Bestselling Press: https://leaderspress.com. Please leave a comet at http://aworldcp.libsyn.com/how-we-teach-cp-at-our-jobs-and-daily-life. Please dormant to A Diary of a Fashionista at https://www.patreon.com/adiaryofafashionista/community. Please donate to Ask Win at https://www.patreon.com/join/Askwin?. Twitter: https://twitter.com/ADiaryofaFashi1. 7 Helpful Smart Home Devices for People With Disabilities: https://themighty.com/2017/08/smart-home-devices-for-people-with-disabilities/. 6 Android Apps for Special Needs: 6-android-apps-for-special-needs. 5 Mobile Technologies Help Level the Playing Field for People with Disabilities [Video]: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/5-mobile-technologies-help-level-the-playing-field-for-people-with-disabilities-video/. Top 10 apps for disabled people: https://disabilityhorizons.com/2016/09/top-10-apps-disabled-people/. Proloquo2Go: https://www.assistiveware.com/products/proloquo2go.Support the show

Check out Win's books at https://www.amazon.com/Win-Kelly-Charles/e/B009VNJEKE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1538951782&sr=1-2-ent. To buy Win’s new book, Smile with Dictation, go to https://books2read.com/Win. I, Win: http://books2read.com/Iwin Check out Danielle's books at https://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Coulter/e/B00OFIOY3C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?qid=1483655853&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl2&tag=paradimarket-20&linkId=8490a064c62cededb762ed5b949ed144. Please read Outsource Your Book to a Wall Street Journal Bestselling Press: https://leaderspress.com. Please leave a comet at http://aworldcp.libsyn.com/how-we-teach-cp-at-our-jobs-and-daily-life. Please dormant to A Diary of a Fashionista at https://www.patreon.com/adiaryofafashionista/community. Please donate to Ask Win at https://www.patreon.com/join/Askwin?. Twitter: https://twitter.com/ADiaryofaFashi1. 7 Helpful Smart Home Devices for People With Disabilities: https://themighty.com/2017/08/smart-home-devices-for-people-with-disabilities/. 6 Android Apps for Special Needs: 6-android-apps-for-special-needs. 5 Mobile Technologies Help Level the Playing Field for People with Disabilities [Video]: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/5-mobile-technologies-help-level-the-playing-field-for-people-with-disabilities-video/. Top 10 apps for disabled people: https://disabilityhorizons.com/2016/09/top-10-apps-disabled-people/. Proloquo2Go: https://www.assistiveware.com/products/proloquo2go.

We hope you'll join us during Apple's March 25th event in our chat room at podfeet.com/chat. My latest ScreenCastsOnline tutorial is on the awesome blogging tool MarsEdit. We attended CSUN’s Assistive Technology Conference and I've got an overview of what we learned along with interviews with Assistivewear about Proloquo2Go, their AAC App, and Ocutech low vision aids, and I'll tell you about QD Laser's retinal projection eyewear called Retissa. Mixed in with all the CSUN talk we've got a review by Allister Jenks about SleepPhones (he calls them pajamas for your ears)) and I've got a review of the Ampere Unravel and Qi charing case for AirPods. It's a fun-filled, action packed show!

In deze aflevering van '10 jaar App Store' luister je naar David Niemeijer (AssistiveWare) en Alexander Baars (Dedicon). We praten met ze over toegankelijkheid en het maken van apps voor mensen die moeite hebben met communiceren, horen of lezen. David Niemeijer is oprichter van AssistiveWare. Met apps zoals Proloquo2Go is zijn bedrijf uitgegroeid tot een belangrijke speler. De apps worden in Nederland gemaakt, maar gebruikers zitten over de hele wereld en dat geldt ook voor de support die AssistiveWare aan de gebruikers levert. Alexander Baars is ontwikkelaar bij Dedicon, een organisatie die informatie leesbaar, zichtbaar, hoorbaar of voelbaar voor mensen met een leesbeperking. Iedereen moet namelijk kunnen meedoen in de maatschappij en toegang tot informatie is daarbij essentieel. Alexander Baars (en niet Boers, zoals abusievelijk in de podcast wordt gezegd - excuses daarvoor) is nauw betrokken bij de ontwikkeling van deze apps. We vragen David (@niemeijerd) en Alexander (@dedicon) hoe het is om apps en toepassingen voor deze heel specifieke doelgroepen te maken, waarbij gebruikers toch heel verschillende wensen en behoeften hebben. De serie '10 jaar App Store' is mogelijk gemaakt door Moneyou. Ontdek meer over de Moneyou Go app, spaarrekeningen, hypotheken en leningen op moneyou.nl. Bij Moneyou regel je namelijk al je financiële zaken heel gemakkelijk zelf. Altijd en overal. #Links • https://www.moneyou.nl/ (sponsor) • https://www.iculture.nl/podcast/ • https://www.iculture.nl/podcast/10-jaar-app-store-aflevering-7/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iculture/message

