News about Proloquo2Go

Today we proudly announce the Proloquo2Go App Donation Program, for which we partnered with Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region (Villa Park, Illinois, US). We recognize that not everyone can afford Proloquo2Go for iOS, and therefore the Proloquo2Go app donation program is intended to help those with limited funds get access to this communication application.

Together we worked for several months on the Proloquo2Go App Donation Program to make sure it would have all the right checks and balances in place. To be eligible for the donation program an Augmentative Communication Evaluation by a licensed Speech Language Pathologist must be included with the submission of each application. An application will first be reviewed by the financial office of the Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region center for compliance with the financial need requirements of the donation program. If the application meets these requirements, it will be reviewed by an AAC reviewing from team of the Center. Among other things, an AAC specialist will then evaluate whether or not Proloquo2Go meets the needs of the client.

The donation program is open to anyone in the USA. For more information and the policy for the Proloquo2Go App Donation Program, please email assistivetech@eastersealsdfvr.org.

We are happy to report that the second video in our Proloquo2Go video project has now been released. It is called "Tell us, we want to know" and about Nick, a ten year old boy with autism. View the video and learn more about our video project on the video project page.

We are happy to report that the first video in our Proloquo2Go video project has now been released. It is called "Blossoming as a child" and about a smart 3-year old girl called Vanessa. View the video and learn more about our video project on the video project page.

Students with special needs are using iPads, equipped with Proloquo2Go, to communicate with their teachers and boost learning. It’s already having major benefits for kids and teachers.

Watch the video:

Version 1.7.2 is a bug fix release addressing a number of problems that were encountered with the major 1.7 update. Based on feedback from the Proloquo2Go user community, version 1.7.2 also brings back two experimental features that had been removed in version 1.7.

The most important changes in version 1.7.2 are:

• The "Adjust # of Columns" experimental feature that was removed in version 1.7 has been reinstated and can be used to show more columns when the device is used in landscape compared to when it is used in portrait orientation.
• The "Try to Fill Screen" experimental feature that was removed in version 1.7 has been reinstated and can be used to make some categories with few buttons have larger buttons to fill most of the screen.
• A bug that could cause items to randomly moved in some categories has been fixed.
• A rare bug that could cause the app to freeze with a white screen after launching the app has been fixed.
• If all views but the grid or list view have been restricted only a home button will appear in the bottom toolbar.
• The prediction button size for the typing view can now be set completely independently from the item size settings.
• Several rare crashing conditions were resolved.

In all, version 1.7.2 contains 30 improvements and fixes.

The update is free for existing Proloquo2Go users. If you are not familiar with the procedure of updating an App, please read these instructions.

Note that this version requires iOS 4.2 or later, which is compatible with all iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad models except the first generation iPod touch (the one without internal speaker) and the very first iPhone.

A webinar covering the new 1.7 features has been scheduled.

Version 1.7.1 is a bug fix release addressing a number of problems that were encountered with the major 1.7 update from last week.

• Word prediction should no longer freeze when the application is relaunched.
• A number of issues with device rotation were resolved.
• A number of issues with taking and using photos has been resolved.
• Several rare crashing conditions were resolved.

In all, version 1.7.1 contains 35 improvements and fixes.

The update is free for existing Proloquo2Go users. If you are not familiar with the procedure of updating an App, please read these instructions.

Note that this version requires iOS 4.2 or later, which is compatible with all iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad models except the first generation iPod touch (the one without internal speaker) and the very first iPhone.

A webinar covering the new 1.7 features has been scheduled.

Proloquo2Go 1.7 has just been released. This important update focusses on layout customization as well as some organizational improvements:

• The message window is now resizable, supporting a larger backspace button.
• The navigation bar is now resizable, supporting a larger back button.
• The space between items can now be adjusted.
• All Settings are now consolidated into the Option View.
• Auto-conjugation now supports possessives of proper nouns.
• Options view can now be password protected.
• Changes to Appearance settings are now live-updated on iPad.
• Additional voices can now be downloaded in the background.
• Auto-spacing now handles punctuation better.
• Numerous small enhancements and fixes.

The update is free for existing Proloquo2Go users. If you are not familiar with the procedure of updating an App, please read these instructions.

Note that this version requires iOS 4.2 or later, which is compatible with all iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad models except the first generation iPod touch (the one without internal speaker) and the very first iPhone.

A webinar covering the new features will soon be scheduled.

This Sunday there was a great segment about "Apps for Autism" on 60 Minutes. Watch the video:

AssistiveWare is proud to announce our Proloquo2Go Webinar Series is now available on iTunes as a video podcast. For more information about this video podcast as well as our other video podcasts click here.

