Sentence level writing

ClaroSpeak

SLT Summary

Text to speech program. Reads text aloud as it is typed so you can listen to what you are typing 

Brief description

  • Spelling errors are highlighted and alternative suggestions are given
  • Word prediction can be enabled
  • Option to hear each word as it's typed or to listen only when a sentence is completed

 

Who could benefit

People who 

Aphasia Summary

Text to speechReads text aloud as you type

Language
Price
Type of Software
Easy to use independently
Site Icon
icon Summary

Text to speech. Reads text aloud as you type

Prompts/cues given
No
Theory Based
No
Can author/customise
Yes
Free trial
Yes

Make Write

SLT Summary

Free app co-designed by consultants with aphasia and researchers at City University to encourage people with aphasia to engage in creative writing

Select a piece of writing (your own or one of the 10 included) as your starting point. Automatically erase most of the words to reveal a small set of words to work with. Add and erase words until you have a set of words you'd like to work with. Arrange these words to make a piece of writing and save a photo of it or share it via Twitter or the other apps on your ipad (e.g. email, text, Whats App etc).

 

 

Aphasia Summary

Have fun re-arranging words to write some text, a poem or pure nonsense

Platforms
Language
Price
Area Targeted
Type of Software
Easy to use independently
Number of exercises
Site Icon
icon Summary

Free creative writing app

Record Results
Prompts/cues given
No
Theory Based
Yes
Can author/customise
Yes
Free trial
Yes

Advanced Language Therapy Lite

SLT Summary

Free demo app for Advanced Language Therapy

Try out exercises for Advanced Comprehension Therapy, Advanced Naming Therapy, Advanced Reading Therapy & Advanced Writing Therapy apps (search each app separately for more detailed information)

1 trial is provided for each section of each app to enable you to inform purchase decisions for the apps which can be purchased separately or as a bundle in Advanced Language Therapy

Supplier: Tactus

Aphasia Summary

Free demo app for Advanced Language Therapy

Try out exercises for understandingnamingreading & writing

Language
Price
Level
Type of Software
Easy to use independently
Number of exercises
Site Icon
icon Summary

Free demo app for Advanced Language Therapy

Try out exercises for understanding, naming, reading & writing

Access
Prompts/cues given
No
Theory Based
No
Can author/customise
No
Free trial
Yes

Advanced Language Therapy

SLT Summary

4 bundle app containing:

Advanced Comprehension Therapy, Advanced Naming Therapy, Advanced Reading Therapy & Advanced Writing Therapy. We recommend searching each app separately for detailed information on each app however below is a brief summary of each:

Advanced Comprehension Therapy:

Written and auditory comprehension exercises, & sentence building exercises

3 modes: Identify (picture matching), Build (sentence building) & Follow (follow directions). Each set of exercises has 12-16 levels

Advanced Naming Therapy:

4 sets of sentence and conversation level exercises: Using verbs to make sentences; Comparing similar items; Category association naming; Generating conversations

Advanced Reading Therapy:

3 levels of paragraph level reading exercises with functional materials (cards, texts, stories)

Advanced Writing Therapy: Matching letters to sounds; Spelling words to dictation; Typing to dictation; Writing sentences & paragraphs

Free trial: yes, free trial available through Advanced Language Therapy Lite app

Supplier: Tactus

 

 

Aphasia Summary

Exercises to work on understandingspeakingreading & writing

 

Language
Price
Easy to use independently
Number of exercises
Site Icon
icon Summary

4 apps in a bundle

Exercises to work on understandingnamingreading & writing

 

Access
Record Results
Prompts/cues given
Yes
Theory Based
No
Can author/customise
No
Free trial
Yes

Advanced Writing Therapy

SLT Summary

4 different spelling & writing exercises from letter to sentence level:

1. Matching letters to sounds

12 exercises incorporating letter names, consonants, vowels & blends. The user can also record their spoken attempt if they wish to practise saying the sound or repeating the sound from a model.

2. Spelling words to dictation

Select nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, function words, irregular words or words with specific vowels for 300 common words. Hear the word spoken in isolation, then in a sentence. The user must type the word but can choose a list of 4 options if they are stuck.  The user can also record their spoken attempt if they wish to practise saying the word or repeating the word from a model.

