APP-Y HOUR: Glowcoloring

Glowcoloring

I love to use this with one of my school aged clients.  We practice writing spelling words, and she loves to pick a color to write in (one only, otherwise we would be picking colors ALL day!)

This is a great app not only for free-hand drawing, but for coloring/worksheets! Yes. You can import any picture from your photo album and bam! Boring old sheet because super fun and exciting with colors and stamps.  I use Dropbox to store all my exciting papers.

What are you waiting for. "Glow" and download it!

10 Reasons to Learn PROMPT

Reasons to Learn PROMPT

10) An excuse to buy every scent hand sanitizer made.

9) You don't mind being occasionally licked by your client.

8) An excuse to color [the MSH].

7) If you have to print/laminate another set of sound cards, your head will explode.

6) An excuse for the massive gallons of hand lotion you have in your possession.

5) An excuse to always have your nails manicured and colored.

4) Because everyone else is doing it.

Face it, after this persuasive post everyone WILL be doing it!

3) Your personal space bubble is non-existent.

2) To never be able to have a normal conversation with a toddler/child/adult with a speech impediment, as you will be constantly analyzing them using the SOA/MSH.

1) You will (literally) have ways of making people talk.

***I advise not going up to people at the bar and demonstrating this ability, cute individuals are frightened when you grab their face and PROMPT, "Will you go to dinner with me?"***

APP-Y HOUR: Questionit

Questionit (LITE/$24.99)

Users answer: who, what doing, where, when questions.  There are different areas to answer these questions: sorting, sentences (basic/advanced) and paragraphs.    Within the areas there are 3 levels.  Level (1) is easy and color coded for easier sorting, Level (2) is medium as only the borders are color coded and Level (3) is the hardest with no color hint.

I have used this with various students (preschool, school aged, adolescent and even adults!) The school aged students don't even know they're learning "WH" questions and categorization skills! We are able to learn and have fun.

Can you believe they pay me to have fun?!

APP-Y HOUR: Sparklefish

SparkleFish (FREE!)

I know you're thinking, "What is that scary fish from Disney's Finding Nemo doing on a children's app?!" And why does he look like he's got a disco ball on his head? Is he trying to lure John Travolta instead of Marlin and Dory? (Disco ball look-alike is actually a microphone).

Sparkle Fish is an interactive mad libs!  Choose a story to create.  The user is provided with a list of 10 mixed vocabulary (adjective, noun, verb, adverb, etc.).  Record your answers and "Sparkle Fish it".  The app inserts the vocabulary into the story to create a silly tale, that's never the same!

Just keep swimming. pinning. blogging. whatever.

APP-Y HOUR: PEPI Bath

PEPI Bath: (Lite, $1.99)

PEPI Bath allows the user to work on activities of daily living.  There is a choice between a boy and a girl.

In the LITE version there are 2 scenes available.  Laundry and brushing teeth.  The upgrade provides an additional 2 scenes: toilet and bath.

Users can wash and hang their clothes during the laundry activity.  Then at the sink the user can: brush PEPI's teeth/hair, trim their nail, wash their hands and blow their nose!

This apps provides opportunities to: follow directions, sequence, use pronouns (he/she/his/her) and discuss ADL's/bathroom behavior.

APP-Y HOUR: BabyDJ

BabyDJ (FREE + additional songs for purchase $.99 cents)

Welcome to Club Speech!

BabyDJ is 9 animals in colored circles.  Each has their own unique sound.  Tape a variety of animals and create your own jam.  Record it. Dance around!

Great in collaboration with teachings animals and colors.

LANGUAGE: Where do they live? What has feathers?, match animals to picture cards, follow directions (press the animal with a long nose, press the animal in a red circle).

Make your song and dance like the different animals!

APP-Y HOUR: Token Board

Token Board ($3.99 iTunes,)

Story unrelated to review, scroll down to find what you came here for:
Personally, I have always had success with a token board.  (Sometimes not TOO much, but enough to be headed in the right direction).

During my student teaching stint, children with autism would come to speech with their laminated boards in tow.  They moved 5 "pieces" or "tokens" (spongebob, thomas, etc.) in order to earn what they desired (bubbles, a *BIG* potato chip, cookies, beanbag, etc.) It would change from day to day depending on what they felt like.

After graduation and my CF started, on my caseload was a child who would not listen! No matter how many bubbles I blew, or stickers I offered he was self directed.  I came across "Token Board" and thought $3.99?! No way.  I own a laminator. Construction paper. Glue. Velcro. I will make my own!

Days past and here I am under the table with this child, promising him that if he accepts the PROMPT facial cues I will blow bubbles until the cows come home!

Weeks later another child gets added to my caseload more self directed than the last.  He runs out of the room. Cries. Face plants into the couch.  Rolls on the floor. Hits his mother. Demands "OUK!"

WHY HAVEN'T I MADE THAT !@#$%^&* board.  I cave. I buy it instead of being Martha Stewart, I am Daddy Warbucks (+ hair).

REVIEW:

I LOVE THIS APP.  I use it for a variety of clients and it allows me to instantly change what we work for.  Oh you want to work for bubbles? No problem.  Changed your mind to "Elefun"? Not a problem! Oh you want to work for chips? Hmm...I don't seem to have a picture of that, let me just ::SNAP:: insert new picture, TA-DA!

Best part, my self directed clients are so happy to be "playing" on the iPad they forget what they were refusing to do in the first place.  They love the different celebrations when they achieve the desired number of trials.  Horns play.  Man yells, "congratulations!".  My little ones are excited and eager to work, I mean play.

