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The tactile symbol communicator is a way for students to communicate by touch. Under each tactile button a word or phrase can be recorded. The student can pick and use each button to communicate. This device is helpful for students who have vision difficulties.

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Designed especially for the visually impaired user, this communicator features brightly colored plates with raised designs and adjustable activation time (1-12 seconds) that gives users time to recognize and activate their message. Features 6 levels for a total of 36 messages and a total record time of 300 seconds, 7 seconds per message. Comes mounted on a Lazy Susan.

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Totally Tactile Communicator | Enabling Devices

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Designed especially for the visually impaired user, this communicator features brightly colored plates with raised designs and adjustable activation time (1-12 seconds) that gives users time to recognize and activate their message. Features 6 levels for a total of 36 messages and a total record time of 300 seconds, 7 seconds per message.

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The Frenchay Alphabet Board is a moble keyboard that student could carry with them to use to communicate. This is a low-tech device. This could be an option for older students who have an understanding of the alphabet and typing words to communicate.

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The FAB™ (Frenchay Alphabet Board) is a low tech communication device for any person who is literate and is unable to speak. FAB is also useful as a spelling device when trying to talk to people with hearing problems. Having no batteries it is always available.
Developed from Experience
The FAB has been developed in conjunction with the United Kingdom's National Health Service to provide a patient driven solution. From years of experience, Speech and Language therapists have defined their needs for a non-slip, washable, hygeinic, positive location alphabet board. The FAB provides all these solutions.
Where can it be used?
FAB provides a communication solution for Nursing Homes, Day Centers, Critical Care Units, Schools, Libraries, Hospices, Private homes, Health Visitors, in fact any situation where people need to interact and vocal communication has been impaired. It is completely mobile and can be used anytime, anywhere.
Formats and Sizes
FAB is available in a Pocket and Tabletop size. In either size, they can be supplied in a Matrix layout or as a QWERTY keyboard layout, depending on personal preference.
Sizes
The Pocket FAB is designed as a readily portable device which is discrete and always available for mobile users. Pocket size is excellent as a backup device for higher technology devices such as eye tracking or text-to-speech equipment. Every high tech user should have one.

The Tabletop FAB is designed for use at home, centers or wards where there is space or where the user does not have good eyesight or pointing accuracy.
Format
The Matrix layout provides the alphabet in sequential order (A,B,C,D,E,F....Z) which provides easy location when searching for letters and easy interpretation for the reader. The vowels are conveniently arranged down the left hand side.

The QWERTY layout is also available for users who are more comfortable with this standard keyboard arrangement.
Languages
The FAB is available in multiple languages.
Technical Specifications
Non-Slip Base: Closed Cell Neoprene
Cleaning Method: Warm soapy water (also chlorine based wipes)
Material: Transparent PC/ABS Loaded with Steritouch antimicrobial silver
Color: Yellow letters on blue
Protective Case: Polypropleyene envelope

POCKET
Height: 4.88 inches (124 mm)
Width: 9.45 inches (240 mm)
Depth: .35 inches (9 mm)
Weight: 4.3 oz (122 g)

TABLETOP
Height: 6.61 inches (168 mm)
Width: 12.87 inches (327 mm)
Depth: .35 inches (9 mm)
Weight: 9.1 oz (258 g)

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AAC speech generating devices and communication software

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Proloque2Go is an app that you can buy for an ipad. It works similar to talkers and choice boards. It is symbol based. The can many visauls to pick from. This is a high-tech device. It takes time and training the student to be able to use it.

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Our AAC app family has two new members supporting children and parents on their AAC journey.

Built from the ground up with an easy-to-use layout, step-by-step guidance and support, you can easily make communication with AAC a part of your everyday life.

Try AssistiveWare Proloquo and Proloquo Coach free of charge for one month.

You'll love how this symbol-based app helps users learn how to express themselves. Proloquo2Go puts the user's development first, with innovative features based on clinical knowledge and user research.

It's also one of the few AAC apps designed to support all users, from beginning to advanced. Completely customizable and designed for a range of fine-motor and visual skills, the app's versatility makes it useful for non-speaking people with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and a range of other diagnoses or speech impediments like apraxia and dysarthria.

