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When kids have communication challenges, apps and other media can give them a boost—helping them learn to speak, grasp new words, and understand what others are saying. With your help, these great learning products can help your nieces or nephews develop early speaking and listening skills.

For Beginners
 
1. Baby Hear & Read Verbs
Kids can have fun and learn new words at the same time. They simply touch a photo to enlarge it, listen to a matching sound, and hear a word read aloud. Adjust settings based on kids’ communication skills to select the number of choices, type of voice, and spelling options.
 
2. Proloquo2Go
Tapping “buttons” that represent words, kids can string together whole sentences. This is great for kids who have basic or severe speech challenges. Kids, parents, and teachers can also add their own photos and images to create icons, edit existing buttons, move them, or search by keyword.
 
3. Scene Speak
Kids create interactive stories and learn to understand spoken language. They can even create scenes using either in-app images or their own. Try combining scenes and images into books that speak the text, or change sound, voice, and playback speed options to match kids’ learning needs.
 
4. SoundingBoard
For kids who have difficulty speaking, aunts can create an unlimited number of custom picture card sets with image, text, and audio. Kids tap on the relevant card, and the app speaks for them. This app is specifically designed for kids who have fine motor challenges.
 
5. Speech with Milo: Sequencing
Milo and his friend, Melvin, help kids learn basic sequencing and storytelling skills. Kids put sentences of a scrambled story in order and see the story animate when they answer correctly. Customize options for kids who need extra support by turning on hints and audio narration.
 
Kids with communication difficulties need opportunities to share their ideas and make meaningful choices. Encourage kids to point to pictures in SoundingBoard. As they correct images with audio, they build better understanding of the words.

Photo: Naypong
Published: March 5, 2013