This amazing thing is called “Speech Assistant”. It’s the Augmented Alternative Communication (AAC) application program that I use when I cannot seem to vocalize my words (like right now for example). It speaks for me and I can set different categories to organize my phrase and word buttons and with my keyboard, I can type out full on paragraphs and things that I want to say. And ahead of time, if I have something that I want to say, like a speech or a poem or something, I can pre-record it and attach that to a button and have that ready to go on a button with my own voice. I can do that for any phrases that I want when my voice is actually functioning the way that I want it to.
I’ve tried a few different kinds of AAC programs and so far, this one is probably my favorite one. Mainly because of how well it works, how customizable it is, user friendly it is, the fact that it doesn’t make me feel like I’m a child (which is important because I am a 35 year old autistic person and not a child), and it didn’t cost me a small fortune. It cost just under $50, a one time payment which is exactly what I was looking for as far as a price range. There are some AAC programs out there that are also one time payments but most of them are well over $100 or even a couple hundred dollars and over that. Plus needing the device itself which can run several hundreds of dollars as well, depending. And then, you can also find some AAC programs that have subscription services which…well, those ones I do not recommend. Mainly because then you have to worry about being able to afford the payments every single month or every single year. And that can get very expensive very quickly and then you have to worry about losing your ability to communicate because of not being able to afford the subscription fee and that’s…not great.
This is also a really good one because it can be used both on an iPad and an iPhone. I am not sure if this app is available on Android devices or not. If it is, then awesome! Because I highly HIGHLY recommend this AAC program. It’s very easy to use, it isn’t infantilizing and I find it to be so very very helpful. It hasn’t failed me yet and: you can choose voices from any of the available voices that you have at your disposal on your device (like for Siri, for example). It’s wonderful and I love it and it has been allowing me to communicate so very freely with my spouse today and it’s just…it’s so freeing and I’m so very happy that I can still communicate and talk even when I cannot vocalize my words 🥹💜