Webinar Part 1, Introduction to Proloquo2Go for both Professionals and Users has been released first, with subsequent Webinars scheduled for weekly release.

In Part 1, Introduction to Proloquo2Go,  Eric Sailers, M.A., CCC-SLP demonstrates the Proloquo2Go views: Grid, Typing, Recents, and Options and provides a brief overview of Proloquo2Go’s key features and concepts.  

Please subscribe to AssistiveWare Webinar Series to stay updated and join in the Webinar discussions at our Webinar Forum.

Note: Viewing the video podcasts does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go Presenter/Trainer certificate. If you are working towards the Proloquo2Go Presenter/Trainer certificate and missed a live Webinar, please contact us at support.

Proloquo2Go 1.6 has just been released. This update adds a number of general purpose enhancements as well as several features specifically targeted at users with hearing impairments, autism or fine motor control problems:

• Added visual feedback when message window is tapped.
• Repeated taps on the message window can now stop speech, restart speech, pause/continue speech or be ignored.
• A repeat delay can be set on the message window and the vocabulary buttons to prevent users from repeating the same message or button(s) over and over again.
• A hold duration can be set on the message window and the vocabulary buttons to prevent users with fine motor issues from accidentally triggering the wrong message or vocabulary button.
• Auto-conjugation now supports possessives of proper nouns.
• Two beautiful new voices were added: The American English female voice Tracy (included in the app) and Indian English female voice Deepa (free download in the app).
• Word prediction can now be set to learn only correctly spelled words.
• Auto-spacing now handles numbers and dates more intelligently. Auto-spacing can also be turned off now.
• Over 15 other fixes and enhancements.

The update is free for existing Proloquo2Go users. If you are not familiar with the procedure of updating an App, please read these instructions.

Note that this version requires iOS 4.2 or later, which is compatible with all iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad models except the first generation iPod touch (the one without internal speaker) and the very first iPhone.

Our North American partner, Origin Instruments, has just announced that, in addition to their existing iPod touch Combo Packs, they are now selling iPad 2 Combo Packs with Proloquo2Go. Check out their full offering.

In a video interview with MacNews during Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), David provides some background on AssistiveWare and shares his thoughts about the announcements made at WWDC and his opinion about the future possibilities iCloud could offer to our user community.

In an article titled "iPad holds promise for dealing with autism" Husdon Star-Observer reporter Randy Hanson writes about how iPad supports communication (with Proloquo2Go), learning and entertainment for two Wisconsin teenagers with autism.

This year we are again collaborating with others on two pre-conference workshops at Closing The Gap in October. Learn all about iPad apps, including Proloquo2Go and Pictello. If you are interested, sign up quickly as these tend to sell out very quickly!

Learn more about this and other conferences we will be participating in.

Great story about 6-year-old Connor’s success with Proloquo2Go. The story also reports on how Quebec’s allowance for special needs program has begun accepting applications for iPads.

Nice article from Inforum on how the iPad can assist children with special needs and helps them communicate with those surrounding them.

John Brandon, in his article "Is the iPad a ’Miracle Device’ for Autism?" reports for Fox News how iPad and programs such as Proloquo2Go help children with autism connect with the world around them.

Proloquo2Go 1.5 adds the following major new features:

• Advanced, self-learning multi-word prediction in the Typing View using AssistiveWare's PolyPredix™ engine. Supports British and American English.
• Support for VGA adapter to present on external screens for training purposes.
• Improved toolbar layout for Typing View.
• Several fixes, including a potential crash when using accented characters.

The update is free for existing Proloquo2Go users. If you are not familiar with the procedure of updating an App, please read these instructions.

Note that this new version requires iOS 4.2 or later, which is compatible with all iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad models except the first generation iPod touch (the one without internal speaker) and the very first iPhone.

On March 2, Apple had a special media event in which they introduced the iPad 2. As part of the event they showed a video of the impact of first iPad. Click this link to see the video of Apple’s media event. Fast forward to 13:00 minutes to see the section on how the iPad makes a difference to kids with autism. You will see several kids using Proloquo2Go.

CBS Philly has a great story and video on how an iPad with Proloquo2Go gives a voice to 9-year-old Andrew Patitucci.

AssistiveWare today won the prestigious 2011 BETT Award for Special Educational Needs Solutions for Proloquo2Go.

The annual BETT Awards are a celebration of the creativity and innovation that can be found through ICT for education. The awards are given to organizations that have proven to be leaders in their fields.