Grow and develop

Communicate with ease

Core words stay in the same place throughout the vocabulary to aid motor planning.

Customizable folder organization. You can also create your own folders easily, based on thematic templates.

Designed for a range of fine-motor and visual skills with options like 23 pre-programmed grid sizes and accessibility settings which support scanning and Apple's VoiceOver.

Use it your way

"
The app continues to grow with us, and each update brings only greater utility and reward. Rupert is seventeen now, and I can't see us ever using any other communication format.

Proloquo2Go lets you be you. Choose from 100 voices, ranging from friendly adult voices to genuine children's voices and bilingual voices. The voices are created using real recorded speech, making them feel surprisingly natural. For some languages, you even have multiple options.

Exploring insurance options for Proloquo2Go? We've got you covered.

Our partner, AbleNet, specializes in guiding people through the insurance process for AAC apps and devices. AbleNet works with ALL speech-language pathologists, regardless of their experience with speech devices.

Visit AbleNet's site or contact our support team and get Proloquo2Go the hassle-free way.

Proloquo2Go

AAC Essentials Bundle

Proloquo2Go

Help & Support

Join the community

Ask our Support team

Make every environment set up for quick access to AAC. These printable communication boards are handy to use across different environments. This is very helpful when the device is not available. Using core word boards means you can make AAC always available.
Quick communication boards (new!)
More words to communicate with. Read how to use the Quick communication boards.
Core word boards

Gateway to Language & Learning is an efficient core word vocabulary offering user vocabularies for children, teens, and adults.

Proloquo2Go has the CrescendoTM core word vocabulary built-in. The Gateway to Language and Learning© vocabulary is available as an in-app purchase.

Learn more about Crescendo and Gateway

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Proloquo2Go - AAC app with symbols - AssistiveWare

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You'll love how this symbol-based app helps users learn how to express themselves. Proloquo2Go puts the user's development first, with innovative features based on clinical knowledge and user research.

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The Megabee Assisted Communication and Writing Tablet

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The Megabee Assisted Communication and Writing Tablet

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This communication tablet is a low-tech device. The person using it to communicate uses their eyes to point to a letter. The person receiving the communication picks the letter. There is a light under each letter. If it is the correct letter the student will blink their eyes. This is a great communication device for those who can not use other aac devices.

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MegaBee Eye Pointing Communication Tablet

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The MegaBee is an assisted communication tablet. An easy to use, low tech, eye pointing device for people who have no speech and are unable to have direct or switch access to other AAC devices. Ideal for people with a range of neurological conditions, acute and progressive.

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The gotalk helps students communicate and support them during the day. The student uses the buttons to request or have a conversation with others.

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This easy-to-use, 45 message, AAC device supports those with limited to no speech throughout their daily activities

Product Features:

Records and stores up to 45 messages in five levels, up to 8.25 minutes in total

Nine programmable buttons allow the user to personalize each level with pictures and vocal recordings

Includes three additional core buttons for frequently used words or phrases across levels

Offers sequential recording for quick set-up and re-recording

GoTalk 9+ is temporarily out of stock.

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Product Features: Records and stores up to 45 messages in five levels, up to 8.25 minutes in total Nine programmable buttons allow the user to personalize each level with pictures and vocal recordings Includes three additional core buttons for frequently used words or phrases across levels Offers sequential recording for quick set-up and re-recording GoTalk 9+ is temporarily out of stock.

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Communication boards can be used in and outside of the classroom. This is a low-tech strategy. Students can take the boards with them and point to the pictures to communicate with others.

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Print multiple copies and place them in different areas of the house and/or school. Make one available in every room. Keep one in the car and one in a backpack. Take some to different places you go

Hang the boards in easy to access locations

Attach boards to hip packs and lanyards so you can wear your words

Share copies with all team members

Send the files to print shops to have poster-sized boards made

Use with students/children that do not yet have their own AAC system

Use in messy or wet situations, where an iPad might get damaged

Use in outdoor locations, where sunlight on the iPad makes it hard to see

Model on these communication boards, when the AAC user doesn't want you to use their AAC

Use when your AAC device is flat or broken or unavailable

What other creative ways can you display and use communication boards?

