Type of exercises:

• Verbal word finding of nouns + whatever you program in yourself (needs to be able to be pictorially represented though)
• Single word level

Developed with SLT: Yes

Theory based: Yes – evidence based

Record own speaking attempts: Yes

Correction of own speaking attempts: No

Customisation/personalisation: Yes

Error handling: Yes. Spoken, written & mouth shape video cues given. Only lets you make one mistake

Prompts/cues given: Yes. Written, spoken, video

Tutorials: Yes

Free trial: Yes

Support: Free phone and online support

Comments:

• Very repetitive and structured on the basis that this stabilises the brain networks involved in speech
• User must achieve 6 levels of listening before they start verbal production of practised words
• User moves on to next level automatically once competent at the previous level
• If the user makes errors, they are automatically sent back to previous levels
• Once course is completed, the user can return to any level, any exercises and any words to ‘revise’ items
• Only have 3-25 secs to respond or the program marks it as a mistake
• Sentence level exercises encourage use of the practised work in a sentence but not practising the verbal production of whole sentences. Some sentences are unusual e.g. I hate book/I like girl

N.B:
  British accent
 

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
   

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             

• 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             

• Phrase matching, sentence matching, phrase completion, and sentence completion tasks for adjectives (82 items), nouns (260 items), verbs (107 items) with the choice of 10-100 exercises per session
• All exercises provide 4 multiple choice answers.

Error handling: None

Prompts/cues: None

Record results: Results are presented at end of session in % format, but cannot be reviewed later. They can be forwarded to an email address.

Comments/N.B

• There is only one version for UK, US, Aus and there are some American words (e.g.' store' in place of 'shop') however due to context, this shouldn't be a problem.
• Some of the answers require the user to 'infer' an answer from the context which could be useful for higher level readers.
• FREE TRIAL available through the languagetherappy Lite app
   

Supplier: Tactus

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             

• 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             

• 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             

• 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    

• 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