3. Typing to dictation

Chose from 1-8 word sentences. The user must type the words dictated. If they struggle, they can ask to see the word/sentence & then try again or they can keep the sentence on screen to copy. Their errors remain listed under the stimuli so they can check back if they've made the same mistake.The user can also record their spoken attempt if they wish to practise saying the sound or repeating the sound from a model

4. Writing sentences & paragraphs

Choose a focus (e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, function words, personal information, text messages, taking notes, making lists, writing cards, emails, letters, personal information, directions). A key word is then given for the person to make a sentence with. If they struggle, they can ask for a word bank to help them construct their sentence. Once they have constructed a sentence, the written sentence is read aloud for the user to decide whether they would like to edit it or whether it is correct. The user can also record a spoken attempt at reading their sentence aloud or repeating it after the text to speech model. The app does not say whether the sentence is correct or not, the user must judge this themselves

Error handling: None - an auditory sound is given to indicate correct or incorrect responses but no error handling is given

Prompts/cues: Pictorial, auditory & written cues can be requested.  

Record results: a score is given at the end of each exercise (apart from sentence/paragraph writing exercises where no results are given) and results can be emailed. The user cannot look back at previous results within the app

Free trial: yes, free trial available through Advanced Language Therapy Lite app

Comments: On-screen, aphasia friendly instructions on how to use the app are provided. Comprehensive written instructions are also provided however these would not be accessible to someone with compromised reading skills. Chose upper or lower case presentation, 3 levels of exercise (easy, medium, hard) and a large bank of stimuli

 

Supplier: Tactus

 

Language
Price
Easy to use independently
Number of exercises
Site Icon
icon Summary

Exercises for practising writing and spelling

Access
Record Results
Prompts/cues given
Yes
Theory Based
No
Can author/customise
No
Free trial
Yes

Inference Pics

SLT Summary

Exercises to encourage inference making from photos of real-life situations (places, events, feelings, situations etc.)

200 pictures are included in 7 exercise formats: what happened? Jobs, places, seasons, feelings, conversations & thoughts.  For each photo, the user is asked to make an inference about the picture (the user can request 3 multiple choice options if they are struggling to make the inference). They are then asked 'How do you know?' (no prompts are given for this part of the exercise).

Could be used to ellicit spoken or written responses

Could be useful when working with people with TBI or as conversation topics

Results are not stored in-app but can be emailed each time an exercise is completed. 

Results are reliant on the user correctly self-rating whether they were correct or not (if they are using the app independently)

 

 

 

Aphasia Summary

Explain what is happening in a photo and why (inferences)

Platforms
Price
Area Targeted
Type of Software
Easy to use independently
Number of exercises
Site Icon
icon Summary

Explain what is happening in a photo and why (inferences)

Access
Record Results
Prompts/cues given
No
Theory Based
No
Can author/customise
No
Free trial
Yes

Cuespeak

SLT Summary

Work on answering questions with help

Questions on current affairs, updated weekly

Work on asking questions and social phrases

Work on people’s names with video and spelling practice

Spelling with sounds

Letter spelling

Rhyme judgement

Reading tasks

Matching tasks

Sentence processing (e.g reversible sentence ordering)

Written & spoken sentence building

Semantic associations

Tasks for working on verbs in a sentence context

Conversation starters

Articulation: 5000+ videos of target words and phrases, including breakdown into individual syllables & phonemes

Features a communication props drawer with maps, drawing board, numbers, time 

Multiple ways to create hierarchies (e.g. according to word length, sound, frequency, number of phonemes)

Video tutorials are provided to demonstrate how the app works & each exercise has its own tutorial to demonstrate how to complete the exercises

Can create multiple therapy sessions and can share sessions over internet

Error handling: Wrong answers are removed; the response is read aloud for the user to judge;  contextual information is given

Prompts/cues: Closure cues; spoken word

Record results: Results are shown after the session with % of items completed correctly. Can request additional details about accuracyspeed and help requested. Results can also be emailed to the clinician.