Check out Win's books at https://www.amazon.com/Win-Kelly-Charles/e/B009VNJEKE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1538951782&sr=1-2-ent. http://books2read.com/Iwin Check out Danielle's books at https://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Coulter/e/B00OFIOY3C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?qid=1483655853&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl2&tag=paradimarket-20&linkId=8490a064c62cededb762ed5b949ed144. Proloquo2Go by AssistiveWare https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/proloquo2go/id308368164?mt=8Support the show

Check out Win's books at https://www.amazon.com/Win-Kelly-Charles/e/B009VNJEKE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1538951782&sr=1-2-ent. http://books2read.com/Iwin Check out Danielle's books at https://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Coulter/e/B00OFIOY3C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?qid=1483655853&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl2&tag=paradimarket-20&linkId=8490a064c62cededb762ed5b949ed144. Proloquo2Go by AssistiveWare https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/proloquo2go/id308368164?mt=8

In this episode, Jayson chats with Hopemarie Hower, OTR/L, the winner of the OT School House School's Out Giveaway conducted in June of 2018. Together, Jayson and Hopemarie discuss the similarities and differences between practicing OT in California and Florida. Hopemarie also shares how she collaborates with her school team to conduct assistive technology assessments and how she garners buy-in from her teachers when implementing sensory strategies.  Don't want to miss out on future giveaways, be sure to subscribe to our email list!  Links to Show References: Contact Hopemarie Hower, OTR/L at Hopemariehower@yahoo.com Products mentioned on the show (Amazon/iTunes Affiliate Links that support the OT School House): Jelly Bean Buttons - Briefly mentioned in the episode, Jelly Bean buttons are used to help non-verbal kids communicate. You can record something like "Hello!" using your voice, then every time the student activates the button you will hear "Hello!" Simple as that.  Proloquo2Go - Also briefly mentioned during the episode, this is an iPad app that allows non-verbal students a more advanced system for communication. Think of the old bulky communication devices, but on a sleek iPad or iPad mini. It's a great app, but it's not cheap.  Velcro Dots - while designed to use together to make something like a poster easily stick to a wall. Us school-based OTs can use them in many ways. One way both Hopemari and I use them is as a sensory tool that kids can rub their fingers on. Just stick them to the underside of the desk and no one will never even know the student is regulating themselves by rubbing his or her fingers on some velcro.  Theraband - Often used to develop strengthening in sub-acute rehab settings, Theraband also can help kids stay in their seats while getting the movement they need. Take a 2-foot stand of this stuff, tie the ends together and wrap it around the child's chair legs. Now the child can keep their feet busy while attending to classroom activities.   Exer-saucer (aka ExerExer-bug, aka Flying Turtle) Scooter: It's funny how so many of the tools we use have so many different names. Hopemarie introduced me to this little tricycle which is powered by trunk movements. I can only imagine how many obstacles courses I could have used this in over the years! Purpose Therapy Box Find the perfect OT gift for yourself or your favorite OTP! Use promo OTSchoolHouse for 10% off!Back To School ConferenceLearn more & register for the OT School House: Back to School Conference before early bird registration ends!

