"Proloquo2Go is supereasy to program," said Ellen Seidman, mom to Max, a 7-year-old with cerebral palsy. Users can also reorder items within categories, which-as the quick-start manual explains-is critical because users quickly learn where items are located and can concentrate more on what they want to "say." Edit standard items, add custom words or sentences, or customize settings such as icon size or background and text colors. Tap and hold to access conjugations, plurals, or possessives. Part of the reason Proloque2Go and other similar apps work so well is that they offer Apple's familiar-and intuitive-iOS interface, relatively reasonable pricing, and the ease, portability, and cool factor of an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad: tap items in a grid or list view to insert them into the Message window, then tap to speak. Edit using the pencil icon in the navigation bar. Tap Categories in Proloquo2Go to open a screen with 16 categories for drilling down. Kids aren't the only ones benefiting from these apps, of course-stroke and accident victims, as well as adults with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease) and other progressive degenerative diseases are also tapping into this growing market. And for that hefty price, you got a heavy, clunky device that screamed, "I am different!" You would have looked cooler lugging an actual Commodore 64 around-though, at least then, you could have rocked the whole retro-chic look. The reason is hardly surprising: before these apps came along, AAC devices could cost upward of $10,000-a cost many insurance companies would not cover. Proloque2Go is just one of a growing number of AAC apps quickly gaining ground in the special-needs community. Equipped with an AAC device, a child with cerebral palsy whose speech is limited suddenly has a way to tell you, "I want to go to Grandma's house this weekend!" or "I ate cake!" Electronic AAC aids use picture symbols, letters, and/or words and phrases to create messages. Augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC, devices can supplement existing speech or replace speech that is not functional to improve social interaction, school performance, and-not for nothing-to give the kids a better sense of self-worth.
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