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AssistiveWare's Core word boards - AssistiveWare

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Print out our core word boards. Start using them to support AAC users today!

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Verbal modeling or cueing can help students with verbal languge. Modeling what the student wants for example modeling phrases to request item. "I want the ball" "you say" Modeling can also be labeling items in pictures. This can help with students vocabulary.

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A while back I was charged to do an in-service for the paraprofessionals at my school. I talked to them about using prompts and cues in speech therapy and in the classroom. Fortunately, the paras did great and were immediately able to start implementing some of the strategies we discussed!

All that to say, I hope that this blog post can do the same for you and be something you can refer back to over again. Let's dive deep into how to use prompts and cues in our speech therapy sessions.

What is prompting anyway?

Prompting and cueing are strategies that help the student but still increases learning. A lot of educators will just do this naturally. We ask questions and try to help students come up with the answer or learn a task in any way we know how. But it helps to define what we are doing and be more purposeful with our interactions.

So what's the difference between prompting and cuing? From my research prompting is said to be a little more invasive and leads the student to the correct answer more directly. Cuing is more like a hint or clue that typically doesn't give them the answer directly. So prompting is a little more direct and cuing is said to be more indirect. Today, I'm just going to use the term "prompting" as the broader term to refer any type of assistance with getting the right answer.

So if we are purposeful in the way we help students, prompting when necessary and fading the prompts as soon as we can, it can really help. That's why I wanted to teach the paras at my school about the different ways to prompt as well as the importance of fading it.

Why should we use prompts at all?

Vygotsky said, "What a child can do today with assistance, she'll be able to do by herself tomorrow."

We use prompts ourselves whether we realize it or not. When we're in Target, we look up at the aisle signs to help point us to what we're looking for. If we still can't find the item, we ask someone who works there. We may even need the worker to point the item out to us, if we need further assistance. The next time we go into Target, we probably won't need any prompts to find the item. We'd go straight there and find it independently.

Prompts are really beneficial for our kiddos when learning a new skill. However, if you want the student to become fully independent in that skill, you have to be able to decrease the prompts. Fading prompts are almost as important as giving the prompts. Things you can do to prevent dependency is to reward or reinforce with the prompts at first. Then as they progress, only reward when they respond correctly without the prompts. This could help the student learn the skills more quickly as well as deter them from depending on those prompts.

What are the different types of prompts?

OK, so let me preface this by saying that this is a huge topic and there are a lot of ways to support our kiddos. I use the Prompting Hierarchy from The Autism Helper with my staff. Though there are lots out there, especially related to ABA, this one seemed to lend itself best to a variety of disorders, not just autism.

Here are the different types of prompts, starting from the least invasive (or most independent level):

1. Visual prompts - support in the form of pictures or text, photos, or even videos

This is a great way to give support in a way that's natural or easy to fade. Examples can be anything from a sign on the door to a visual schedule. In speech, I use this one like nobody's business. Visuals for everything.

Sentence strips for expanding utterances and using correct grammar, pictures for WH questions, making inferences, pretty much any language skill. It's my go-to way that I level the support I give. And it's super easy to fade because you can just take away the visual.

2. Verbal prompt - spoken instructions or questions that provide the student with direction on completing the task

This one can look a lot of different ways and it's probably the most commonly used. I feel like there is even a mini hierarchy within verbal prompting.

There's a direct verbal prompt - which is when you plainly give them the correct response or answer. (What is this? -book) Sometimes I use this one when I'm trying to teach WH questions and the student is very echolalic.

There's also indirect prompts - which is just giving more of a subtle hint but not the exact answer. This can look more like asking questions, using CLOZE (or fill in the blank), giving choices, and so on. So for example, if we're working on sequencing I could ask, "What did the boy do next?" Or if we're looking at a picture and I want them to label, I could say "She's putting on her ___." And they would say shoes. There are really lots of different ways that we verbally prompt students, and the possibilities for this one are as endless as language is.

3. Gesture prompt - when you gesture, point, nod or move to indicate the correct response as you're giving the instruction.

