You know those dreams you have sometimes where you're about to fall or you desperately need to tell someone something but you just can't talk. I have those dreams quite often and it is so frustrating. Imagine that being reality. Imagine going to a restaurant and not being able to communicate something as simple as what you want to drink. This is how our non-verbal students with autism feel and we need to help them find a way they can communicate because no one wants to go their whole life without being able to communicate with others. The iPad has been a big help in recent years in giving non-verbal students an outlet. There are several apps that can be used to communicate with others. Some of them are pricy and would have to be purchased by the school, but it is good to be informed about them so that when the opportunity comes you ask your principal if the school could purchase whichever app you think would best suite your students. The first one I will mention is Proloquo2Go, this app is $249.99, but it has a database of over 10,000 words the student can choose from. The app can be programmed to teach the student new words in a natural progression. The app can also teach grammar and as the student progresses they can form full sentences using the app. The next app is Upcard which is $3.99. This app uses images to help the student communicate. The preloaded images can be used or images can be downloaded from the device to make them more personal to the student. Another app is TippyTalk which is a FREE app. This app allows students to communicate using pictures again, but they can send texts from this app. So this could be used at home and the student could send a text to their parent if they needed them. The simplicity of this app is incredible and I think parents of non-verbal students would love to be introduced to this app. Another skill that our non-verbal students need to master is story telling. There are several digital storytelling apps that would aide in helping our students tell stories. One app is called Grace Picture, it is $29.99 and so worth it. It can save pictures that have been taken on the device and the student can take that home and show pictures from their day to tell their parents about their day at school. Another app is shadow puppet which is free. They can import photos to this app as well. They can add music, text, drawings, and even voice over about what they are telling. Another skill that is very important for our students with Autism to learn are social skills. There are several apps out there for teaching social skills as well. These include: Daniel Tiger for Parents, Social Story Creator Educators ($29.99), and The Social Express (free). There are also apps for learning emotions like Touch and Learn-Emotions and Positive Penguins ($3.99).
I learned that there are so many resources out there for out students who are non-verbal we just have to tap in to those resources. If something is a little pricy, but you think it would greatly impact your student(s), make a quick presentation for your principal explaining why you think the school should purchase it and how it would impact the students. I plan to use these resources I have listed in my future classroom to help any student who might have trouble speaking or talking about their emotions.
Proloquo2Go in action
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