Looking for best AAC apps

[helac]

Hello!

Our autistic DS (3.5) is largely non-verbal (repeats a few words randomly on the odd occasion and out of context) and we and our SLT suspect he's a gestalt language processor - the words/phrases he repeats are all from Hey Duggee...

We've decided to start looking into AAC to help him communicate and were wondering if anyone had any advice on the following:

1. Device or App?

DS loves his iPad but we're worried he'll ignore the app and go straight to his games/Hey Duggee. But the devices are so expensive. And will it be a pain for everyone to lug around a second device?

1. Which app?

If we go down the app route, which is the best? Feel like Proloquo2Go is the leading app, but would be grateful for any advice from people with experience of it or others.

Thanks so much x

Ds is a high tech aac user, we use proloquo2go but have experience with others. They all have the same aim but feel very different, ive used proloquo2go, proloquo, grid for iPad and lamp. It very much depends which works best for your little one. They do use different symbol sets, this did affect our decision. We very much like proloquo2go, it is category based, this works for ds. Lamp is better for motor planning, it uses both categories and word associations. You really need some hands on with them. A salt would be able to advise best.

Are you have an assessment or are you self funding? There's pros and cons for both. Is a salt going to help you implement? I only ask as that would significantly affect my decision.

The dedicated devices are very expensive and often unnecessary particularly if you are self funding. As for an iPad if it's being used as an aac it should only be used for that purpose. Ds uses a full size iPad, we have an iPad mini which we use for modelling and ds uses for games. He is not allowed any other apps on his aac (ipad).

Here are your main options, of course there's always others.

Proloquo £87.99 yearly or £8.99 monthly, both options include proloquo coach (this is especially helpful if you don't have salt support).

Proloquo2go £249.99 (50% off in April and October).

Grid for ipad £399.99 (30 day free trial is available).

Lamp words for life £299.99

Touch chat aac £149.99-£299.99

Td snap (tobii dynavox - available with pathways companion app). £9.99 monthly after a 1 month free trial.

There are a number of high tech aac Facebook groups which are great for advice also.

@Jigglypuff87 Wow, I cannot thank you enough for such a detailed response - so kind of you and it all makes sense.

We are self funding, I didn't know if we could get government funding towards it - but I am going to ask our support worker who is managing our ECHP. We are working with a private SALT too, but I thought it would just be us figuring out how to programme it (with a lot of help from YouTube tutorials). I'll enquire with our salt too.

Think we will go with a separate iPad, with Proloquo2Go.

Thanks again - very grateful!

You can sometimes get nhs assessments for a device via nhs speech and language and the ace centre. As for via his ehcp you'd need a salt report with it as a recommendation. Ours is written into my sons ehcp, school had to provide one when he was attending. We chose not to use it for a variety of reasons however if it's in the ehcp school have to use it.

The way you implent a device is via modelling, your salt should be able to advise. These programs are quite complicated till you get the hang of it. If you're implementing alone I'd consider proloquo with proloquo coach. It's the newer proloquo2go, easier for newer users. Proloquo coach guides you ad you go. Good luck!

@Jigglypuff87 Thank you so so much, I'm going to take all your advice!