You can even look at the student expectantly or look in the direction of the correct answer as a gesture. Of course as SLPs, we will look at students expectantly a lot, especially with our minimally verbal friends, to give them a hint that we are waiting for them to respond.

Another way I gesture is by pointing, especially when I'm teaching WH questions. For example, if there's a picture of a mouse driving a car, I might ask "who's driving the car?" while pointing to the mouse over and over again. Or gesturing can even be as simple as if it's a student's turn to participate, you might make eye contact and nod in his direction for them to take their turn.

4. Modeling - showing the student what they are supposed to do before they do it.

This is one that we use a TON as SLPs, right? It's when we just show them what to do. So, if you tell a student to touch their nose, you would touch your nose. Or maybe you are teaching the student a new skill, like a specific sequencing task. They watch you do it first, then they would try it.

In speech, we do this ALL THE TIME with articulation, right? We model the correct productions of the sound errors. We even pull out a mirror so that they can copy what our mouths are doing. We use modeling and imitation as a strategy for expanding language utterances as well.

5. Partial physical prompt - going in and physically guiding the student through the response with a partial physical gesture, like a tap or a nudge.

In this one you are touching the child, but you're giving them minimal physical guidance. So if you want the student to touch a certain object, you might move their elbow in the direction of that object. You aren't completely hand over hand helping them. It's more subtle.

I use this the most when teaching simple signs. If I'm prompting the child to sign "more" and I've already modeled or I know the child knows the sign, I might tap under their hands to help them initiate the sign.

6. Full physical prompt - going in and physically guiding the student through the response with a full physical gesture.

This is the one where you are hand-over-hand helping the student. It might be doing the hand motions to a song, getting the student to sign, or helping the student do an action. You tell the student to clap his hands, and then you take his hands and make them clap.

This prompt is the most invasive. So you want to fade this one as soon as you can, because you don't want them to be dependent on that. They are not mastering the skill at all if you are completing the task for them.

How do we know which type of prompt to use?

There are a couple of different ways you can approach this when you're teaching a student a new skill. A lot of it will depend on the student as well as the skill you are trying to teach. You and your team might have to make some judgment calls and use your knowledge of the student. But I'll give a few general rules of thumb that you can use.

1. Go from least invasive to most invasive

The first approach would be to use the least intrusive prompt first, which according to our hierarchy would be the visuals, and go down the hierarchy adding more prompts only if needed.

So, if you go back to our Target example from earlier. I couldn't find my item by using the store signs. So I asked a store clerk to help me, and he gave me directions to find it ( verbal prompt). If I still can't find it, he could walk me over and point to the item on the shelf ( gesture). Hopefully, I don't need him to model taking the item from the shelf, but I might need him to physically help me if it's out of reach or something (ha).

This is a good approach to use if you are trying to assess how much of the skill the child can do independently. Another benefit to this one is that the student gets repeated time to respond to the requests and more practice time with the skill, since you are asking the same thing of them over and over.

2. Go from most invasive to least invasive

The second approach would be to do the opposite. You start with the most invasive and work your way up to the least invasive. Depending on the skill, you might start with the full physical prompt, then continually fade the prompts as they learn the skill.

So, if you were teaching a student to sign "more," you might hand over hand the sign when you are first teaching it. Then you may tap their hands to remind them to sign. Soon you might just model the sign when you expect them to use it and they will imitate you. After that, maybe you just need to point to their hands or look at them expectantly. Then you might say " need more?" or "what do you want?" and they will make the sign on their own. This approach is good to use when a student is first learning something new.

You just want to make sure you are fading those prompts when you can. Another benefit to this approach is - it is said that it results in fewer errors and quicker skill acquisition...probably as long as you are fading the prompts quickly.

3. Delay prompting by decreasing the amount of time before you offer assistance

Basically, you want to wait a bit before going to the next level of prompting. You might give a verbal prompt then wait 3 seconds before giving the gesture prompt. Then you might wait 5 seconds between prompts.

4. Gradually decrease the intensity of the type of prompt you are giving

Maybe you are giving the partial physical prompt. You want to fade from the wrist - to the elbow - to the shoulder - then maybe stand behind - then back away entirely. Or in the case of verbal prompts - you could start by giving direct prompt, then on the next target try cloze or indirect prompts.