The judges awarded Proloquo2Go BETT Awards 2011 winner for its good use of up-to-date technology and its use of a mainstream device for a specialist purpose, its flexibility in meeting a wide range of needs and its interface and use of symbols.

AssistiveWare is proud to win this prestigious award together with its UK partner TherapyBox. AssistiveWare would like to take this opportunity to thank its vibrant user community for their support and inspiration that helped make Proloquo2Go what it is today.

AssistiveWare will show all of its products for iOS and Mac in the Special Needs Section of BETT (London, 12 - 15 January, 2011). Come see us at stand SN19.

We are proud to report that our Proloquo2Go app is one of the finalists for the prestigious 2011 BETT Awards.

AssistiveWare today announced the release of Pictello 1.1, which adds full iPad support. Pictello is a simple way to create talking photo albums and talking books. Each page in a Pictello Story can contain a picture, up to five lines of text, and a recorded sound or text-to-speech using high-quality voices. Stories can be shared using iTunes File Sharing or via WiFi with other Pictello users through a free account on the Pictello Sharing Server.

Version 1.1 brings the following new features and enhancements:

• Full iPad compatibility
• Full VoiceOver support for vision impaired users
• Availability of children's voices
• Support for higher resolution images
• Larger buttons in the story reader and other interface enhancements
• Numerous small fixes and improvements

Pictello is developed for all ages and skill levels, so it is easy to use and requires no reading skills to locate and read stories. Pictello offers an easy visual story creation wizard so everyone can use pictures and sound to share important moments in their lives. An advanced editor gives full control of the editing capabilities.

Read more.

It is now official. Apple has included Proloquo2Go on the iPads on display in Apple Stores worldwide. Many resellers also have access to this official Apple App collection and may have put it on their display iPads now or will do so after Christmas.

This is a historic moment. Families, therapists and educators can now walk into over 300 Apple Stores in more than 10 countries, into hundreds of Best Buys and other stores with an in-store Apple Store as well as many other resellers and try the Proloquo2Go Augmentative and Alternative Communication solution hands-on.

The Proloquo2Go version included on the display iPads is fully functional but clears all user content and modifications after the app is terminated by pressing the iPad home button.

Apple listened to our plea and that of many Proloquo2Go users. With the just released iOS 4.2.1 it is now possible to prevent App deletion.

First make sure you install iOS 4.2.1 on your device. For instructions and to learn what more is new see Apple’s site.

To prevent app deletion go to the Settings app, tap General, tap Restrictions, tap Enable Restrictions, choose a password and switch Deleting Apps to off.

If you are going to be at the ASHA Convention 2010 be sure to come visit the AssistiveWare booth (no. 652). Get some hands-on time with Proloquo2Go, the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) solution for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad that everyone is talking about.

Hear all about the latest Proloquo2Go features, get a preview of the next major update. Try out our just released Pictello visual stories application for iPhone and iPod touch. Soon available on iPad too, but as an ASHA attendee you can already try the iPad version at ASHA 2010.

Take this opportunity to meet the team behind Proloquo2Go and Pictello. If you are new to these technologies ask all the questions you want and get a demonstration from the experts. If you are already using Proloquo2go or Pictello let us personally know what features you would like to see next.

We are looking forward to see you in Philadelphia!

On Saturday, October 30, Speech Camp will be holding a Mini-Workshop on customizing Proloquo2Go on the iPad presented by Dr. Tracy Mansfield, from 3 - 6 PM. Preregistration is required. For more information, please click here.

AssistiveWare is proud to present Pictello, it’s second iPhone app. Pictello is a simple way to create talking photo albums and talking books. Each page in a Pictello Story can contain a picture, up to five lines of text, and a recorded sound or text-to-speech using high-quality voices. Stories can be shared using iTunes File Sharing or via WiFi with other Pictello users through a free account on the Pictello Sharing Server. Read more on the product page.

The Wall Street Journal has an excellent article on use of iPad for special needs kids. The article also speaks about Proloquo2Go and includes a statement from Steve Jobs. The video is also worth seeing.

Hot on the heels of our 1.4 update this new version includes a number of features frequently requested by the Proloquo2Go user community. The key changes are:

• Full support for Apple's VoiceOver screen reader on iOS 4.0 and later.
• On iPad now supports larger item sizes (showing only 1 or 2 items on the screen).
• A setting was added to allow only portrait orientation.
• Restore from backup now correctly restores the Settings.
• A number of minor fixes.

