Basic

Type of exercises & brief description             

• Practising conversations
• e.g.
•     turn-taking
•     listening to conversation partner
•     staying on topic
•     communication aid use
• The ipad starts a topic of conversation and you can practise your responses by replying, commenting, asking questions.

Error handling: None

Prompts/cues:

• Written phrases or pictures
• Spoken words or phrases
• The ipad prompts when it is your turn to respond

Comments/N.B

• Can customise conversation topics and content
• Would need someone to customise the topics and vocabulary to be most useful for someone with aphasia

Type of exercises:

• Written word to picture matching for verbs

Developed with SLT: Yes

Theory based: No, based on clinician experience

Record own speaking attempts: N/A

Correction of own speaking attempts: N/A

Customisation/personalisation: No

Error handling: None

Prompts/cues given: None

Tutorials: Yes, online

Free trial: Yes but not the complete program

Support: Via Livechat or the suppliers can take over the user’s PC. All support takes place 9am-5pm New York time

Comments:

• The online subscription allows access to all the modules available so as the user progresses they don’t need to purchase new modules. It feels like an app when downloaded on an ipad
• The CD version has more functions than the internet version
• A download version exists for $19.95 per program but works only on Windows, not mac
• Remote access to results is possible as long as the SLT has the user’s login & password.

N.B:
    No visual rewards for correct answers
    Also works on Kindle fire and Nook tablet

Type of exercises & brief description    

• Auditory memory and basic sequencing with adjectives.
• Can also be used for reading comprehension of adjectives and position.
• A verbal and/or written description is given (e.g. the red one is bigger than the green one), user must select the corresponding picture from a choice of 12.
• 60 items in total

Error handling: None

Prompts/cues: None

Comments/N.B

• American accent

Type of exercises & brief description             

• Spoken word finding of 418 common nouns (animals, body parts, clothing etc) and unlimited personalised items
• 4 modes: practise, test, picture-word naming & eliciting of adjectives to describe the noun
• 10-100 items can be selected per exercise
• In practise mode, the items are presented and a variety of cues are offered to aid spoken naming. In the other 3 modes no cues are presented
• In description mode, the user is encouraged to use a variety of adjectives to describe the noun depicted to aid them retrieve the spoken word
• If using independently, the user must monitor themselves whether they have named the item correctly or not
• A tutorial is provided to demonstrate how the app can be used

Error handling: None

Prompts/cues: In practise exercises, semantic, first letter, written word &  phonemic cues to choose from

Record results: Results are shown after the session with % of items named correctly with and without cues. It also highlights the cues used. Results can be emailed to a designated address.

Comments/N.B

• There is only one version for UK, US, Aus and there are a few American words (e.g. zipper, fries, cookies)
• The results recorded are reliant on the user self monitoring and knowing whether they named the item correctly or not. There is no facility for recording speech attempts and the app itself does not determine level of accuracy. This app would therefore not be appropriate for independent use by someone with poor self monitoring
• FREE TRIAL available through the languagetherappy Lite app

Supplier: Tactus
 

Type of exercises & brief description             

• Practise of lip and mouth movements (e.g. lips together, mouth open etc)
• Videos of movements and voice over describing how to execute movements
• Can allocate only certain movements to be practised
• 54 movements to practise

Error handling: None

Prompts/cues: None

Comments/N.B

• Limited program, only illustrating lip and mouth movements  but it is free and could be useful as a preliminary to dyspraxia or dysphagia therapy

Type of exercises & brief description             

• Practise of speech sounds
• Videos and voice recordings of vowel and consonant sounds to copy
• Can allocate only certain sounds to be practised
• 40 sounds to practise
• May be useful as part of dyspraxia therapy

Error handling: None

Prompts/cues: Video of lip movements

Comments/N.B

• Limited program, only illustrating lip shapes and speech sounds but it is free and could be useful as part of dyspraxia therapy to practise at home
• American version so could affect some vowel sounds
   

Type of exercises & brief description             

• Fill the blank, anagrams, picture spelling, spelling to dictation of nouns
• 3 levels (easy/medium/hard) - the harder levels provide more letters to choose from in the anagram exercises
• Can choose 10-50 exercises per session and 3-10 letter words
• Can designate upper/lowercase display

Error handling: None

Prompts/cues: Written and spoken word given as cues on request. In the harder levels, there is a 'hint' button which reduces the number of letters to choose from and will provide the initial letter if the user makes 3 errors.

Record results: Can email results to designated  email address. Details include score and which cues were requested.

Comments/N.B

• Written instructions provided on how to use the app. These would not be accessible to someone with compromised reading skills
• FREE TRIAL available through the languagetherappy Lite app

Supplier: Tactus

Type of exercises & brief description             

• Listening and/or reading comprehension at single word level of: verbs (107 items), adjectives (107 items) and nouns (507 items, 10 categories)
• 3 levels of difficulty
• Can present from 10 to 100 exercises per session

Error handling: None

Prompts/cues: 3 items are provided but consecutive unsuccessful identification reduces items to 2. Consistently correct selections, increases items to 6. No other cues are provided.

Record results: Results are summarised at the end of the session in % format but not recorded for future reference. Can set a default email address to send results to.

Comments/N.B

• In easy and medium mode, distractors are not always phonological, semantic or visual. In hard mode, distractors are visual and semantic.
• FREE TRIAL available through the languagetherappy Lite app

Supplier: Tactus

Type of exercises & brief description             

• 50 nouns for verbal naming of common household items  from 5 visual scenes (bathroom, bedroom, garage, kitchen and living room)
• The user monitors themselves whether they have named the item correctly or not
• A tutorial is provided to demonstrate how the app can be used
• The SLT can use it with a variety of different users, each of whom can have their own profile

Error handling: None

Prompts/cues: User identifies an item to name. If they struggle, they can request a written cue (first few letters of the word), a written and spoken semantic cue/definition, a functional spoken and written phrase, a phonemic cue (first sound) or the whole word written and spoken

Record results: Results are recorded showing the date of practice, the sections practised, % of items named correctly with and without cues. It also highlights the cue which most successfully aids the user. Results can be shown on screen, emailed or printed out

Comments/N.B

• Many of the items are in American English (e.g. faucet, bath tub, refrigerator, garbage can)
• The results recorded are reliant on the user self monitoring and knowing whether they named the item correctly or not. There is no facility for recording speech attempts and the app itself does not determine level of accuracy. This app would therefore not be appropriate for independent use by someone with poor self monitoring
   

Type of exercises & brief description             

• Practise of consonant and vowel sounds
• Computer generated images from front and in profile showing how to shape the lips, tongue, teeth and the function of the vocal chords
• If the device has a camera, can work with split screen to see the computer generated image and yourself at the same time to compare your attempts
• May be useful for dyspraxia therapy in conjunction with an SLT

Error handling: None

Prompts/cues: None

Comments/N.B

• American accent
• Small range of vowel sounds covered
• Sounds displayed in phonetic alphabet