5. Know how to reinforce appropriately to prevent prompt dependence

Like I mentioned before, you want to praise the child or give rewards that will help the student become more independent. So if they are first learning then, sure, reward them for completing the task prompted. But after you have backed away from that type of prompt, only reward the student (star chart or whatever) for the level of prompting that they are on currently. That will motivate them to become more independent and try harder. We don't want them to depend on that assistance, ya know.

6. Evaluate the effectiveness of the prompts you are using

You want to use your observations and any data to make sure that the prompts being used are effective for that student. It will also help you determine when you can fade the prompts. Remember that each child and each new skill is different.

Having specific data can help you make those important decisions. You don't want to only rely on your previous experiences. It might be helpful to do trial runs with the levels of prompting and create a plan of action with your team. Take note in your data or tally sheets on what prompts you used and how invasive they were.

A few helpful resources

For more information about scaffolding, you can check out this blog post I wrote a while back.

I've got several resources in my TPT store that are already scaffolded based on visual prompting - my most popular ones are for making inferences, sequencing, and overall baseline data for language.

Grab a few freebies from my resource library! I've got a data sheet that includes a section for prompting. Plus, you can grab the prompting hierarchy visuals from this blog post!

I hope this helped! What questions do you have for me?

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Easy Ways to Use Prompts & Cues in Speech Therapy - Busy Bee Speech

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Here is your ultimate guide for using prompts and cues in your speech therapy sessions. Check out these tips, ideas, and resources to help.

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A talker is more of a high-tech strategy that incorperates low-tech. Once a student has masters the PECs system the talker gives them a voice behind the pictures. The student puts the pictures on the device and presses the buttons. Each picture has a tag and is recongized by the device.

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SCHEDULE A MEETING TO LEARN MORE

The Logan® ProxTalker® is the most advanced and adaptable recorded speech communication device available. It uses RFID (radio frequency identification) technology to enable independent verbal picture communication for non-verbal people of all ages. This technology allows you to simply place any photo, symbol, or object on a sound tag card and have a voice! To trigger voice output place your sound tag card on any one of the 5 buttons and push. Now silent picture users have easy access to voice output!

Standard package includes:

80 Prerecorded sound tags

60 blank small tags

Carry case with 4 page Velcro set

2 sets of programming tags

Peel and stick labels and laminates

Tool kit

3 year warranty

Available in Blue, Gray and Pink and either standard or light touch. Choose Male or Female voice output and carrier color.

Features:

robust, water resistant and easy to use

portable in back pack or wheelchair/wall mountable in binder format

light touch option for easier access

tags can be labelled with wide range of symbols, photos, text or objects of reference

large tags available to support visual impairment

easy access to vocabulary

Speak All™ tag which enables sequence of tags to be played automatically

color coded pages for categorization of tags

5 location buttons allow single word or sentence level use.

unique programming with no need for software or pc

easily adjustable volume

inbuilt microphone

Sound tag can store up to 8 seconds of recording

1GB memory, (30,000 sound tags/1,000 minutes)

powered by 4 x C Duracell batteries (minimum of 6 months battery life in use)

Specifications:

Dimensions: 15" long X 14" wide X 1.5" deep.
Weight in backpack (with Tags): 4.7 pounds

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SCHEDULE A MEETING TO LEARN MORE The Logan® ProxTalker® is the most advanced and adaptable recorded speech communication device available. It uses RFID (radio frequency identification) technology to enable independent verbal picture communication for non-verbal people of all ages. This technology allows you to simply

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Goally has many apps and tablets. This is a high-tech strategy. Goally is an aac device that helps student communicate. It has a aac talker option as well as many other aspects to the app to help support students. This will take time for the students learn how to use.

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Hi! We're Goally. We make a Skill-Building Tablet for kids. We'll help with routines, communication, and much more!

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PECS are a low-tech strategy. These visuals can be used to support students. The visuals can be used for the student to request items, tokens charts, and visual schedules. The student have to be taught how to use the visuals.

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Developed by Andy Bondy, PhD & Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP