Going for Proloquo2Go?

by Kristina Chew · 2009-04-19 15:43:00 UTC
Topics:

closeup of a person's left jeans pocket, the person is taking an iphone with proloquo2go software out of the pocket. the screen shows the sentence string 'proloquo to go: AAC in your pocket' and the view is the home view with the icons for each major communication category
Dora wrote on Tuesday about how excited she is about Proloquo2Go, a new Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) application for iPhone and iTouch and I think I'm catching her enthusiasm. I've signed up for the alert about when Proloquo2Go will be available and am waiting for that email---a mom can scheme, can't she?

Currently Charlie doesn't have an augmentative communication device though the idea has been brought about from time to time. Cost has been a prohibitive factor, as has Charlie's difficulties with reading and identifying the simple drawings used in the PECS system. And Charlie can talk, and seems to prefer the immediacy of speech to sign language or pictures on a card or device. (And, he does live with two individuals who are both rather big talkers----he does get his words in, I can assure you.)

Proloquo2Go is really intriguing. As the software is used on an iPhone or iTouch, it'd be something small and compact for Charlie to carry around. The possibility of using a touchscreen is something Charlie could pick up easily (he certainly has smudged the screen of this laptop I'm typing on with fingerprints as he points to various things on the screen). Charlie doesn't have an iTouch but he's certainly been curious about my iPhone (sorry but I can't give it up! only so much a mother can sacrifice).

And Charlie's currently love loving the little iPod Nano that Jim and I got him as an early birthday present last weekend. Not only has Charlie been listening to tunes in the car, but many nights he's been falling asleep with his headphones on and Jimi Hendrix or the Shins blasting away (ok, I guess the latter group's music doesn't really "blast," but loud is loud). And Proloquo2Go has the text written out along with the little PECS-y icons---why not try to direct Charlie's attention to text that he can look at as much as possible? Never giving up on trying to teach him to read.

Ok, ok. I guess we're not done with the birthday shopping yet.

Kristina Chew
PREVIOUS STORY:
Are You Underinsured? How Would You Know?
NEXT STORY:
Why I'm Asking Aetna to Cover My Surgery

COMMENTS (14)

    Comment Policy

    · All fields are required to comment.

    [X]

    Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the campaign on Change.org. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments which, as determined solely in our discretion: (1) are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; (2) include content solely intended to personally attack the campaign creator, (3) are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them; and/or (4) violate our terms of service and/or privacy policy. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion. Please also be advised that: (A) we do not actively curate and/or monitor in any manner whatsoever the comments made on the Change.org platform, and (B) the creator of each campaign on Change.org may remove any comment at her/his/its discretion.