Re: App for the iPad and the iPhone Makes Communicating Affordable for People with Disabilities

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AAC App for the iPad and the iPhone Makes Communicating Affordable for People with DisabilitiesBuzz up!0 votesEmailPrintRELATED QUOTES^DJI11,787.38+55.48^GSPC1,293.24+9.48^IXIC2,755.30+20.01AdChoices– Thu Jan 6, 9:01 am ETThe iPhone and the iPad continue to help children and adults with disabilities to communicate. This time it is the update of an application called Expressive that raises the bar for AAC devices.Dallas, TX (PRWEB) January 6, 2011Today Smarty Ears announced the release of Expressive 1.1 for iPhone, iPod touch and the iPad. The version 1.1 of Expressive is a major update to the application that has been helping many children and adults to express their thoughts, wants and needs. Expressive is one of the most affordable apps of its kind on the app store. Expressive is an entry-level augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app that allows children that are unable to use their own voice to communicate.With Expressive, children who may have never expressed themselves have a chance to combine pictures that will speak for them. Expressive was developed by Barbara Fernandes, a trilingual Speech and language pathologist in the Dallas area who saw that many families of individuals with a variety of communication disorders -- such as autism, Down syndrome, apraxia, ALS, cerebral palsy and victims of stroke -- could not afford the price of a conventional device. At US$34.99 Expressive is one of the most affordable apps on the market and it costs a fraction of the devices it rivals, which typically cost anywhere between US$800 and US$4000.New Features and Enhancements in version 1.1 include: Search button for the easy addition of new vocabulary; Ability to add pictures from the iPhone library; Ability to recording your own voice; Increased vocabulary size; Ability to change the background color of folders; Ability to lock the screen so that children will not accidentally delete buttons; Overall enhanced stability on iPad and iPhone 4G;These features significantly enhance the value of this application for the disability and the professional community. Speech and language pathologists who work with children with autism know that many times expensive devices can be hard to program and many times do not allow much flexibility for children that are just learning to use pictures to communicate.Expressive has maintained an overall 4 star rating on iTunes since its release in 2010. Some reviewers have attested to the great addition this application brings to the app store. “This is a very user-friendly app for anyone! Great voices, organization, graphics and performance!” says one user nicknamed AACGirl. Mr.Brown an exemplary elementary special education teacher at Meadow Hall Elementary School in Rockville, land has also reviewed the application:"Expressive is a must-have app is you have or work with a child with special needs who struggles with communication. I am using this app in teaching young children with autism. My students enjoy the simple, user-friendly interface as well as the preloaded vocabulary and symbols. I am looking forward to facilitating communication in my elementary autism classroom using the updated version of Expressive!”Given its extreme ease of programming, affordability and extensive features, Expressive allows parents and speech therapists to use as a starter for many children and adults that would otherwise feel overwhelmed by the many buttons on more advanced devices and apps.For more information visit: http://www.smartyearsapps.com or contact Smarty Ears at contact(at)smarty-ears(dot)com.If you wish to download Expressive visit the App store or click the following link:http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/expressive/id398345416?mt=8iPhone, iPod, iTunes are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Expressive is a trademark of Smarty Ears, LLC.# # #Barbara Fernandes, DirectorSmarty Ears, LLC9402300297Email Information Follow News on Twitter, become a fan on FacebookOn Jan 16, 2011, at 5:38 PM, montgomery wrote:

wow.. that makes me want to cry with excitement for your son (and i don't even know y'all)

congratulations!!!!

From: Kim <kksarene@...>Subject: Re: good news!!Autism and Aspergers Treatment Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 9:36 AM

Just had to say congratulations! Yippee for your son!Kim>> Hello Everyone!> I just wanted to share this good news with you. My son is really into video editing, sound boards and stuff like that. At his school he is always chosen to run the sound equipment when they have events, concerts, guest speakers etc. Anyway, at the Christmas Concert the guy from the local cable company came to record it and had to hook his equipment into my son's sound board. I guess my son talked for a while with this guy, letting him know he was interested in a job working with sound and video! (I just can't believe he started a conversation with a guy he'd never met before!)> Anyway, the

guy phoned me two days ago, telling me how impressed he was at how my son ran the sound board, said he did a better job than some adults could! (of course, this is partly because he "hyper-focuses on this task he loves!) And then he asked if he would be interested in some volunteer work at the station!! Of course my son said yes! And today he got to go down and tour the station, then he was the "switcher" when they recorded a little local show. (this isn't network tv or anything, just small town local programming)> My son has been fixated on this type of thing for a long time and it's so exciting to see it become something more for him! The guy that called said he was very happy with the job he did and hopes to get him volunteering a lot more - and he also said if he volunteers and gets to learn a lot, when they are hiring, he should have enough experience to get the job!!> My son is so happy and I am so proud of him for making the effort

to talk with someone he didn't know, and to be able to show how he could be an asset!> > > Estevan, SK> Canada>