Voice dream reader

Supplier: http://www.voicedream.com

Reads text aloud, word & line highlighting. Option to reduce text area to improve focus. Option to use large font size. Supports PDF documents, ebooks, web pages.

Useful for those who need visual and/or auditory support when reading

Free trial available

Easy to use independently: Yes
Number of exercises:
Version: American English
Access: Touchscreen
Record Results:
Evaluation: Free trial

Problem Solve It

Supplier: http://www.virtualspeechcenter.com

Everyday problem solving scenarios and dilemmas around household problems, money, heath issues and personal dilemmas. May be useful with people who have had a brain injury

US voice and vocabulary

User needs good self monitoring to know whether their responses are appropriate, would be best used alongside a therapist or carer

Easy to use independently: Yes
Number of exercises: Small
Version: American English
Access: Touchscreen
Record Results: Yes
Evaluation: Record own speaking attempts, Remote results access

Talking Mats

Supplier: http://www.talkingmats.com

Covers a wide range of topics

Personalise with your own photos or symbols from other resources

Choose your own top scale to

The finished talking mat can be printed off, saved or emailed.

Subscription-based with a scale of fees from individual to organisational use.

Only available as a desk top version, optimised for google chrome.

 

 

Easy to use independently: Yes
Number of exercises: Unlimited
Version: UK English, American English, Australian English
Access: Click & Drag
Record Results: Yes
Evaluation: Developed with SLT

Aphasia scripts

Supplier: https://www.sralab.org/aphasiasoftware

20 pre-recorded scripts (10 basic and 10 more advanced) are provided for the person with aphasia to practice.  

The SLT can also record personalised scripts using Aphasia scripts editor software which are then downloaded onto the person with aphasia's  player version of the software at home.

First, the user listens to the whole conversation; second the user practices each sentence of the conversation repeatedly; and third, the entire conversation is rehearsed in turn-taking with the virtual therapist.  There is a play back option so the person with aphasia can listen back to their performance.

Easy to use independently: Yes
Number of exercises: Unlimited
Version: UK English, American English, Australian English
Access: Keyboard, Mouse
Record Results: Yes
Evaluation: Can author/customise, Developed with SLT, Record own speaking attempts, Theory based

More speech

Supplier: http://morespeech.com

 

 

Program:

More speech

 

Type of exercises:

 

•    3 auditory discrimination activities

•    15 listening activities (single word to sentence level)

•    18 reading activities (letter to phrase level)

•    11 writing activities (copying to whole word phrase completion

•    5 speaking activities (naming & completion tasks)

•    9 graded apraxia exercises

•    4 levels within each activity module

•    All of the listening, reading & writing exercises can be accessed under the memory exercises but there is a delay before responses are required (i.e. to work on auditory/working/visual memory)

 

Access:

Touchscreen or keyboard & mouse

 

Developed with SLT:

Yes

 

Theory based:

No

 

Record own speaking attempts:

No

 

Correction of own speaking attempts:

No

 

Number of exercises:

Over 5,000

 

Easy to use?

Yes

 

Customisation/personalisation:

No

 

Error handling:

None

 

Prompts/cues given:

Text hints for some exercises

 

Record results:

Yes but only % score, no detail

 

Tutorials:

Yes, video tutorial

 

Free trial:

Yes, 14 day free trial

 

Support:

Yes

 

Comments:

US accent

•    Distractors are unrelated (i.e. not visual/semantic/phonemic)

•    Some exercises work on a combination of skills (e.g. auditory memory + semantics)

•    Can’t record spoken attempts

 

Supplier details:

www.webapp.morespeech.com

 

Easy to use independently: Yes
Number of exercises: Very Large
Version: American English
Access: Keyboard, Mouse, Touchscreen
Record Results: Yes
Evaluation: Assessment of need & exercises suggested, Developed with SLT, Free trial, Theory based

AlphaTopics - AAC

Supplier: http://tactustherapy.com/app/alphatopics-aac

Cueing app

Keyboard and topics list to help cue a conversation partner into speech by providing context through topic area and/or initial letter(s)

24 topic areas 

Numbers & keyboard (ABC/frequency layouts)

Laugh button to express pleasure, "huh?" button to express surprise/confusion

No message window so user cannot build a message, they are simply using the keyboard and topics to cue someone into their speech

 

Supplier: Tactus

 

Easy to use independently: Yes
Number of exercises: Small
Version: UK English, American English
Access: Touchscreen
Record Results:
Evaluation: Developed with SLT

Number Therapy

Supplier: http://tactustherapy.com/app/number/

Exercises to work on understanding numbers in the written & spoken form, speaking numbers & writing numbers

Choose to work on numbers in different formats (e.g. money, years, time, fractions, ordinals)

Option to add personalised phone numbers

Option to record spoken attempts

3 difficulty levels

A Free trial is available through the Number Therapy Lite app

Suppliers: App store & google play store

 

Supplier: Tactus

 

Easy to use independently: Yes
Number of exercises: Large
Version: American English
Access: Touchscreen
Record Results: Yes
Evaluation: Can author/customise, Developed with SLT, Free trial, Prompts/cues given, Record own speaking attempts, Remote results access

Exercises for following written and spoken multi-step instructions with 100 stimuli items

Choose from 2-6 information carrying words

Features worked on include size, colour, before, after, first, then

There are preliminary exercises to check the person has understood all the concepts, before moving onto the full exercises

Results can be emailed or consulted in-app

No prompts/cues are provided

 

Easy to use independently: Yes
Number of exercises: Large
Version: UK English
Access: Touchscreen
Record Results: Yes
Evaluation: Developed with SLT, Free trial, Remote results access, Theory based

Apraxia Therapy

Supplier: http://tactustherapy.com/app/apraxia/

3 exercise sets:

  • sequences (automatic speech such as ABC, alphabet)
  • 1-6 word phrases (7 levels)
  • 2-5 syllable words (4 levels)
  • 175 exercises in total

The words/phrases are of a functional nature, useful for conversation

Rate of speech can be altered

Visual (video & text) and auditory (spoken) cues given

5 stepped approach to verbal production (listen/tap rhythm/say with model/say with model fading out/say with verbal but no auditory model)

Items can be presented in stepped order of difficulty or randomised

User needs good self-monitoring skills to be able to self-rate whether they got the response correct

Self-ratings and audio recordings can be emailed to SLT

NB audio recordings are with an American accent

A free trial is available through Apraxia Therapy Lite app

 

Supplier: Tactus

 

Easy to use independently: Yes
Number of exercises: Large
Version: American English
Access: Touchscreen
Record Results: Yes
Evaluation: Developed with SLT, Free trial, Record own speaking attempts, Remote results access, Theory based

Advanced Naming Therapy

Supplier: http://tactustherapy.com/app/advanced-naming/

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

 

Easy to use independently: Yes
Number of exercises: Very Large
Version: UK English, American English
Access: Touchscreen
Record Results: No
Evaluation: Developed with SLT, Free trial, Record own speaking attempts, Remote results access, Theory based