The update is free for existing Proloquo2Go users. If you are not familiar with the procedure of updating an App, please read these instructions.

WTHI-TV has a cool story of a family that bought an iPad and Proloquo2Go for their 4 year old son. Their son is now so much better able to communicate his wishes to his parents.

On 29 September 2010 Apple informed us the purchasing problems should now be resolved. Please contact us if you are still experiencing problems.

iTunes purchasing problems: Since last week we are receiving multiple reports of people who want to buy Proloquo2Go but whose credit card is being refused by iTunes. If this happens to you, please report the problem using this web form.

We have the impression this is affecting purchases of higher priced software only, as people can often still buy cheap apps with the same credit card.

Note that the whole purchase process, credit card handling and all is handled by iTunes both from a financial and technical perspective. Sadly, we can therefore not help you with this aspect of Proloquo2Go.

A work around, while iTunes sorts out this issue, is to buy iTunes gift certificates at a local electronics store or online and use those to buy the App. This way iTunes does not need your credit card and can consequently not decline it.

Craig Evans from Autism Hangout did a video interview with David Niemeijer, Proloquo2Go lead developer and CEO of AssistiveWare, about Proloquo2Go, the iOS devices and users with autism.

Looks like Proloquo2Go is doing very well in Texas. KHOU from Houston reports how the iPad with Apps such as Proloquo2Go is making a difference in the lives of children with autism. KFDA NewsChannel 10 reports on how the iPhone changes the lives of children with autism. Two different, but equally great stories!

Therapy Box, our UK partner, will be exhibiting at the Communication Matters Symposium in Leicester (26-28 September). Visit the Therapy Box booth or come along to their presentation which is on Tuesday 28 September at 12:15 in the Main Hall (Gilbert Murray).

This will be a good chance to hear how a range of people have been using Proloquo2Go during the past year - a good way to get ideas on how people are making the most of the various features and customising their set-ups and vocabularies in creative ways! We’ll review how you can make the most of the iPod, iPhone and iPad, by looking at the cool features and relevant apps. For more information, check out: http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/page/conference

This update brings new features as well as enhanced stability and performance. The key changes are:

• Added vocabulary backup with iTunes' File Sharing using the dock connector cable (available for iOS 3.2 and higher). - read the tutorial
• Added updated, higher quality voices.
• Optimized all artwork, including all 7000+ symbols, for the retina display of the iPhone 4 and new iPod touch, providing crisp, gorgeous graphics.
• Conversion of text to symbols several times faster.
• Uploading of a vocabulary from computer to Proloquo2Go over wifi significantly faster.
• Enhanced stability on iPad and iOS 4 devices.
• Over 30 other improvements, bug fixes and performance enhancements.

The update is free for existing Proloquo2Go users. If you are not familiar with the procedure of updating an App, please read these instructions.

Featured on CNET News home page, "Tapping this app gives special-needs users a voice" by Abbi Perets is about how "a new wave of App Store offerings, including Proloquo2Go, is gaining favor over clunky and uberexpensive devices for those with communication disorders—and making assistive technology cool." The article highlights how Proloquo2Go makes a difference for the 7 year old Max.

Check out the article "iHelp for Autism" by SFWeekly reporter Ashley Harrell. It’s about the transformative experience of the iPad and also mentions Proloquo2Go. Apple clearly liked the article too and made it part of it’s Hot News feed!

Proloquo2Go has been included in Apple’s brand new App Store Volume Purchase Program. This means that educational institutions in the US can get a 50% discount on Proloquo2Go purchases of 20 or more copies. For details see: http://www.apple.com/itunes/education/

Peninsula Rehab Center (PRC) at Florida Hospital Oceanside, one of our US resource centers is featured with Proloquo2Go on Fox 35 News. Watch the YouTube video here.

We have just uploaded a whole set of brand-new Proloquo2Go tutorials. These step-by-step tutorials of 1 to 3 pages each can help you get the most out of Proloquo2Go whether you are a Proloquo2Go user, caregiver of a Proloquo2Go user, teacher working with students that use Proloquo2Go, Speech Language Pathologist working with Proloquo2Go users, or provide trainings on Proloquo2Go. The tutorials can be downloaded here.

Therapy Box, our UK partner is presenting Proloquo2Go at Communication Matters Road show event on Tuesday, 29 June 2010. They are presenting 5 times that day. Location: Trinity Park Conference Centre, Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, IP3 8UH.

On June 13, 2010 Rick Foster from the The Sun Chronicle reported on how two local Lions Clubs help a teenager get an iPad with Proloquo2Go.

