{Review + Giveaway} Sequencing App

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this app; however, the opinions expressed are solely my own.

Recently I was contacted by I Can Do Apps to do an app review! I am excited to be sharing my thoughts on their Sequencing app.

It is available in the app store for $4.99 (click above picture). Sequencing is an important skill for both functional daily living, as well as story telling. There are 5 different activities within the app. 

This is the main screen:

This is an example of the first activity (ID the picture that occurs first or last). This one was my favorite activity because a lot of my kids struggle with first and last. 

This is an example of the second activity (ID what picture happens next):

This is an example of the third activity (touch the pictures in the order that they occur). I have to say, this one was the hardest for my students. I don't know if they all understood the concept of touching one picture then the next picture. 

This is an example of the fourth activity (put three pictures in the order they happen):

This is an example of the fifth activity (number the stages).

Under settings, you can turn the words and reinforcement on or off, plus see other available apps made by this company.

What I Liked:

-several levels available so it can work for different students/ability levels

-clean, uncluttered graphics

-this app really targets temporal concepts, which so many of my students struggle with

-the fifth activity really allows you to see if your students understand the concept of sequencing (but they do need to be able to read)

What I Would Love To See:

-I'd love the ability to put in your own pictures

-I'd also love to see 4 and 5 step picture sequences

Overall, this is an excellent app with varying levels to help students learn sequencing. The different activities kept my students' attention and it was a fun way to work on this type of skill. 

Enter to win a copy below:

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{Review + Giveaway}: Let's Learn Emotions App

Disclaimer: A copy of this app was provided; however, the opinions expressed are solely my own.

It's time for another app review! This time, I'm reviewing Let's Learn Emotions from Everyday Speech. Plus, you have a chance to win a copy, so read through. 

Below is the screen you see when you open the app. There are 4 different activities: Matching, Discussion, Flashcards, and Manage Emotions. There are 15 emotions included; however, you can easily add your own. 

In the matching, discussion and flashcard activity, you first are taken to a screen where you can choose which emotions to work on. I love this feature!

This is what the matching game looks like: 

Below are some of the cards from the discussion game. You are presented with two cards. The one of the left gives a discussion question, while the card on the right gives the emotion. The group that I tried this with had a good time acting out the emotions. 

If you click the emotion card, it provides a picture of the emotion. 

Below is a picture of what the flashcard practice looks like. You are presented with flashcards and the student needs to name the emotion. What's great about this is that you can add your own and practice those as well within this activity. 

The last activity is "manage emotions." This is where you can add your own. I had my students draw pictures of particular emotions and then we talked about what our eyes, mouth, and body would do if we were feeling a particular emotion. Then I snapped a picture and it added it to the app! 

What I Liked:

-ability to add your own emotions

-discussion game really made it helpful for kids with more language abilities to act things out

-this would work well for kids at varying levels

-ability to choose which emotions to target

What I Would Love To See:

-more advanced emotions added

Overall, this app seems different from some of the other emotions apps I've tried. I like that it can work from a very basic level up to a more advanced level. I especially love the ability to add your own emotions! 

Enter below to for a chance to win a copy of these app! 

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Articulation Test Center {App Review}

Today, I'm reviewing Articulation Test Center from Little Bee Speech. It is $49.99 in the app store. You can watch a tutorial video for the screener and the full test. 

Disclaimer: A copy of this app was provided; however, the opinions are solely my own. 

This app tests articulation and phonology skills, gives reports/recommendations, and can be used to test clients of 2 years and up. 

When you open this app, you see this screen:

 If you choose "Screener," you'll be taken to this screen where you can choose the client's age:

One of the things I love is that when you click on an age, it brings up a window with all the sounds that are tested at each age:

If you choose "Full Test," you will be see this screen:

You can choose to test initial, medial, final sounds, initial blends, vowels, R, or do a speech sample.

This is an example of what the stimulus screen looks like. The target sounds are in green. If the child says it correctly, you do nothing to the "tiles." If the sound is approximated, you tap twice, which will turn it yellow. If the sound is omitted, you swipe up which will show a "no" sign. On each stimulus page, you have the option to pull up a notes page, where you can type in additional notes. 

If you click the arrow pointing up on the right hand side, you can mark substitutions (consonants and vowels):

You can also mark phonological processes too. It gives you examples of each process if you are unsure. 

You can also choose a scene to obtain a speech sample that can be recorded. I absolutely LOVE this feature! It would be great to monitor progress, as you could go back and record another to compare later on. 

You're also asked to rate the intelligibility as poor, fair, or good. 

In the results section, you will see multiple pages. The "words tested" page looks like the screen below. I made up a client in order to show the results page. 

The "errors marked" page looks like the page below. A red circle indicates that the sound was produced incorrectly, while a yellow circle indicates that the sound was approximately produced. It also indicates what age the client should have mastered the sound. You can also choose to view the substitutions or phonological processes.

