Create a username for the first user, then choose a main category that fits his or her current communication level: Core Word (for kids who are able to combine words and make sentences); Basic Communication (single-word communication); or Blank Vocabulary (all customized). The Home grid appears with basic words and images in buttons on a six-by-six grid, which you can increase or decrease to suit each student's needs. Kids tap on the desired buttons, and they appear above the grid where the words are spoken consecutively. Use the default vocabulary database, which can switch easily between English and Spanish and includes different regional accents. Or buy a database through an in-app purchase that offers a different way to customize word choice. Proloquo2Go contains extensive customizations and many helpful tutorials.
Continue readingProloquo2Go is an app designed to help teachers and therapists empower kids who have limited or no speech with an alternative way to communicate. It uses an adaptable, multi-size grid format to present images and words on "buttons." Buttons represent different groups of items, actions, "little words," and more. Students can choose from single words or combine words to make detailed sentences that express their wants, needs, or emotions –- almost anything. You can add buttons using your own pictures or images that are meaningful to each user. As students use the typepad to spell or tap buttons -- which you can set to adjust for fine motor-skill delays or for repetitive movements –- they can form detailed and meaningful sentences ("I am tired. I need a break, please"). The app can speak students' messages using many voices, some youthful (British or American, boy or girl, and more), if desired. Words are categorized by type (such as verb, noun, or pronoun) and by a multitude of categories (food, family, or jobs, for example). There is also support for bilingual use, with the ability to switch between English and Spanish.
It requires some setup and knowledge of each student's needs and preferences. Then, ongoing customization will optimize the user experience; it's very easy to change settings and use each option. Once you've mastered the basics, choosing or adding new words and organizing choices in more effective ways will likely become second nature for teachers or therapists that work with multiple kids. Proloquo2Go can help students grow in communication as well as emotional identification. This may reduce frustration in the classroom, improve social interaction between students and with adults, and help many speech-limited students increase academic skills.