Best Apps For Non Verbal Autism

Apps can be an amazing tool for supporting autism. They can facilitate social skills, help people with autism explore their interests, and often include features that make activities more accessible. However, many apps for autism are geared towards individuals who are verbal—which means there can be a lot of frustration when trying to find the right app for a non-verbal or minimally verbal person.

There is a wide range of ways to communicate non-verbally, from visual communication systems to gestures and body language, so it’s important to choose an app that works well with your child’s particular style of communication. Here are some great apps for non-verbal autism that use various forms of visual communication.

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Best Apps For Non Verbal Autism

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) refers to the tools and strategies used to assist people who have little or no speech to communicate. AAC apps assist individuals in forming phrases and sentences using symbols and predictive keyboards. Augmented and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps for adults and children can be used for varied reasons from a temporary disability to a permanent one.

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Much has been written about the potential of mobile technologies in supporting young people to communicate. This potential can most readily be seen in the area of communication and specifically Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC). Mobile devices along with applications such as Proloquo2go by AssistiveWare, My First AAC by Injini and Alexicom AAC has brought AAC into the mainstream, opening up a world of opportunity for those where expressive communication was limited.

The following apps help persons who struggle to speak due to conditions such as autism, brain injury, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and stroke. Here is the list of the best AAC apps for nonverbal communication that anyone can access and use.

SayIt! – Easy AAC (iOS)
SayIt! is a text-to-speech tool compatible with iPhones and iPads. Typical users will be people of all ages who struggle to vocalise words and phrases. They can use this app to type what they want to say as they go or store a selection of words and phrases on various phrase boards linked to different contexts.

SayIt! lets kids and adults who cannot vocalise their thoughts, opinions, and questions without assistance speak. Therefore it gives them better access to social interaction, lesson participation, and discussion.

CBoard (Android)
Cboard is an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) web app for children and adults with speech and language impairments, aiding communication with symbols and text-to-speech. This versatile application has been designed with the support of UNICEF and provides a unique voice for those who wish to communicate using the application’s language platform.

Parents and teachers could use the app for children who are struggling with communication. These applications could include children with special needs, visually impaired, hearing impaired, autistic, and those who are recovering from illness.

Lil Requester (iOS)
Lil’ Requester is a unique app that was founded by parents for parents and created to help children with socio-communication challenges express themselves and their needs effectively. This application will enable the user to communicate their needs and express themselves verbally enabling them to make decisions or choices easily.

The app is fully customisable and includes a range of communication topics such as places, people, emotions, activities and more.

TouchChat (iOS)
TouchChat is a symbol and text-based AAC tool available for both iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad. TouchChat HD is a full-featured communication solution that allows non-verbal individuals to create words, phrases, and messages using synthesised or digitised speech. TouchChat can be customised to suit individual needs, has a library of over 10,000 symbol stix, four pre-programmed vocabulary organisations, and uses spelling with basic word prediction.autism-1

Features:

Access to SymbolStix library, and easily add your own photos.
A LITE version (without the speech) feature is available to try the app out.
Pre-programmed, fully customizable vocabulary sets are available.
High-quality text-to-speech voices.
Share text in message window via email, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and text message or even copy and paste into other applications.

Proloquo2Go (iOS)
The Proloquo2Go is an AAC and text-to-speech app that is completely customizable and designed for a range of fine-motor and visual skills, making it useful for non-verbal people with a range of other diagnoses. Proloquo2Go lets people talk using symbols or text in a natural-sounding text-to-speech. AsssistiveWare presents Proloquo2Go, a symbol-based AAC platform that’s ideal for people who don’t prefer text-based solutions.

Features:

Access to 14,000 symbols and easily add your own photos.
Pre-programmed vocabulary sets (Research-based: core word and basic communication) which is fully customizable.
Share text in the message window via email, Facebook, Twitter, and text message, or even copy and paste into other applications.

QuickTalk AAC (iOS, Android)
With Quick Talk, our AAC communication app, you can go anywhere with your child, friend, or client, easily take out your phone or tablet, and communicate at the speed of life. AAC app based on categories of pairs of buttons to select phrases and words (100 maximum). 11,000 images and symbols from the Smarty Symbols library. It uses a recorded voice or TTS. The Quick Talk AAC app is a comprehensive AAC application designed by educators, therapists, engineers, and parents to help individuals who are non-verbal communicate through images, profiles, and symbols.

Features:

Easy to navigate, quick access to Yes/No, 11,000 Symblstix images.
Easy setup, create a profile, and start using within minutes. Add buttons before the new event or on the go.
Navigate to speech buttons in 1-2 clicks.
High-quality text to speech or use your own voice.
Typing mode.

iCommunicate (iOS)
iCommunicate is a visual and text AAC app as well as task completion and audiovisual prompting. With iCommunicate app, there is a very large database to choose words and actions from, making speech available for every occasion. You can also record your own custom language to help improve communication across language barriers. iCommunicate app allows the user to print out the schedule they have made, making this application very diverse.

