Parents: Trick-ot-Treat button for your iPhone

 Need a quick and simple way to say "Trick or Treat" at the neighbors' doors this Halloween? If you are looking for something easy and error free, try the FREE Visuals2Go app on your iPhone.

Visuals2Go is a powerful, inexpensive AAC tool that can be a first step in getting started with AAC i other communication settings, but in its free version on the app store, you can customize the opening screen/user to function as a single communication button to give your child a voice this Halloween.

1. Download the app (only available for iPhone and iPad)

2. Decide what button(s) you want to add. I added two buttons for "trick or treat" and "thank you" with a Google image search (photo credit: Better Homes and Gardens site). Here are the images I used, but you can google "trick or treat" and "thank you" to find these top hits on your phone browser and touch and hold the images you like to Add to Photos.

2. Open the Visuals2Go app and touch the edit button on the home screen. You will see 13 categories of other buttons that come pre-programmed. We are going to hide these in a moment.

3. Choose the upper left + button to add the buttons you would like to use for Trick-or-Treating. I added two. The button will require you to add recorded speech. If there is another child in your family that can record the voice, great! If not, press record on the app and play THIS SOUND on your computer. Here is a child's voice saying "thank you".

4. Now lets hide the other buttons so that they don't distract in the moment. Select all 13 and touch the three buttons at the bottom of the screen to Hide all 13 Albums.

Now touch the small check in the upper right and you are ready to use this board! When you touch the button you want, it will enlarge with this nice dark background and speak the recorded message. You can tap it again to speak the message again and again. 

If you want to be really fancy, swipe left after saying "trick or treat" to speak your "thank you" message! Then off to the next house! Have a fun and safe Halloween!!!!

AAC Ally from Rachel Madel

If you've heard some Talking With Tech podcast, you've heard from Rachel Madel, SLP. I purchased her AAC Ally lifetime access (I think I paid $77) and really like her intro to AAC for parents and how she talks her way through this buy-in process in Module 10. She posted a video (free) on Facebook HERE. Or see this and more with an AAC Ally pass. I think its on sale this month for AAC Awareness in October 2022.

 

AAC Awareness 2022 App Sale!

It's October, and that means AAC apps are on sale in the App Store. Lauren Enders, SLP has once again gathered all the info we need to direct our discounded purchasing this AAC Awareness month. Noteable exclusions: TD Snap is not discounted and Tobii-Dynavox did not provide any discount information on the in-app upgrages (such as Gateway) but the Gateway User IS discounted by AssistiveWare for Proloquo2Go!

• First week of October Talk Suite Pro (50%, then descending discount %ages each following week in Oct)
• October 1-8 Speak For Yourself
• October 2-8 CoughDrop (must purchase through mycoughdrop.com)
• October 1-15 Avaz and MDA Avaz Reader for Dsylexia
• October 1-16 PicSeePal (discount code AAC22 at picseepal.com)
• October 10-16 TouchChat, LAMP WFL, Dialogue AAC
• October 10-16 Predictable and Scene & Heard
• October 11-17 Proloquo2Go, Proloquo4text, Pictello, Keeble, Gateway (and subscription services - see at AssistiveWare's site)
• October 11-17 Choiceworks, Choiceworks Calendar
• October 19-28 GoVisual Scene Maker by Attainment
• October 1-31 WordToob: Language Learning Video Modeling
• October 1-31 Spoken
• October 1-31 Alexicom AAC Apps

Follow Lauren Enders on Social - she is everywhere!

Insta, Pinterest, Twitter @lasenders
Facebook @LaurenSEndersMaCccSlp
On YouTube: Search Lauren Enders AAC and you will NOT be disappointed. I love THIS presentation on team buy-in and AAC implementation

In Case You Missed It: SCAAC-N Quarterly Meeting 5/19/22

Wonderful presentations from Kathleen Shanfield, OT, and Maria DeLeon, SLP this evening! Our thanks to you both for your generosity with sharing your time and expertise. Here is a link to the meeting notes with resources, in case you missed it.

Save the date for our next quarterly meeting, Wednesday October 19, 6:00pm! And join our mailing list - write to socalaacnetwork@gmail.com.

LA AT Network - Fall meeting, 9/9/22, 12:30

The LA (and beyond) Assistive Technology Network will meet in 2 weeks (Friday, 9/9, 12:30-1:30) for a Meet-&-Greet on Zoom. This meeting will give a chance for participants to hear from colleagues across the region about their area(s) of expertise and services in order to add to their virtual Rolodex for those times that you need to make a referral, seek mentorship, or call in a favor.

Save the dates for our 2022-23 AT Network Meet-Ups. 

Meetings will be via zoom during lunch from 12:30-1:30pm. Future topics TBA.

• Fri, Sept. 9th
• Fri, Nov. 4th
• Fri,  Jan. 27th
• Fri, May 5th

Feel free to invite other AT Professionals!

Join the AT Collaborative mailing list by completing this form: https://forms.gle/9y17iUk8k7Hte7KM6 

Many thanks to Diana Neskovska at TheAssistiveTech.com for organizing and spearheading this group!