Option to break up sentence level questions into chunks to support reading and listening

Comments:  

  • Can choose option for items to remain on the screen until the user moves onto the next exercise (i.e. no automatic scrolling onto the next item).  This is useful when used in therapy to discuss the user’s response
  • Advanced settings for SLT to designate exercise features for each exercise set
  • Remote management/allocation of exercises and results

Free version, monthly subscription option, 1 & 3 year subscription options

Aphasia Summary

Includes a comprehensive range of exercises, including:

Work on answering questions 

Questions on current affairs, updated weekly

Spelling with sounds

Reading tasks

Written & spoken sentence building

Tasks for working on verbs in a sentence context

Conversation starters

Video tutorials are provided

Record results

Free version, monthly subscription option, 1 & 3 year subscription options

 

 

Platforms
Language
Price
Easy to use independently
Number of exercises
Site Icon
icon Summary

Exercises for saying words and sentences and exercises for spelling

Exercises for working on word meanings, spelling and understanding sentences

Access
Record Results
Prompts/cues given
Yes
Theory Based
Yes
Can author/customise
No
Free trial
Yes

Advanced Comprehension Therapy

SLT Summary

 

Name of app

Advanced comprehension therapy

Type of exercises & brief description       

 

Written and auditory comprehension exercises, and sentence building exercises

 

730 items

 

3 modes: Identify (picture matching), Build (sentence building) & Follow (follow directions). Each set of exercises has 12-16 levels

 

 

10-730 items can be selected per exercise

 

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.

 

Developer

www.tactustherapy.com

Supplier

App store & Google Play store

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 Advanced Language Therapy Lite app

 

 

Supplier: Tactus

 

Aphasia Summary

Exercises for working on reading and listening comprehension

Exercises for working on written sentence building

Exercises include: Match pictures to sentences, arrange words in sentences, follow directions.

Adjustable settings to match user needs: difficulty level, colour, speech rate, written/audio word

Record speech and listen back.

Scores and results page for each exercise and email results facility

Free user guide to download

 

 

Language
Price
Easy to use independently
Number of exercises
Site Icon
icon Summary

Exercises for working on reading and listening comprehension

Exercises for working on written sentence building

Access
Record Results
Prompts/cues given
No
Theory Based
No
Can author/customise
No
Free trial
Yes

Advanced Naming Therapy

SLT Summary

4 sets of sentence and conversation level exercises:

1. Using verbs to make sentences

250 concrete & abstract verbs. A verb is provided and the user must make 3 sentences by generating content or choosing from multiple choice options. They can write and/or speak & record their options.  The user is then encouraged to expand on their sentence.  6 activties are generated from each verb, encoraging more autonomy with differing levels of cues.

2. Comparing similar items

206 concrete & abstract items are presented in either image or text form.  The user is invited to verbalise how the items are alike and different.  They can record their spoken attempts.

3. Category association naming

320 concrete and abstract categories are provided.  The user must name from 3 to an unlimited number of associated items (e.g. things starting with /r/, appliances). This activity can be timed. There is also the possiblity to carry out a 1 minute semantic fluency test and a 1 minute phonemic fluency test to assess verbal fluency

4. Generating conversations

507 images are provided (e.g. funny food, unusual objects) to prompt description and/or conversation. Questions are provided to prompt the description or conversation.

 

Error handling: none. The user must decide themselves whether or not the got an item correct

Prompts/cues: In the verb sentences exercises, multiple choice items are provided.  The user can also opt to hear their sentences spoken aloud. Keywords are also provided as hints. No cues are given on the other exercises

Record results: a score is given at the end of each exercise and results can be emailed. The user cannot look back at previous results within the app

Free trial: yes, free trial available through Advanced Language Therapy Lite app

Comments: On-screen, aphasia friendly instructions on how to use the app are provided. Comprehensive written instructions are also provided however these would not be accessible to someone with compromised reading skills

 

Supplier: Tactus

 

Aphasia Summary

Sentence level activities for speaking and writing with a focus on verbs

Price
Area Targeted
Easy to use independently
Number of exercises
Site Icon
icon Summary

Sentence level activities for speaking and writing with a focus on verbs

Access
Record Results
Prompts/cues given
No
Theory Based
Yes
Can author/customise
No
Free trial
Yes

Sentence builder teen

SLT Summary

The user must build a sentence to describe a picture.  The choice of words may include: subject, object, verb, adjective, modifier, connectors, prepositions

3 levels of exercise

Audio reinforcement is provided for correct answers

Could be useful for working on agrammatisms

 

Aphasia Summary

Exercises for building sentences

Platforms
Language
Price
Area Targeted
Level
Type of Software
Easy to use independently
Number of exercises
Site Icon
icon Summary

Exercises for building sentences

Access
Record Results
Prompts/cues given
No
Theory Based
No
Can author/customise
No
Free trial
No