Features:

Allows you to create pictures, flashcards, storyboards, routines, visual schedules and record custom audio in any language.
Comes preloaded with 10,000 Symblstix pictures.
Can insert Google images, printable storyboards.

LetMeTalk (iOS, Android)
LetMeTalk is a free AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) app available for both Android and iPhone. This app supports communication in all areas of life and therefore provides a voice to everyone. LetMeTalk enables you to line up images in a meaningful way to read this row of images as a sentence. The image database of LetMeTalk contains more than 9,000 easy-to-understand images from ARASAAC. Additionally, you can add existing images from the device or take new photos with the built-in camera.

Features:

Supports several languages including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Chinese, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, and Arabic.
Synthesized Speech (Computer Generated)
Allows for switching back and forth between languages for families who are bilingual.

SonoFlex (iOS)
Tobii Sono Flex is an easy-to-use AAC vocabulary app that turns symbols into clear speech. It offers language to nonverbal users who are not yet in full control of literacy. The Lite version differs from the paid version in that there is a limit on the preprogrammed contexts available and reduced customisation settings.

Features:

A LITE version is available to try the app out.
Core vocabulary set provided, with some context/topic-based boards also included.
High-quality text-to-speech voices (US English).
Fully customizable buttons, grids and folders.

AutisMate
AutisMate is a unique AAC app that allows the creation and tagging of real-world “Scenes.” Users can take pictures of surrounding environments and tag “hotspots,” which, when pressed, open a menu containing common phrases associated with the area. Users can even create “visual schedules” comprised of images representing daily tasks and routines, shown in chronological steps.

Integrating AAC into Classroom
Familiarity with the device or AAC app can also help the teacher come up with creative ways to use the system. Since each child has his/her unique set of preferences and abilities, the teacher can play around with the features of the AAC system to best suit the needs of the child. We need to widen the scope of where and how we use these devices, not just for use within the classroom and therapeutic domain. The key is practice, practice, practice. In order for young children to be successful in the use of tablets as communication aids, we as ‘Communication partners’ also need to speak the language of AAC. Similar to learning a new language, we need to model and practice using the device alongside novice learners. Modelling and continual practice need to happen both at home and school in order for successful outcomes.

When first using the iPad as a communication device at our school, we soon noticed the potential it could bring to our pupils with expressive language difficulties. At a basic level, we could quickly find out basic wants and requests, using the device in a similar way to Picture Exchange Communication (PECS). Many of the children were already competent with PECS so effectively we were not making further progress. We needed to move on from labelling and basic requesting. We made similar mistakes as many back in 2011; we focussed too much on the learning of topic words used within lessons to the detriment of social language and the teaching of core words. While the English language has at least 250,000 words, about 200 words account for 80% of everyday language, teaching the children these core words on their devices, opened up new lines of communicative opportunities that previously would have seemed impossible.

How to use an AAC app?
It is important to remember when thinking of using an AAC app, that use of the app alone is not sufficient enough to lead to improved communication outcomes. A supportive environment that compliments the app is vital; the symbol system that a particular app uses should be incorporated into the wider environment that the child will come into contact with. This enables AAC users to generalise symbol/word recognition outside of device use, a common difficulty for children with communication. Collaboration with parents is also important ensuring a consistent approach to core word modelling outside of school. Many parents are reluctant to use devices as potential communication aids for their children in the hope that language may naturally develop down the line. A common concern is that the child may become over-reliant on the device to communicate, yet studies show that the use of AAC, both hi-tech and lo-tech (communication boards) can kick start speech. For those who may never speak due to language production difficulties, the AAC device can become their voice. The use of synthesised rather than digitised speech has come a long way over the last few years allowing AAC apps to be more natural sounding and personal to the particular child.

Many children with communication problems use associative rather than linear thinking, strong visual processing skills allow the child to associate symbols with words allowing them to make sense of the world around them, develop language competence and enable access to areas of the curriculum that they previously couldn’t. If you have a minimally or non-verbal child in your classroom, AAC applications could have the potential to do this. Development of language competence for AAC users will not happen overnight, AAC learning takes time for both the child and their communication partner. Be patient and you will see the benefits in time.

communication apps for autism

One in every 54 childrenTrusted Source in the United States has autism spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Autistic children and adults, as well as their families, teachers, and loved ones, come from all walks of life.

Though symptoms vary widely from one person to the next, they may include speech delays or complete absence of speech, lack of interest in friendships or relationships, difficulty with social cues, fixation, repetitive behaviors, avoiding eye contact, and poor motor skills.

For autistic people and parents of autistic children, help may come in the form of technology. We’ve rounded up the best apps for autism in hopes they’ll reach and impact more people.

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Proloquo2Go
iPhone rating: 4.7 stars

Price: $249.99

Proloquo2Go is an app specifically designed for people who are nonverbal. It promotes language development and allows people to communicate through the use of pictures. It’s designed not only for autistic children, but their families, therapists, and educators. It presents users with images they’re most likely to use and has a level-based system for basic to advanced vocabularies.

Endless Reader
iPhone rating: 4.4 stars

Android rating: 4.3 stars