Executive Functions vs Weave Chat AAC

Executive Functions are a set of cognitive processes that allows to manage complex or unusual situations successfully. They regulate analysis, planning, control and coordination of the cognitive system, and control the activation and use of knowledge processes. It is widely believed that Executive Functions play a fundamental role in 'smart' behavior and that they can be trained and improved through specific exercises. Main executive functions are the acquisition and updating of Working Memory, Cognitive Flexibility and Behavioral Inhibition. The "Executive Functions" series of apps is dedicated to the exercise and improvement of these skills. The first app, which is presented here, is dedicated to 'Working Memory', and proposes many exercises to verify, improve and use the ability to remember, recall and discriminate in the short term some elements that can be images, colors, words, voices or combinations thereof. Each exercise/level is divided into two stages: during the first, a set of stimuli is presented which must be memorized. Then, in the second stage it is required to use, list and/or discriminate between the elements presented. At the end of each exercise the app shows the result obtained and assigns scores and evaluations taking into account the relative difficulty, the number of elements proposed, the time taken and so on. "Executive Functions" contains over 200 "cards" and their names, written and recorded with a female and male voice. The ‘cards’ represent animals, food, means of transport, numbers, etc. and are used to propose 349 exercises/levels generated and managed automatically for a very high number of possible combinations.

Weave Chat AAC is a free, dynamic, and completely customizable AAC app that is available to a variety of devices. There are over 3,500 pre-configured words with a symbol library including more than 65,000 symbols that you can choose from. Weave Chat AAC offers a large variety of verbs (green), pronouns (yellow), questions (purple), nouns (tan/orange), adjectives (blue), and conversational words (pink). All color choices were made based on the Fitzgerald Key and new vocabulary is added weekly. Users can add their own custom images and categories in Settings —> Manage Custom Images. In addition, users can add their own custom phrases that can easily be accessed from their board; to add phrases, go to Settings —> Manage Phrases. Users can select a synthetic voice (dependent on their device settings) from Settings —> Change Voice Settings - here you can select your voice, vocal pitch, and rate of speech. Image and text size can be personalized from Settings —> Change Image & Text Size (select from default - small, medium, and large). Settings —> Configure Image Keyboard allows the user to turn on/off features that allow for the category text to be read aloud (synthetic voice for categories), to keep the user in the category after a image has been selected (stay on category after image selection), and disable the speech output for individual words so that it only reads aloud when the white text screen is touched (synthetic voice disabled for individual words). The AAC board can be modified in Settings —> Manage Board Builder. Here, the user can select from the default board (you must make a copy to edit it - to do this select “Add new keyboard” and then select “Hide Images” for Type of Keyboard); grid position boards (ranging in size from 1x2 - 7x15 rows/columns); and Board Builder (gives you the option to build a board from scratch). All boards are completely editable and all custom images and categories can be used from all boards. Lastly, Manage Pin Configuration allows the user to set a pin over all (or just some) aspects of customization to lock down features as needed. Feature List: - Dynamic, customizable, AAC boards - Large variety of verbs, nouns, and adjectives with additional vocabulary added weekly - Add custom images and custom categories - Create and save phrases - Select a synthetic voice (as available per your device settings) - Copy & Paste AAC picture icon messages via “share” - Create and/or modify AAC boards via 3 options: grid position boards (ranging from 1x2 - 7x15), hide images, and/or create a new board from scratch - “Text” others who have the app using AAC picture icons - Set a passcode to lock down features as needed - Weave Chat AAC currently only has English buttons/images