Today on the podcast, I’m talking about AAC or Augmentative Communication. I have been passionate about providing clients with AAC for 26 years! My favorite apps for AAC are ProLoQuo2Go and ProLoQuo4Text. ProLoQuo2Go is icon based and doesn’t require reading or spelling. ProLoQuo4Text is a text to speech app and requires the user to type and spell. Find out more about them at www.assistiveware.com Find out how to purchase my books, online course or contact me for consulting, training or speaking at www.workwithbetsy.com Thanks for listening to Your App Lady today! Share the podcast with your friends, they’ll thank you for it! Get our newsletter and stay up to date by clicking here. Follow me Twitter: @yourapplady Instagram: @yourapplady Facebook: @yourapplady LinkedIn: @BetsyFurler Website: www.yourapplady.com Voice over work by John Swasey - VO Producer -281-794-6551 johnswasey@sbcglobal.net Betsy can guide you through designing (or redesigning) your app or websites. Contact her at betsy@yourapplady.com or 713-542-8118 to get details about working with her.

It's time for what might be our most controversial show yet! If you have an opinion - for or against - please comment below or email at us at tech@speechscience.org and we'll be happy to address your concerns next episode! Problem:School districts are faced with having to consider the AAC needs for many children. The focus has been on selecting the perfect system. Teaching communication partners how to implement all day long has been the challenge. What if we could decrease the amount of time the selection process takes and spent that saved time on teaching implementation? So how do we do it? Or should we? Interview Show Notes: Erek introduces himself The concept of Specific Language System First approach to AAC Erek describes what happens when a student comes into the school district - starting with Proloquo2go 6x10 grid. Why use this approach? Multiple teachers using multiple devices meant they have trouble developing a community of practice...but not anymore. Chris describes feature matching. Previous model of selection was born in an era when devices were more scarce. Language systems were different years ago...now the systems are more robust. Good systems + low cost Teachers still struggling with implementation so spend more time on teaching them how to implement (rather than selecting the “perfect” device”) “A system that isn’t perfect for a student but is implemented well is better than choosing the perfect system that is implemented poorly.” Coaches spend less time on assessment and more on implementation. The number one reason a teacher says it doesn’t work is, “The student doesn’t like it” Explicit instruction- I do, you do, we do. First two questions people used to ask.. “There are too many buttons” and “I need different buttons.” After implementation training on Aided Language - now people don’t ask those anymore. Over summer, started developing a repeatable, easy to implement, language-based word of week program Modeling Mondays! Pull up PowerPoint slides on how to use the word. Tuesday is Literacy Day! Use and read the core word a day using stories and books. Writing as well. Wednesday is Math Day! Thursday - Review previous introduced words. Folder Friday - Explore folders (Fringe) Generalization is what is being tackled next. The best feature you can match is implementation. Homework on word of the week lessons and involving parents. Your system is in place and then you adapt. Be patient! Progress will come if you stick with it. 200 high tech aac users and doing well - used to be 10 who weren’t using it well. If we had to switch systems, we could. It is hard to pick a bad system The focus should shift from selection to implementation. Potential Solutions: Have discussions about implementing this approach. Beyond word of the week programs, use a language-based curriculum (materials where language is the object of the lesson, not infused into some other point of the lesson. Ie, Use apples on a tree to teach prepositions NOT do a lesson on apples where we try to also sneak in spatial concept words)    

