SIG 12: Resources on iPad AAC apps

From Jessica Currall, MS/CCC-SLP (AAC Research & Outreach Coordinator, Pennsylvania State University) via ASHA's SIG 12, AAC Digest for Tuesday May 15, 2012 This webcast is specific to "Mobile Devices and Communication Apps: Current Trends and Future Directions" (http://aac.psu.edu/?p=841) and is a discussion among Dr. David McNaughton (from Penn State), Howard Shane and Jessica Gosnell from Boston Children's Hospital, and Sam Sennott, one of the original developers of Proloquo2Go and who is currently pursuing his PhD at Penn State.  The discussion includes:  Benefits of Mobile Communication Technology; the Assessment Process; Learning about New Apps; Intervention; Building Vocabulary and Language Skills; What's Next?; and Additional Resources. Referenced in the webcast and also provided for free through Boston Children's Hospital is a feature matching chart that they have developed (and continue to do so on-going) to support the process of considering what the individuals needs are with what the various demands/opportunities there are with a wide variety of apps for mobile technologies. You can find this at:  http://www.childrenshospital.org/clinicalservices/Site2016/mainpageS2016P19.html. Sam consistently argues that as powerful a tool as the iPad and Mobile Technologies are, they remain a ~part~ of a process of dynamically considering the individual communicator's needs, the environment, the situation, and *then* what tool best supports the communication and learning.  This approach may be summarized in academic settings with the the acronym, SETT:  Student Environment Task Tool.  Sam reviewed this and other areas with the iPod Touch and iPad at his 2009 presentation at the ASHA convention.  I attached the handouts, which are available through ASHA.  Sam also has an on-demand web seminar on using mobile apps in clinical practice available through ASHA (at cost) at:  http://www.asha.org/eweb/OLSDynamicPage.aspx?Webcode=olsdetails&title=Using+Mobile+Apps+and+Social+Media+in+Your+Practice+(On+Demand+Web+Seminar) The AAC-RERC has also put together a comprehensive White Paper on Communication Apps that goes through the history of AAC, the history of communication Apps, areas that are considered benefits/gains/value-added, and areas that remain underinvestigated or raise concerns:  http://aac-rerc.psu.edu/index.php/pages/show/id/46