Dear Proloquo2Go user and community member,

On 3 June 2010, Samuel Sennott, co-creator of Proloquo2Go, sold his share in Proloquo2Go to AssistiveWare in order to focus his research and development efforts on his PhD at The Pennsylvania State University and on his new company, Sennott Technologies, LLC.

Proloquo2Go has made a large impact on the AAC world over the two years of the collaboration between AssistiveWare and Sennott Consulting. When they came together almost two years ago, they believed they could make a difference by creating a new AAC solution that was powerful, affordable, and cool. From the amazing user community, to a front-page feature in the NY Times, Proloquo2Go has had a profound impact.

While Sennott will not continue to be a part of Proloquo2Go, he will remain fully committed to the AAC community, serving through his research and future endeavors. He has full confidence that AssistiveWare will continue to provide great service as well as many further enhancements to Proloquo2Go that will benefit the Proloquo2Go community.

David and AssistiveWare would like to use this occasion to thank Sam for the important contributions he has made to Proloquo2Go and, not in the least, his success in drawing public attention to the needs of AAC users. With his ongoing research, he will be able to make even more contributions to the field of AAC in the future. Let us all give Sam a big thank you and wish him well in his further pursuits.

Samuel Sennott would like to specially thank David Niemeijer for the amazing work we did together. He would also like to thank his father, mother, family, Deirdre, Joseph Barnick, Pam H., Sue M., Mads, the Penn State community, The DC Crew, TLC, Origin Instruments, Apple Inc. and the whole Proloquo2Go community for their support.

Best wishes,

David and Sam

The Doctors is a popular daytime television show, which in a show focused on autism, featured Proloquo2Go. Click here to see the video.

Proloquo2Go, the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system that has taken the world by storm, is now available on the iPad. Proloquo2Go is latin for speak out loud and that’s exactly what it helps people do! It is pronounced “Pro” as in professional, “lo” as in low, and “quo” as in quotation. The “2Go” means mobile.

Proloquo2Go version 1.3 has been optimized for the iPad and will be a free update for existing users. Check out the photos here.

New Features and Enhancements include:

• Universal App that will run optimally on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
• Added additional items sizes for iPad.
• Support for both landscape and portrait view plus device rotation.
• Redesigned toolbar for easier access to core functions.
• Additional Appearance Settings for a fine-tuned user experience.
• Rewritten core grid engine for higher performance.

Proloquo2Go has been helping individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy, down syndrome, developmental disabilities, ALS, traumatic brain injury, aphasia, apraxia, and more.

Autism: there’s an app for help. Monday March 29, 2010 Fox News in Tampa reports on a young girl using Proloquo2Go at home and at school. Click here to read the story.

Click here to read the accompanying story.

iPod Touch helps autistic kids learn to speak, communicate Plymouth, IN

Children with autism and other verbal disabilities are getting the chance to speak with help from the iPod Touch. Click here to read more and watch the video at WNDU News Center 16.

Join us next month in San Diego for the 25th Annual CSUN: International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference on March 22-27, 2010. Origin Instruments, the distributor of the Proloquo2Go bundle pack will be hosting co-creators, David Niemeijer and Samuel Sennott in booth, San Diego - 219, San Diego - 318.

Also, check out and sign-up for the conference presentations (limited seating):

Lab session: AAC-1030 - Basics Proloquo2Go Lab. Wednesday, March 24 8:00 am - 9:00 am, Madeleine CD Mac Lab. Speakers: Samuel Sennott, David Niemeijer, Mark Coppin, Eric Sailers.

Regular session: AAC-1036 - AAC in your pocket: Introduction to Proloquo2Go for iPhone and iPod. Wednesday, March 24 9:20 am - 10:20 am, Edward AB. Speakers: Samuel Sennott, David Niemeijer.

Lab session: AAC-2029 - Advanced Proloquo2Go Vocabulary Lab. Wednesday, March 24 1:50 pm - 2:50 pm, Madeleine CD Mac Lab. Speakers: Samuel Sennott, David Niemeijer, Mark Coppin, Eric Sailers.

Lab session: K12-2010 - Using iPod Touch Applications as Assistive Technology for Students with Special Needs. Friday, March 26 3:10 pm - 4:10 pm, Mohsen AB. Speakers: Eric Sailers, Samuel Sennott, Mark Coppin, David Niemeijer.

Regular session: K12-2011 - Discovering iPod Touch Applications as Assistive Technology for Students with Special Needs. Saturday, March 27 9:20 - 10:20 AM, Emma AB. Speakers: Eric Sailers, Samuel Sennott, Mark Coppin.