 If there is a speech sample, it will be in the "speech sample" section. There is also a "report" page that automatically generates a report!!! How awesome is that?!?! You are able to type in your own conclusions as well.

The "recommendation" page states what sounds are recommended to work on. Of course, you'll be using your clinical judgment as well when deciding on treatment targets. 

This app is great for on-the-go SLPs who need to travel between sites or home visits. You probably already carry your iPad, so it's all there. I really like that there's a screener and a full test version. It's easy to mark approximations and omissions, which makes scoring easier than traditional pen/paper tests. The results are saved so that you can go back and look at data to monitor progress. I also really like that you can put the speech sample right in there with built in scenes to discuss. 

Several SLPs now have access to iPads to use in therapy, so this is another great way to use it. It lessens the amount of "stuff" you have to carry around, yet still provides a comprehensive assessment of articulation and phonological processes. This is just another example of how technology is saving us time and energy! Great job, Little Bee Speech!

{Review + Giveaway} Let's Use Language App

It's time for another app review! You may recall my review of Let's Be Social. If so, you'll recognize Let's Use Language, as it's made by the same developers. Read on for my review and a chance to win 1 of 2 codes!

There are 4 concept areas: vocabulary, sequencing, categories, and opposites. Plus the option to add your own lessons, which is an awesome thing! In each category, there are short stories. There is an option for the story to be read aloud. It is read in a voice similar to the QR codes. 

There are 10 stories total, plus the option to add your own. The questions are different depending on what This is an example of what the story page looks like:

Following the stories (there are 8 total, but the stories themselves are the same), the student is presented with questions to answer. There is an option for the questions and choices to be read aloud. There is also a picture cue on the left side of the question page. 

Again, you have the option to add your own question, by touching the + sign:

What I Liked:

-the stories were interesting for my students

-they love anything that's interactive

-the audio option is really nice

-the concept areas are ones that I target on a regular basis 

What I Would Change:

-I'd love the option to remove the visual cues on the question page (some of my kids were using those instead of thinking about the story)

-I'd love to see stories for older grades!! This format would be motivating for older kids too!

Overall, if you work with the elementary age population, this is an app that targets skills that you probably work on daily. The options to customize it to what you need is amazing! This app can be purchased from the app store here!

You can win one of two codes, so enter below:

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{Review} Preposition Remix App + Giveaway

Disclaimer: A copy of this app was provided to me; however, the opinions expressed are solely my own.

Time for another app review and giveaway - one of my favorite combinations! Be sure to enter the giveaway after reading my review!

Preposition Remix is an app by Smarty Ears that sells for $9.99 in the App Store. It is a single player app that targets 20 different prepositions.

You can customize it in the settings to only target certain ones, which is a great feature. Some of the prepositions include ones that I've found myself targeting on a regular basis, such as: above, behind, under, in front of, etc.

You can choose to have the written cue on the bottom or not:

Some of the prepositions are less common, such as: furthest, closest to, etc. 

When the student selects the correct choice, they get an audio and visual reward, which is very motivating to my students:

What I Liked:

-ability to customize and target just what you need

-pictures are clear

-ability to target less common prepositions like further, closest to, etc.

What I Would Love To See:

-the ability to make it multiplayer since I work with many groups

-an expressive part where students could name the preposition once they've mastered the receptive aspect

Overall, this is a fantastic app that will get your students excited about practicing prepositions! 

For your chance to win a copy, enter below:

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{Review} iName It from Smarty Ears + Giveaway

Disclaimer: A copy of this app was provided to me; however, the opinions expressed are my own!

It's time for another app review! This time, I am reviewing iName it from Smarty Ears. This app is currently on sale in the app store for $14.99. Initially, I thought this app was geared more towards adults. After some exploring, I think it will definitely work with children as well. Specifically, it works well for anyone who has difficulty recalling functional words in the household. 

There is a choice of 5 rooms, including the bathroom, bedroom, garage, kitchen, and living room:

Once you choose a room, you will see a room with a variety of items. Along the bottom of the screen, you will see all the items that you can touch and see in a larger view. 

If the client isn't able to name it right away, there are a variety of cues that can help with word retrieval. You can hear a phonemic cue, complete a phrase, the whole word, or a semantic clue (a place to store dishes). This is great for learning what kinds of cues work best for each client. 

What I Liked:

-ability to target following directions along with vocabulary (touch the cupboard, then the cup)

-expansion of utterance (I see the ____, The ____ is in the kitchen)

-realistic pictures are awesome for a lot of my kids

-clean, uncluttered presentation of rooms 

What I Would Love To See:

-ability to touch the item and hear the word: I think this would work really well with some of my kids with autism, because I think they would be able to start connecting the verbal word with the item

-ability to only choose one type of cue at a time

Overall, I think this is a great app for vocabulary development, answering "where" and "what" questions, and learning functional life skills items.

Smarty Ears has provided me with a copy to give away, so please enter below!

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My Experience With PROMPT Training

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the PROMPT Institute!   

