There's this new iphone/ipad app to help non-verbal kids..

[Sazisi]

..it was created by a mum of two autistic kids, and it's just brilliant, look

That looks very interesting. My DS isn't going to be able to fit many more pictures in his folder, so something a bit more streamlined and portable would be a really good idea. Do you have any more details on exactly how it's used (I have absolutely no clue about iphones)?

Hey that's great!

But yes it does need hand function Riven

and decent eye sight or it would be perfect for dd3.

Absolutely great though

im thinking when i can afford it might be sme time yet am wondering about ipad for ds must admit

I hadn't seen the ipad thingy before, didn't know it existed. Now that looks promising, apart from the price of course, wonder if anyone will help with funding for this sort of thing.

I am waiting with much anticipation for the ipad too.

We have an iPod touch, which is essentially a small ipad and it's great.

We use iprompts as an app for dd1. Not quite pecs though. Proloquo2 is supposed to be very good too. Haven't used that as dd1 is verbal.

As to robustness, both dds (ages 5 and 3) have been using the itouch for coming up to a year now, with no problems. Dd1 has dropped it a few tomes (usually deliberately).

There are some really good cases you canget will have to link later as not easy from iPod! But they are fantastic apparently , and virtually break proof.

We got the Proloquo one for ds for Christmas and he refuses to use it, Grr!

We have Proloquo2go

But ipad will be better I think

There's also online AAC systems which may be better with the ipad (as I think iphone apps will be small on the ipad from reviews I've read). Did link to the online one here

I don't know how well it works, but there is software that can be used on the Nintendo DS (for kids with hand function, obviously) www.taptotalk.com/index.aspx

I agree riven, it is a bummer that it isn't free.
Lisa had the original idea, but needed backing from 02, and a techy guy to develop it with her. I'm sure it would be free if it was up to her, she works at Irish Autism Action, and is a lovely person.

How it works is explained a bit better here
One great function is that you can add your own pics to the app.

oh that tap to talk looks good as well.

What's the difference between iprompt and Proloquo2go? Dh has just got Proloquo on his iphone but we haven't tried using it with DS2 yet. He is verbal but doesn't have a great range of vocab nor the ability to put words together spontaneously, so I fell that a system like this could be very useful to him. The problem is that all his requests are quite specific - usually asking me to sort out some technical problem with TV or computer.

Iprompt is a visual timetable setup. Good, but doesn't have voice features.

Works for dd1, as she is very verbal. We use it for visual strips (airport sequence for going on holiday, bedtime rundown as still having issues)

alsohas a now/next feature, plus a countdown timer. Like pecs really, but not able to build own requests that easily I suppose.

Proloquo2 has the voice feature, and I guess you
can build own sentences more easily

Iprompt is for visual timetable type things and countdowns. Nice feature is that it can count down hours - handy when ds1 starts badgering us for eg swimming at 5am when he isn't going until 11am.

Proloquo2go is more like pecs. So you have a sentence strip equivalent (you can say more than 'i want'/'i see') though.

Hmm - can see a use for both for us. DS2 is becoming increasingly impatient - it would be very useful to have a means of showing him that the chips need to be cooked before they can be removed from the oven and served, rather than having him saying 'chips...chips....chips' every 5 secs and handing me the oven gloves

ok the techy in me is rising to say how durable or not a iphone i pad would be.

the iphones i pad.
may
use an array of light emiting diodes to make a web under the visable layer of the wcreen when the screen is pressed the beams are deflected siglnaling a button push
this is then sent to the software which executes the command
or they could use one of several other types but there all similar

thats how they work simplified more or less.

the screen itself is a sandwich of layers

Top polyester layer coated with a transparent metallic conductive coating on the bottom
Adhesive spacer
Glass layer coated with a transparent metallic conductive coating on the top
Adhesive layer on the backside of the glass for mounting.

so while there designed for light but firm touches they wont stand up to heavy hadned ness

Ds1 is fine with the ipad touch. It took him a while to learn to press and let go but ge actually prefes using it to the computer. My main fear with him is dropping (either accidental or because he's finished using it) but touch wood so far we've been ok.

Sphil you can get a time timer app for the iPod touch/iPhone as well - just like the clocks - but only counts down from an hour (which is odd as their watches do up to 12 hours from memory).