On Saturday, February 27th, the California Speech-Hearing Association will host a half day Proloquo2Go workshop, taught by Betsy Caporale. The event will be in the San Francisco area, in Pleasanton, CA. Click here for more information.

As of Friday, 12 February 2010, Proloquo2Go version 1.2 is available in the App Store. This is a free update for all present Proloquo2Go users.

New Features and Enhancements

• Added support for wide items to fit more text. This doubles the number of available layouts, ranging from 1 item per screen to 36 items per screen.
• Optimized and increased font-size and legibility on many item sizes in grid view.
• Added a pronunciation editor allowing users to easily customize the pronunciation of any word.
• Added auto-recovery in case the vocabulary database becomes damaged.
• Items without an image now show more lines of text nicely centered.
• Over a dozen other interface and usability enhancements.
• Fixed several problems with manually re-ordering items.
• A dozen other bug fixes.

Note that the next free update will add support for landscape-mode for the typing view

How to update to version 1.2

To update Proloquo2Go, you have two options: update through iTunes or update on the device itself. Given the size of the application, downloading Proloquo2Go through iTunes is the recommended route to take. Below are instructions for both options:

— Updating Proloquo2Go from iTunes —

1. First, make sure that you are logged into the same iTunes account that you purchased Proloquo2Go from. Then, In iTunes’ left hand sidebar, click the item that says "Applications". Next, at the bottom right of the Applications screen, click the text that says, "X Updates Available". You can either update all of your apps by clicking, "Download all free updates" or do them one by one by navigating to the Proloquo2Go app and clicking "Get update".

2. Once downloaded, sync your iPhone/ iPod touch to install the update.

3. Confirm success by launching Proloquo2Go on your device, navigating to the Options View and scrolling down to "About". Tap "About" and you will see the version number listed under the product name.

— Updating Proloquo2Go from an iPhone/ iPod touch: —

1. On your iPhone/ iPod touch, tap the App Store application, and make sure that you are logged into the same iTunes account that you purchased Proloquo2Go from. Next, on the bottom toolbar, tap "Updates" and then scroll to Proloquo2Go and tap it. Finally, tap "Free" to update Proloquo2Go.

2. Confirm success by launching Proloquo2Go on your device, navigating to the Options View and scrolling down to "About". Tap "About" and you will see the version number listed under the product name.

ABC News: Feb. 9, 2010.

iPhone App Opens World to Boy with Rare Syndrome

MATTHEW NOJIRI writes about how Proloquo2go Allows 8-Year-Old Andrew Patitucci to Communicate with His Family.

Eight-year-old Andrew Patitucci now has an easier time communicating with his family because of Proloquo2Go, a new iPhone application he uses on his iPod. Click here to read the story and comment.

On Wednesday, January 27th, Apple announced the iPad, a device with a 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen multi-touch display. Proloquo2Go, the full featured augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) solution, along with most of the 140,000 iPhone apps will run on the iPad. Current Proloquo2Go users will be able to download Proloquo2Go to the iPad once the iPad ships at the end of March.

We are very excited about this important news.

Come see Proloquo2Go at the Origin Instruments booth (# 907) and meet Proloquo2Go co-creator Samuel Sennott this week at ATIA 2010 Orlando from Thursday, January 28 to Saturday, January 30.

Origin Instruments Booth number 907. Free Exhibit Hall Pass

Conference sessions:

Thursday, January 28 AAC on the iPhone and iPod touch: Proloquo2Go Innovations with Samuel Sennott 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM, Bonaire 7

Other Sessions with Samuel Sennott Thursday, January 28 Dan and Sam...Cool, Free or ...You’ve Gotta Have it Applications with Dan Herlihy and Samuel Sennott 2:45 to 3:45, Bonaire 1/2

Friday, January 29 Aided Language Stimulation: Research to Practice with Samuel Sennott, Linda Burkhart, Caroline Ramsey Musselwhite, & Joanne Cafiero 2:45 to 3:45, Caribbean VII

Published in the ASHA Division 12 Perspectives Journal, December 2009:

Autism, AAC, and Proloquo2Go by Samuel Sennott and Adam Bowker (The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA)

Abstract. People with ASD often need to access AAC in situations where a tabletop digital device is not practical. Recent advancements have made more powerful, portable, and affordable communication technologies available to these individuals. Proloquo2Go is a new portable augmentative and alternative communication system that runs on an iPhone or iPod touch and can be used to meet the diverse needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who are ambulatory and have difficulty using speech to meet their full daily communication needs. This article examines Proloquo2Go in light of the best practices in AAC for individuals with ASD such as symbols, visual supports, voice output, and inclusion.

