TapToTalk makes communication cool for youngsters with autism, apraxia, Down syndrome, and a host of other conditions that make speech difficult or non-existent. TapToTalk is great because it helps a child fit it socially with the ability to have it on the Nintendo DS, a device that so many other kids have.
Nintendo not cool enough? Then how about your child carrying TapToTalk on an iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone? The cool factor is one part of TapToTalk, but what it does is even more important in helping non-verbal kids.
What is TapToTalk?
TapToTalk contains images covering topics your child needs and wants to communicate about. When he touches a picture, a voice speaks a word, phrase or sentence, such as “I want to put on my pants.” This is a simple model that most kids pick up right away.
TapToTalk has the ability to transform the lives of families. The company has many unsolicited quotes from parents writing about how TapToTalk has changed their lives for the better. A couple of quotes off of their website really bring home this impact:
“(My son) was able to say Merry Christmas to everyone this year for the first time, thanks to TapToTalk. It really made it a special Christmas.” - A North Carolina Parent
“Thank you for helping my family by giving my son a voice when he doesn't have one.” - A Canadian Parent
Custom Options
You can select from a library of over two thousand pictures, organized in helpful categories. For example, one of the most necessary communication goals is emotions, and TapToTalk delivers. Simple icons display faces that are angry, happy, sad and more. Not only can your child tell you she wants to go to the park, but that she’s happy and she would like to eat lunch first.
You can also use symbols from other libraries, like Symbolstix, Widgit Symbols, and sign language symbols. But what makes TapToTalk even more powerful is that you can input your own photos of anything in your child’s world – grandparents, school, teachers, friends, items around your house, pets, favorite foods, favorite places, etc. And you record your own voice to go along with the pictures, so you are in charge of the vocabulary and accent.
TapToTalk lets you organize your photos in albums, with up to 12 pictures per screen. Each picture can lead to another screen of pictures, and each of them can lead to yet another screen, and so on. So you can have many, many pictures in those albums. There might be a TapToTalk album for school, another to use at home, and one when he is going on a trip. It’s totally up to you and your child how you’d like to organize it.
Internet Availability and Safe-Keeping
Since the software you use to make your child’s TapToTalk, TapToTalk Designer, is on the internet, it’s always available wherever you have a connection. Even if you lose your TapToTalk device, the photos and voice recordings for it are saved online.
A teacher, parent or SLP can customize the albums on their Mac or PC and then download it to the child’s Nintendo, iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Portability is a big feature of TapToTalk, so you and your child have choices. You can use it on one or more supported devices for no extra charge. And you have the security of knowing that your TapToTalk albums are safely stored online.
Low Cost for High-End Assistive Technology
Cost is always a concern with any assistive technology, and at about 25 cents a day, TapToTalk will help you balance your budget. TapToTalk Designer has a very low subscription of $99.95 a year per child. Compared to other assistive technology companies whose devices are in the thousands of dollars, this is a great deal. The only thing the company doesn’t provide is the hardware for the system; you’ll have to purchase the Nintendo DS, iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, but the TapToTalk apps for them are free with your subscription.
In fact, if you have one of the Apple devices you can download the TapToTalk App for free from the App Store to try it out.
Best yet, if your subscription to TapToTalk Designer expires, you can still run your TapToTalk. And if you renew your subscription, your albums of pictures and sounds are still there for you to further individualize for your child.
There are versions of TapToTalk Designer for home, professional and agency or school use. You can easily upgrade from one to another, and they all cost the same: $99.95 per child.
The economical Nintendo DS has the added benefit of being designed to take a lot of abuse from kids. Drops and bumps are expected since its primary use is for children’s games, and you can get a nerf case to increase the clamshell’s durability for a really rambunctious child, as well as a lanyard to lessen the chances it will get lost.
TapToTalk Company Provides Support, Service
The company that makes TapToTalk, Assistyx, gets rave reviews for the product and how it has changed people’s lives. It also provides great customer service and support, but the product is so easy to use that a person from TapToTalk said sometimes the kids figure it out before the parents do. The company welcomes feedback, and is very responsive to customer comments.
We found this on one of the TapToTalk blog posts: “When we designed TapToTalk, you and your child were on our minds. We wanted to give you a tool to help your child communicate that was affordable and that your child would want to use. Now, we hear from you all the time. You tell us what we are doing right and what we need to improve. Your voice is heard in every one of our meetings, as we make decisions. We call it the TapToTalk Mom Test: ‘How will this work for the moms?’”
Visit the TapToTalk website for customer reviews, and to get more information. They also have a great Facebook page with posts, information and feedback.