This is the story of Michael Mainland’s incredible ordinary life. Michael is 38 years old, works at Boston Pizza, has his own house, lives with a roommate and volunteers regularly. What may come as a surprise to some is that Michael has a developmental disability that caused him to become non-verbal and reduced fine motor skills as he grew older.   Michael’s Story in Starting in High School: I had the opportunity to interview Michael’s mother, Alice Mainland, to learn Michael’s story and to learn how Michael has created his ordinary life. In the 2 months before Michael graduated from high school, Michael and his family realized they had a problem; there would be nothing for Michael once school ended. One of his parents would have to stay home to support Michael, and the family would drop down to a single income. Alice started making phone calls to various support agencies, local government, and basically anyone with a phone number that might be able to help. The people she called were willing to help! With the support of a few agencies the family was able to piece together support for Michael and this allowed the family to stay a two-income family. Alice shares, “You don’t know what resources are available to you until you ask. “   At 29, Michael had the opportunity to move out of home because of a conversation 4 -5 years earlier when Alice was searching for support for Michael.     Michael’s Life Today:  Michael’s family purchased a duplex where Michael lives with a roommate in one unit, and a supportive neighbor lives in the second unit who is available for overnight support. The family focused on creating a great home for the supportive neighbor, and this strategy has been effective at attracting and retaining long-term tenants. The first few weeks Michael lived on his own was a worrisome time for Alice and her husband, however their worries didn’t become a reality.  During the week Michael lives at his own house, works at Boston Pizza, and volunteers at the local foodbank. On weekends, Michael gets to spend quality time with his parents on their rural property. Alice and Michael often run errands on the weekend in town and Michael has 2-3 times the number of people saying hello to him compared to his mother. This is a great sign that Michael is building relationships in his community.     What’s next for the family?   Michael’s family is thinking about things like, who is going to take care of the house when Alice and her husband aren’t there?  Who will help Michael make decisions? To ensure continuity in Michael’s future his family is looking at forming a micro-board. The purpose of the micro-board will be to help manage the home, and to help Michael make future decisions.     Lessons we can learn from Michael and his Family on living an ordinary life:   Ask for help. Michael’s family reached out to anyone with a phone that might be able to help them. The people on the other end of the phone had good intentions and wanted to help. Environments where he can learn from his peers. Regular school classrooms (shop and gym for Michael's), working at Boston Pizza, volunteering, the Special Olympics. Opportunities to show off his skills. Michael loves to show off what he is good at from work to his recreation of horseback riding. Proloquo2Go.  Michael is non-verbal the Pro lo to go app on his iPod empowers Michael to express himself more fully with others.  Let go, and let in. Over time Michael’s parents have had to let go, which has allowed Michael to become his own person. The family has also had to allow other people to enter and be a part of Michael’s life. (Without interviewing them first!). At some point, someone else is going to have to be there for Michael other than his parents.   I thank Alice for sharing her family’s story. There are great insights and lessons that we can apply to our own situations. Our mini-series on housing for people with disabilities is continuing so go ahead and Subscribeto the mailing list to get all 6 episodes sent directly to your inbox!    Love & Respect, Eric     Resources:  Proloquo2Go - symbol-supported communication app - Click Here    If you received value from this content please leave me a review on iTunes. By leaving a 5 star review on iTunes you make the Empowering Ability Podcast more discoverable, and more families will benefit. Click Here To Leave a Review on iTunes     The Empowering Ability Podcast is available on iTunes and various other apps so that you can listen while on the go from your smartphone!   Click Here To Listen on iTunes

What's new in Proloquo2Go 2.2 Anne, David, and Nate show a major update featuring new ways to customize the appearance of your buttons. Users will now be able to change border width, choose from dozens of fonts, and set the font size, color and style. These settings are also available for Typing View and the Message Window. The app also offers new accessibility enhancements. For users who have difficulty accessing the smaller buttons in the toolbars, the Home and Previous button can now be automatically displayed in the grid. You can choose whether these navigation buttons are at the top or bottom of the page. You can even choose between a top and bottom-aligned grid.Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

Part 1: Getting Started - Upgrading from Proloquo2Go 1 to Proloquo2Go 2 In this 30-minute video, David and Jennifer will walk you through how to update from Proloquo2Go 1 to Proloquo2Go 2. You will learn how to backup your vocabulary to the computer before updating, create a new user, and how to use the Editing Mode. Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

Part 2: Getting started - Introduction to Proloquo2Go 2 In this 37-minute video, David and Jennifer will introduce you to Proloquo2Go 2. They will walk you through the StartUp Wizard, explaining the new vocabularies Core Word and Basic Communication, the in-app Help, color coding, positioning buttons, vocabulary priority and editing buttons. Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

Part 3: Core Words - Customizing the Vocabulary In this 50-minute video, David and Jennifer will take you on a tour of the Core Word Vocabulary. You will learn the theory behind the vocabulary organization and how to edit the Core Word vocabulary to better meet the individual user’s needs. Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

Part 4: Basic Communication - Customizing the Vocabulary In this 40-minute video, David and Jennifer will take you on a tour of the Basic Communication Vocabulary. You will learn about the different levels of Basic Communication, including Sentence Starters, Page Up and Page Down button and the Home Button. Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

Part 5: Transitioning Vocabularies - Transition from your Old Vocabulary to the New Vocabulaires In this 40-minute video, David and Jennifer will demonstrate how to transition from an old 1.X vocabulary to a new Proloquo2Go 2 vocabulary. You will learn how to determine which of the two new 2.0 vocabularies you may want to choose, how to copy buttons from a previous vocabulary into the new 2.0 vocabulary and how to navigate within the vocabulary. Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