AssistiveWare will preview the upcoming version of Proloquo2Go at the BETT educational trade show in London this week. The new version adds many enhancements and fixes, including enhanced support for people who prefer a text-based interfaced over symbols.

Come see us at stand SN60 at BETT.

Proloquo2Go is one of the ten iPhone apps that has been nominated for Best Educational App of 2009. Cast your vote today! Voting is open until the end of January 2010.

In the mean time we are already hard at work on the next version of Proloquo2Go...

On Wednesday 16 December at 1 pm, Proloquo2Go was featured on the BBC "See Hear" TV program.

In a section of this episode a deaf man uses Proloquo2Go and some other iPhone apps to navigate through London and then at his destination uses Proloquo2Go to order a croissant and coffee.

For residents of the UK it is possible to see the program in iPlayer until Wednesday 23 December 2009 (1:29 pm).

AssistiveWare will show all of its products, including Proloquo2Go in the Special Needs Section of BETT (London, 13 - 16 January, 2010).

Come meet Sam and David, the Proloquo2Go developers, at the AssistiveWare stand SN60.

With close to 30,000 visitors, BETT is one of the world’s largest educational trade shows attracting visitors from all over the world.

Fox 9 News, featured a story about a six-year-old Charlie McCants, who uses Proloquo2Go to communicate. In August, his Speech Pathologist from Gillette Children’s Hospital introduced Proloquo2Go to him and already he is able to blend in much more with the other kids at school.

Here is a link to the video on Fox News.

Meet the Proloquo2Go developers, Sam and David in person. Come and visit us at the AssistiveWare booth (#1514) at ASHA 2009 (19 - 21 November 2009, New Orleans, United States).

Come to a session by co-developer Samuel Sennott: AAC, Speech, the iPhone, iPod Touch, Your Students, & You on Friday, November 20, 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM. Session Number/Code: 1542. Room: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center – CC/245

IEEE.tv has a very nice video feature on Proloquo2Go with some great footage of a child with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome using Proloquo2Go as well as some interviews, including one with Proloquo2Go creators Sam and David. Watch it now.

IEEE.tv is an award winning, internet based television network. A non-profit organization, IEEE is the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology.

Version 1.1, a free update for existing users, brings lots of new features and enhancements:

• Items can now be fully re-ordered in both list and grid view.
• Easier to use for people with limited fine-motor control (no accidental scrolling in grid view if you hold down an item longer) and enhanced visual feedback when pressing items in grid view.
• Now supports connecting to a computer over WiFi to copy vocabulary backups to the computer and restore from such backups. Also allows transferring a complete vocabulary from one device to another.
• Added support for downloading additional voices over the internet, initially this includes an extra American female voice, two British male voices and two British female voices.
• Added voice personalization allowing the user to make a voice sound deeper or higher and even to make an adult voice sound like a child voice.
• Major performance improvement for category loading and scrolling.
• Major performance boost for the symbol chooser.
• More complete symbolization of text when saving from Typing View.
• Text spoken in Typing View is now added to Recents View.
• Several categories are now ordered more logically, including money, days of the week, months and numbers.
• Many other bug fixes and enhancements.

Therapy Box, our new UK partner, will present Proloquo2Go at the Communication Matters Symposium at Leicester University (Sep 20-22). This is will give AAC users, families and specialists a chance to get a hands-on look at Proloquo2Go. Rebecca Bright, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, will be on hand to show how easy it is to use Proloquo2Go at the Therapy Box stand at the exhibition. Visitors to the Symposium can also catch Rebecca’s presentation at 12.05pm Tuesday 22nd in Room 8 at the John Foster Building.

The New York Times featured Proloquo2Go user Kara Lynn and her young son Aiden, both Proloquo2Go users, in their article titled, For Speech-Impaired, Insurance Fights Remedy published in the online edition on September 14, 2009 and in the print edition on September 15, 2009.

At Closing The Gap we will present several sessions that will cover Proloquo2Go:

PC-13 Using the iPhone and iPod touch as Assistive Technology: From AAC to Planning Tool and Beyond. Preconference workshop by David Niemeijer, Samuel Sennott and Eric Sailers. Wednesday, Oct 14 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.

AAC in Your Pocket: Meet Proloquo2Go for iPhone and iPod. Presentation by David Niemeijer and Samuel Sennott. Thursday, Oct 15 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm.