One of my 2014 resolutions was to take an Introduction to PROMPT course. I can check this one off my list! The course was 3 days long and it was INTENSE.

If you're not familiar with PROMPT, it stands for Physically Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets. It is a multi-dimensional approach to motor speech skills that uses tactile and verbal cues. It is designed to help those with motor speech disorders, but can also be used for articulation or phonological disorders.  

The introduction course is 3 full days - that is about 6.5 hours each day of information coming at you.  As someone who gets overloaded with a lot of auditory information, this was a bit challenging sometimes. You're also learning a new motor skill yourself (i.e. learning all the different prompts - there is a different one for each phoneme) so it can be overwhelming at times.

There were 3 instructors who circulated the room and answered questions, corrected, your hand placement, gave tips, and did the PROMPTs on you so you could feel them. They go over the methodology behind the approach as well.

First, you delve into the theory behind PROMPT. Then you learn the PROMPTs and how to go about assessing and planning for treatment. There is another level of training that you can take once you've been using the method for awhile. 

You're taught some of the PROMPTs (there are different levels) and then you're given time to practice on each other. I definitely felt clumsy at first and it's somewhat awkward to be invading someone's personal space that much. Though after 3 days, you get used to it. I think everyone feels this way, so at least you're not alone!   

My Recommendations:
-bring hand sanitizer (they tell you this and our instructors had some, but I also brought my own)
-bring a highlighter
-bring pencils/pens (I like to write in pencil for these types of things)
-wear comfortable clothing
-cut your nails short on your dominant hand 
-don't feel bad if you don't feel at ease with it right away!

  If you're interested in taking a workshop, visit their website here.  
  I feel that it is another tool that I now have in my "speech toolkit." I have started using it with my preschoolers and have seen some results. It's great for the early developing sounds! I don't have too many kids with apraxia on my caseload, but I have used it with the ones that I do. I will say that some of my kids are highly resistant to me touching them, so that sometimes complicates things.  

{Review} Social Thinking: Continuum of Truth

 

 

Graphics: Creative Clips

Disclaimer: Affiliate links are included for your convenience. 

One of the most interesting parts of Thinking About You, Thinking About Me for me was the section on the Continuum of Truth. It's something I didn't really think about needing to actually teach. Socially savvy people can decide when it's appropriate to tell a white lie to spare someone's feelings; however, those with pragmatic disorders often cannot. In order to teach this, I first went over the Continuum of Truth. 

First, there's TRUTH: this is what you believe to be a fact. The sky is blue, an apple is a fruit, it is the winter. We came up with some truths. 

Second, there's WHITE LIES: this is something that may not be the complete truth, but you say these to protect someone's feelings, provided it doesn't cause harm to that person. This is more of a gray area. I came up with some examples first, like "I like that shirt, you didn't mess up your presentation that badly, I like your new haircut." 

Third, there's BOLD-FACED LIES: this is something you say that you know is a lie to prevent yourself from getting in trouble. These may get other people in trouble. We came up with hypothetical situations, like blaming another student for cheating (when you were), not eating the last cookie (saying your sister did), etc. 

I came up with some scenarios and had my students sort them into truths, white lies, and bold-faced lies. We had a discussion about when it's ok to tell white lies vs. when it's never ok to tell a lie. It's an abstract concept for kids because "lie" has such a negative connotation for most.     

Have you ever thought about doing a white lie vs. truth lesson? 

{Review} Let's Be Social App

Disclaimer: A copy of this app was provided to me; however, the opinions expressed are solely my own!

Let's Be Social is an app from Everyday Speech that sells for $14.99 in the app store. It features stories and related questions that cover a range of social topics including personal interactions, navigating the community, social behavior, handling change, and social relationships. You also have the opportunity to add your own lesson! Below is a picture of the personal interaction stories:

When you start a lesson, the SLP/student can read a short story:

After the story, the student is presented with multiple choice questions that are related to the story:

You can also add your own question: 

I tried this with my 2nd graders and it worked well. They were able to read most of the stories themselves and we talked about the story before going to the questions. They liked being able to select their answers within the app. We have been working on good listening behavior, so I made a story for that. You can add pictures, but you don't have to! I love that you can add your own questions and really customize it for your students. 

What I Liked:

-lessons are short which is great for some of my students

-the ability to add your own lessons and questions

-provided with a pretty good variety of stories to get started

-the format: story followed by questions to check for comprehension

-you could add simple questions vs. lessons for lower functioning students (object identification, prepositions, etc)

What I Would Change:

-I think this app could work well for middle and high school if more stories were provided that were geared towards upper level grades (you could do this yourself too)

-It would be great if you could upload short videos as the story!

Overall, I think this a great starting point if you're looking for basic social skills. You have the ability to build on and add your own, which is fantastic. You can add a student as a "skill set" and create personalized social stories. It's definitely worth checking out if you're not sure what social skills app is right for you!

Thank you to Everyday Speech for the opportunity to review this app!