You are able to customize not only what you are trying to earn, but how many trials it will take.  Need some instant gratification 1.  Want to try more, 10?  

Ready. Set. Enjoy!

APP-Y HOUR: Miny Moe car

Miny Moe Car ($1.99 at iTunes)

Hello world (wide web)! It's a beautiful day here on sunny Long Island.  I feel inspired to tell you all about a favorite app of mine.

Miny Moe car is a simple app that has (7) mini games.  You can drive, race, wash, fill-up with gas, fix a window or tire and change a headlight.  My preK boys enjoy it all.

I've been lacking in the "gross factor" having only a couple of apps that incorporate this element. Fear not fellow followers-Miny Moe delivers! That's right, bird poop is present in a couple of the mini games (washing/driving).

I target articulation and language through this app.

PROMPT lexicon:
Moe, ew, oh-no, poo/poop, tap, go, ah, pop, ha, ah, whoa, put, pay

Language:
WH?, expansion/extension opportunities, follow simple directions

APP-Y HOUR: Speech Trainer3D

Speech Trainer 3D ($7.99)

Valerie the SLP is a blonde bombshell that takes your through the basics of speech therapy.

There are 2 views: lateral (where you can see the inside mechanism of the speech cavity working) and anterior (where you can see the front of the person only)

I have used this with kids and adults.  For adults it helps them visualize what they should be doing with certain articulators (this was of course pre-PROMPT training).  For kids I use it for that wacky IEP goal "will identify articulators used in speech".  It's fun to learn how everything works together, and they think they're watching TV on the iPad! (Awesome).

It's not a bad app for you up and coming SLP's.  You can see the anatomy of the oral cavity and have a nice visual for certain sounds!

It's an app just like us speech language pathologist; a multi-tasker.

APP-Y HOUR: Luminosity

Luminosity (FREE)

*It's an online program that costs money. (You do not need to purchase the program to use the app) The program will track progress and provide you with necessary areas to work on: memory, cognition, attention, flexibility, speed, problem solving.  Worth looking into for some aphasia/TBI clients.


EXAMPLE OF FLEXIBILITY: Word Bubble: Word Bubbles Rising takes our popular verbal fluency game to the next level, further increasing vocabulary while reducing embarrassing “tip-of-the-tongue” moments.



This app/program can be used for exercising use of information processing, thinking faster, faster reaction time and speeding up overall cognitive processes.

Consider using this with clients who may want to return to work after having a stroke or other brain injury.  Some adults are just big kids who love to play games still!

APP-Y HOUR: Fuzzy Friend Leonard

Fuzzy Friend LITE/.99cents

I saw this on Pinterest and thought, "Sure let me try it.  Maybe my 3 year olds will use it for a couple of minutes."

All my boys 3-4 years old LOVE THIS APP.  I had to buy the rest of his activities.  Leonard is a silly monster that plays with a pinwheel, balloons, bubbles, eats a sandwich, drinks soda and takes the occasional nap.


This interactive app allows the user to blow the pinwheel, pop the balloon/bubbles, tickle Leonard and wake him up.  Leonard repeats what you say back and takes a nibble at your finger if you try to poke him.  The boys love to pop the balloon and scare him.

Articulation/PROMPT:
pop, oh-no, ha-ha, eat, Shhhhhh, nap, wheeeee

Language:
WH?, Follow directions

Totally worth .99 cents!

APP-Y HOUR: TherAPPY

TherAPPy (by tactus solutions) $24.99 each/4-in-1 $59.99
LITE version available (only includes one object/trial)

There are 4 different apps: naming, categories, writing, reading.  I only have the naming and reading (there was no deal for all 4 at the time I purchased mine).  The LITE version allows you to download it and get a better look for yourself with out the commitment.

I use mine with adults and school aged children.  There is a wonderful customizing feature to this app.  You are able to insert your own pictures and choose your own buttons to help describe the object.  My adults loved it just as much as my kids.

This is a simple activity, that is made more engaging because it's on the iPad.  It tracks data and percentages and is easily adapted to fit a variety of clients. I love that I can use it with adults and school aged children (as young as 6!).

APP-Y HOUR: Bamba ice-cream/burger

 BAMBA: Ice-Cream (FREE)

Pick your flavors: vanilla, chocolate even robot and rainbow! Pick toppings: sprinkles, gummy bears, zombie?! Create all the different ice-creams you want. Baskets of ice-cream. Ice-cream on waffles! Don't eat too fast, you'll get a brain freeze!

 BAMBA: Burger (FREE)

Create your own fast food creation.  Burger. Soda. Fries. Put whatever you want on your burger.  Cheese, ketchup, toilet paper. Fill your soda up, make french fries, pay and eat it up! You even get a fun kids prize.


These are both simple food making apps. My kids love them for the silly factor (Vanilla ice-cream with unicorn on top, don't mind if I do).  Another one of my favorite triple threats: Articulation, language, pragmatics.

Articulation/PROMPT:
Stage 3 Mandibular: top, hot
Stage 4 Labial Facial: mmmm, yum, more, me, tap, pay, eat, cup, bun
Stage 5 Lingual: hot, top, tap, paid, eat/ate, cone, cut, bun
Stage 6 Sequenced: eat it up, pay now

Language: sequence, follow directions, WH?, yes/no questions (expressive/receptive)

Pragmatics: Sharing, asking appropriate questions, "What would you like on yours?"