Advanced Proloquo2Go Lab (Beginners Welcome). Lab presented by David Niemeijer and Samuel Sennott. Friday, Oct 16 9:30 am - 12:00 pm.

If you come to Closing The Gap, be sure to join one of the above sessions. We will also demo in the Origin Instruments booth.

WJLA-TV ABC7 News/News Channel 8 in Washington, DC, www.wjla.com, featured a story about a young woman who is a Proloquo2Go user on the 5:00 PM news this today, Thursday, July 16th. She was interviewed with her father, speech therapist and Samuel Sennott at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD.

Here is a link to the video on News Channel 8. For more info, be sure to also read the background story on the News Channel 8 site.

Apple has now approved Proloquo2Go version 1.0.3. Version 1.0.3 offers significantly enhanced performance, especially for recently visited categories. It also fixes a bug in the Add Item and Edit Item views that could in the past cause a crash.

— originally published in June, now updated with the new information that the price increase will be sometime in September, not in August as version 1.1 has taken us a bit more time than expected.

We have kept the introductory price (about 25% off) longer than the few weeks we originally announced after the April 2009 launch of Proloquo2Go. We have tried to keep the introductory price for as long as possible, as we wanted as many people as possible to benefit from the lower price. However, we also want to make sure that we create a sustainable solution where there are enough revenues to continue investing in new features and enhancements not to mention maintaining the service level of our support.

We cannot go into details yet, but there are specific things we are working on that can only be achieved at a higher price point. With the release of version 1.1 (free update), expected sometime in September 2009, the price will be increased to the originally announced US$199 / Euro 149.99 / GBP 114.99 / AUD 249.99 (exact price may vary from country to country). We are announcing this now as we want to give people plenty of time to get it for the introductory price if they wish to do so.

Note that if you already purchased Proloquo2Go the price change will not affect you in anyway. Also note that we have a lot of new and innovative things coming as part of free updates and whether you already have Proloquo2Go, get Proloquo2Go now for the introductory price or buy it later at the final price we believe you will discover a value for your money.

Last night Apple approved Proloquo2Go 1.0.2. This is what’s new and changed:

• Full compatibility with iPhone OS 3.0.
• Enhanced support for working with items with long texts.
• Added a demo mode that automatically resets Proloquo2Go to default vocabulary and settings after quitting or at the end of the day.
• Added a Reset to Factory Defaults feature.
• Added an automatic internal backup feature with the option to restore to an older vocabulary version.
• Added new Restriction options in Settings application to disable destructive actions.

We will add details about these new features to the manual soon.

Update: Based on our testing with the final iPhone OS 3 release, Proloquo2Go 1.0.1 appears to be compatible with iPhone OS 3.0. We do not currently expect any problems for Proloquo2Go users upgrading from iPhone OS 2.2 or iPhone OS 3.

We plan to adopt a lot of the new iPhone OS 3.0 features, but will not do so immediately as that would automatically mean that such updated versions of Proloquo2Go would no longer be installable on devices with iPhone OS 2.x installed. So we will first bring out one or more updates with important new features (such as backup/restore inside Proloquo2Go) before requiring iPhone OS 3.0. For iPhone users iPhone OS 3.0 is a free upgrade, but for iPod users Apple charges a $9.95 fee through iTunes.

Apple is now featuring Proloquo2Go on their accessibility front page.

Proloquo2Go is featured in USA TODAY, in the online-edition on 27 May 2009 and in the print-edition on 28 May 2009. See "iPhone applications can help the autistic" By Greg Toppo

Proloquo2Go has been featured by Apple on a number of European App Store’s and is currently featured on the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and possible other App Stores.

A voice in your pocket. Let’s talk about something cool...

Check out Proloquo2Go on the App Store

Proloquo2Go is now available for purchase on the App Store.

Introducing Proloquo2Go: Samuel Sennott, Interviewed by Chauncy Rucker for the ConnSENSE Bulletin at The 2009 CSUN Conference, March 17-21

Using the iPhone and iPod touch as Assistive Technology: From AAC to Planning Tool and Beyond, a full day preconference lab session, will be held Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at Closing the Gap in Minneapolis, MN.

Read up on the inside story of Proloquo2Go in Samuel Sennott’s article "The Making of Proloquo2Go: AAC in Your Pocket" in the April/May 2009 issue of Closing the Gap.

CSUN 2009, Los Angeles: AAC-1030 - AAC in Your Pocket: Meet Proloquo2Go for iPhone and iPod. Thursday, March 19 - 8:00 am - 9:00 am, Renaissance - International A.