Apps for Speech Therapy

More and more speech pathologists are using apps to improve communication and therapy.  These applications are revolutionizing the field of speech-language pathology.  They can be used on the Iphone, Ipad or Droid phone.  Applications have a variety of usage from articulation therapy with children, to communication for individuals with autism to therapy for individuals with strokes.  The use of apps is a growing trend and does not appear to be a fad.

The first applications for speech therapy became available on Itunes in 2009.  Now there are new apps added daily.  They can  be fun and engaging for clients.  Apps can be used for a variety of disorders.  Applications for articulation include Articulate It, Smarty Ears, /r/ intensive, All About Sounds, and ArticPix.  Other applications are for improving language such as helping with answering WH- questions, sentence building apps, and sequencing.  There are even apps for fluency/stuttering and voice as well as text-to-speech generators.  Apps can be used to collect data, record conversations, or for motivation.

These applications can be more affordable than the traditional paper-based materials.  Some apps are free, while others can cost a few hundred dollars. Proloquo2Go^™, a popular app for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), currently costs $189.99.

However, this is a text-to-speech generating devices.  Devices such as this can  go for thousands of dollars.  Text-to-speech mobile applications are thus more affordable. Families don’t have to wait for funding through their insurance companies for augmentative communication (AAC).  Also, people may be more accepting of using applications on devices such as the Ipad or Iphone.  Individuals may have felt traditional AAC technology was too large, too heavy, too costly, and too difficult to learn.  However, one should be cautious about the use of mobile devices as a means of AAC, unless an assistive technology assessment has been conducted and the device and app(s) are found to be the most appropriate means of communication for the individual.

These apps are not for everyone, and the speech-language pathologist is needed to decide which application is best, if any.  Apps do not replace therapy.  Instead they should be used to complement treatment.

There is a great link listing applications for the Iphone and Ipad here.   It includes a description of many of the available applications.

Related posts:

1. Augmentative and Alternative Communication
2. Augmentative Communication for ALS Patients
3. Autism
4. Resources/Links
5. Dysarthria Treatment

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Tags: augmentative communication, ipads, iphone apps, speech therapy apps, text to speech generator