Answers: Yes/No is a great app but just got even BETTER

Answers:YesNo HD - SimplifiedTouch

Answers: Yes/No has a new feature added today.  You can add pictures for a 2 picture communication board through an in app purchase. 


Your In-App purchase allows the user to...


- Use pictures on 24 custom pages

- Create four distinct picture button lesson plans consisting of six custom pages each

- Set custom text, audio, and button color for each picture button

- Increase the total number of preprogrammed pages to 31

- Easily navigate between all custom button sets


I am looking forward to using this app immediately with my emergent communicators. 

The app is $1.99 and the in app purchase is 2.99.  Well worth the price and function.

R J Cooper's List of Apps and Developers of Switch Accessible Apps

Rj Cooper's List of Apps and Developers that work with a switch or in the process of becoming switch accessible:


AutoVerbal Talking Soundboard PRO - No Tie, LLC - 1/23/11 - Todd advises: "You [customers] should let the developer [us] know that it's impacting your buying decision so they [the app developer] can prioritize that feature."

MyTalkTools Mobile - 2nd Half Enterprises LLC - 11/27/10 - Bick writes "We are not going to be ready with this for a couple of months at least."

Predictable - tbox apps - 1/26/11 - Works right now :)

Proloquo2Go - AssistiveWare - 1/26/11 - "At present I think March/April is more likely, but as it requires so many changes it is really hard to nail down exactly."

RJ Cooper & Associates, Inc. - Now! :) Greatest cause/effect music player ever!

SoundingBoard - AbleNet - Ablenet - RJ writes: "Our (RJ's) new version (as of 2/15/11) of our interface/Super-Switch will be compatible. Their app (SoundingBoard) looks for and as the 'switches', BUT Steve from Ablenet writes: "The ~1 and ~3 commands have been added to our list for a future release. The date of a future release has not been determined." Owners of my current interface/Super-Switch will be able to trade theirs in for the new one for a $20 charge or can wait for the updated Ablenet version.

TapSpeak Choice for iPad - Ted Conley - 1/24/11 - Ted (ted@conleysolutions.com> has had his apps switch-friendly for over a month now. I applaud him.

TapToTalk™ - Assistyx LLC - 3/2/11 - Lenny - "I will have a version of TapToTalk for iPhone/iPad later this week or early next week to test on which to test scanning."

TouchChat HD - AAC - Silver Kite - Dave - 1/22/11 - "We have a final definition for implementing the scanning into our software, but have not coded it yet. We won't have anything to show until at least the CSUN conference." (which is in mid-March)

Guest Blogger...Kelly tells us about AnnaKate getting an iPad for Christmas

AnnaKate got an Ipad for Christmas. Sounds a little extravagant for a 4 year old, unless you are a special needs parent and then you understand. The Ipad has become quite the communication tool. I wanted to share how we have been using it with AnnaKate.

First, the case…

I was a little hesitant to get the OtterBox case but after a few negligent tosses by sweet girl…we knew it was the right move. The OtterBox makes the sleek, light Ipad a little heavy and bulky but it is great for protection. It even came with a screen protector that went on perfectly. I highly recommend this case if you have a rowdy child using the Ipad. :)

The purpose…

The purpose of the Ipad is to provide AnnaKate with an alternate way to communicate as she develops her speech.


The apps…

I have spent an extensive amount of time researching communication apps. The gold standard right now is Proloquo2Go - AssistiveWare. It is an amazing communication program. I have not purchased it for 2 reasons:

1. It is $199.99.

2. It is a little more than what we need right now for AnnaKate. I could program it to suit her needs for now but I have decided to try some less expensive and more simplified apps first.



Communication apps we are currently using:

Verbal Victor - Seed Stage Associates, iCommunicate for iPad - Grembe Inc.  and
My Choice Board - Good Karma Applications, Inc


We have set up one entire icon screen with all of AnnaKate’s apps. She knows to swipe to her screen to find her apps.

Here is a screen shot of Verbal Victor - Seed Stage Associates, . Right now it is AnnaKate’s favorite communication tool. It is very basic and only costs $9.99. I like that AnnaKate can easily move through the screens to find the phrase she may want to say. I can see how she could outgrow this app but it is easy to use and great for our needs right now.

This is iCommunicate for iPad - Grembe Inc.. I like this too but we don’t use it nearly as much as Verbal Victor. It is not as easy for AnnaKate to navigate by herself. It costs around $20.00

My Choice Board - Good Karma Applications, Inc is great! This helps us with alleviating some frustrating moments in our house. We have created boards for what she wants to eat for meals, what she wants to watch on television, what she wants to play, etc. She loves touching the picture and hearing the word. This app costs about $9.99. Visually it is the most “cute” of all the apps with the neat little clipboard.

Other uses…

I was very hesitant about AnnaKate using the Ipad for non communication things. I didn’t want it to become a play toy and not be used for the intended purpose. I quickly found out that she needed practice learning to swipe, move through screens, etc. So we downloaded some apps that would help with that as well. So these are fun apps but help with navigation too. They also all expose her to language. It was neat for us to see how fast AnnaKate picked up using the Ipad.


Fun apps..

She loves being able to play her own music with Toddler JukeBox: Twelve Children's Songs (Wheels on the bus and more!) - Tipitap.

Peekaboo Barn - Night & Day Studios, Inc. is a cute app that practices animal names and sounds.

This is a great interactive Sweet Dreams, Maisy by Lucy Cousins - Iceberg Reader book.

Duck Duck Moose has made some great apps. We have most of them. This is Baa Baa Black Sheep - by Duck Duck Moose - Duck Duck Moose. AnnaKate has to find objects, match objects and navigate through the pages.

Babies with Ipads (the blog and Facebook page) has been a great resource for us. It lists great apps and also notifies you when useful apps are on sale or free.


The Ipad has become a great addition to our family. It has helped AnnaKate’s communication immensely and has become a fun thing to do together.

*This is a picture of AnnaKate and Billy listening to music last night. AnnaKate was changing songs with her feet! Silly girl…




Thanks for sharing AnnaKate's experiences with the iPad so far.  Looking forward to reading more by visiting http://theweekesfamily.blogspot.com/.

E uses beginning AAC/icomm on the iPad

This is E using the AAC app iComm.  I have it programed with a single picture of her favorite toy a lady bug and beside her to the right I have her actual lady bug toy.  E has CVI and this is the first time I have seen her look at a picture and then look at the object.  Sorry my video did not capture the objects but you can see her look at each item and the reflection of the screen in her glasses.  Her sister is helping her touch the screen but my goal was for her to fixate on a picture.  iComm is probably the easiest of all the AAC apps I have tried.  They have a lite version to try without audio and with audio is $7.99.