Part 6: Options 1 - In-app Help, Appearance, Voices, and Speech In this 40-minute video, David and Jennifer take you through a more in-depth look at Options. They will demonstrate advanced options for the Message Window, Toolbar, Column Sizes, Button Defaults, and Personalization of Voices. Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

Part 7: Options 2 - Interaction, Grammar, Word Prediction, Vocabulary, and Restrictions In this 50-minute video, David and Jennifer continue their in-depth look at Options. They explore Interaction, Grammar, Word Prediction, Vocabulary and Restrictions. Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

Part 8: Advanced Customization - Appearance Hierarchy, and Element Order In this 60-minute video, David and Jennifer demonstrate the Appearance hierarchy, Views, and Element Order. This includes Column and Row size, background view, changing column size for each page, and how to set the default view for each page. Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

Part 9: Buttons, Clues, and Resources - Button Types, the Clues Page, Web and Facebook Resources In this 55-minute video, David and Jennifer demonstrate the different types of buttons: Regular, Action and Folder. You will learn how to use the Clues page to help with communication break downs and where to find our comprehensive online resources to help you learn more about Proloquo2Go such as the AssistiveWare website, webinars, tutorials and manuals. Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

Part 10: Backups - Backing up, Transferring backup, and Restoring from backup In this 35-minute video, Nate and Tom demonstrate how to backup your vocabulary internally and then transfer the backup using iTunes File Sharing on a computer for safekeeping. They stress the importance of creating a backup file of your customized vocabulary on a regular basis and also how to restore your backups onto your device. We strongly recommend backing up to your computer after each customization. Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

This video is about the importance of having naturally-sounding children's voices for children who cannot speak.

Behind the scenes Josh and Ella talk about the recording of their voices for the new children's voices included in Proloquo2Go.

Max is nine years old and was born with Cerebral Palsy. The language area in his brain has been affected and he therefore has difficulty using his speech to communicate. He started using Proloquo2Go on an iPad about a year ago. He now uses it on a daily basis, at school and at home. His speech has made good progress and his frustration level has decreased. Max is more able to communicate, he spells and he can create sentences that he was not able to create before. He even helps with customizing the app's vocabulary. According to his speech therapist, Proloquo2Go has become his voice and has completely changed his life. Read more about Max at www.lovethatmax.com Disclaimer: Note that this video presents an unscripted case study and any statements made in the video pertain to this particular case and are not intended as a comprehensive product evaluation or recommendation. Different people have different needs and it is always recommended to get an AAC evaluation from an expert.

Nick is ten years old and was diagnosed with autism. His progress in speech has been extremely slow. Picture symbols, picture exchange communication techniques and photos were tried but did not work out for him, as Nick was not really interested. When Nick started using an iPad, he immediately understood how it worked and really wanted to use it. The device was reinforcing and he sensed it was a powerful tool for him. Now that Nick is using an iPad with Proloquo2Go he no longer has to try to be what other people want him to be, because he can now initiate communication and say what he wants and needs. Nick lives in New Jersey, United States of America. Disclaimer: Note that this video presents an unscripted case study and any statements made in the video pertain to this particular case and are not intended as a comprehensive product evaluation or recommendation. Different people have different needs and it is always recommended to get an AAC evaluation from an expert.

Vanessa is three years old and was born with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), a form of autism. Her parents noticed that she was very to herself and knew right away that something was off. About three months ago, Vanessa started using Proloquo2Go on an iPad. Even though her parents were concerned that using a communication solution might further delay her speech development, they trialed Proloquo2Go through the Young Autism Program of DDI. Everyone has been amazed by Vanessa's approximations and increased attempts to communicate. The app has given her a voice. Now she can finally say what she wants, making more verbalizations and babbling more than before. Vanessa’s speech is growing, and most importantly, she is blossoming as a child. Vanessa lives in New York, United States of America. Disclaimer: Note that this video presents an unscripted case study and any statements made in the video pertain to this particular case and are not intended as a comprehensive product evaluation or recommendation. Different people have different needs and it is always recommended to get an AAC evaluation from an expert.