Hello from Port Chester, NY. I am not able to speak due to a stroke I had at the age of 13. While I do have a DynaVox Vmax speech device to communicate with, I want to get an iPad and utilize the app Proloquo2go to supplement the Vmax. While the Vmax is great to use in short situations with it's 5 to 6 hour battery life, the iPad would be used for longer situations (such as outings or when I am invited to parties) with the iPad's 10 hour battery life. Besides, who would not want all those other cool features and great apps of the iPad!

Regards,

Gino J. Piazza

Welcome! I'm happy to think of the iPad making peoples lives better.

Just consider the price of Proloquo2go in the purchase price, I recall it's almost 400 dollars.

There is another program for this called AutoVerbal. It only has 10 customizable slots. (It has a bunch of preset button for the other stuff though) Costs a dollar. How much customization does the program you're talking about have? I'm interested because if I find a good one I can replace my brothers 6000$ dynavox with a much less expensive and more versatile iPad. The price on speech boxes like those are criminal.

Welcome to the site Gino

It's 189.99

Gino I just took a look at the app store there is a program called auto verbal pro talking soundboard it is $4.99 it has pre programed buttons and text to speech it says it works for non-verbal patients but I really can't tell you anything more if you know someone with an iPad maybe they could demo it for you. The reviews are good from parents and teachers of non-verbal children.

You can go to AutoVerbal app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch from No Tie Software and see a demo video of the auto verbal talking soundboard in use hope this helps

Gino, I think you speak loud and clear. Welcome.

Welcome, Gino

You are thinking of the Mac program Proloquo. The iPod Touch, iPhone, and now Pad app Proloquo2go is only $189.99.

I will make sure to check out AutoVerbal. Do you have a link? Proloquo2go is very, very customizable. Go to Youtube an do a search on "proloquo2go". You will find 4 or 5 videos on how to customize every aspect of Proloquo2go (text, color buttons, size of buttons, and most importantly, how to add your own pages, buttons, and words). Hope this helps you and your brother

Thanks. Happy to be on board!

Thanks for the tip. I will look into it.

Why, thank you for the compliment! I am happy I joined this forum.

Thank you!

I looked at the demo of AutoVerbal Talking Soundboard Pro. The app looked pretty interesting. However, then I read the CultofMac review Cult Favorite: Auto Verbal Pro Lets Devices Speak For You | Cult of Mac. From what I understand, AutoVerbal Talking Soundboard Pro requires WiFi access in order to use hi-fi voices. However, this results in a slight delay since the hi-fi voice files are on NoTie's servers. If the is no WiFi access, AutoVerbal Talking Soundboard Pro defaults to low-fi voices.

Therefore, I will stick with the Proloquo2go app when I get my iPad! I cannot afford "delays" or "defaulting to low-fi voices" being that "speak" to children at local elementary schools. Something that I am happy to say that I have been doing for the past two years now.

Folks,

I am the developer of AutoVerbal Pro and I just wanted to answer any questions, and offer a free promo code for the app to anyone who wants, as Gino has done, so we can get constructive feedback. Indeed the app has been updated 4 times since June 10th, based on feedback.

The app does not require the Internet or WiFi to use. The same app works on an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad (it really shines on the larger real estate of the iPad). The literally hundreds of built-in words and phrases speak using high quality voices, Male and Female.

In addition, the app lets you type messages to be spoken using text-to-speech. Those phrases are spoken using built-in voices (Male and Female) or, if the user chooses and Internet is available, higher quality Internet-based voices can be used. The reviewer used an older, slower iPod touch, and on an iPad or iPhone 4, the delay is less of an issue.

Proloquo has a definite place, but it costs as much as an iPod touch. We feel there is room for something else that offers a little different experience.

I have your app and my number one wanted feature is the ability to add unlimited custom buttons. No offense but ten is simply anemic. We should be able to record the voice ourselves and apply a custom pictures to to the button representing it. My brother responds better to these types of devices when its an actual picture of the device he wants (instead of clip art) and recording is so much easier than typing out everything you could possibly want someone to be able to say. When we use the dynavox we add things as we go places so he can talk about them later easily. Plus text to speech never gets proper nouns and brands right. Having the ability to record your own button would fix (or at least work around) that.
The ability to download and store the hifi voices in advance would be nice too.
Finally instead of rows with related ideas just put related ideas on separate pages (in the same way the iPad os handles apps but with titles on each page) and allow the end user to customize what tiles are in what group. For instance with my brother we have his speech box set up into categories that talk about places, or activities, or things. Each in their own page. Definitely add a favorites and most often used page as well.
You do all that and you'll have a dynavox killer on your hands...

Excellent discussion guys and I'm sorry I can't contribute.
My wife however is very interested as she manages a hospice where communication with patients with speech difficulties is a frequent problem.
As an iPad evangelist I'm interested in the possibilities it could provide.
So please keep us all updated with your findings.