Comparison

Speech Assist Switch vs AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Speech Assist Switch

This app provides Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for individuals with speech impairments, specifically designed for use with iOS Switch Control. It offers customizable scanning patterns and navigation to enhance control for users with motor difficulties on iPads.

Highlights
  • Customizable scanning patterns
  • Page up/down navigation
  • Categories and subcategories for phrases
  • Phrase history
  • Photo and symbol integration
  • Speech recording or text-to-speech
  • Full-screen message display
  • iCloud backup and restore
Features
Read full description

Speech Assist Switch is an AAC app for people who are speech impaired and is designed to be used with iOS Switch Control. With Switch Control people with motor difficulties can operate their iPad with a switch. The app has special features for scanning with iOS Switch Control like the option to adjust the scanning pattern and has page up/down navigation buttons to avoid scrolling. If you don’t need these features, the original app ‘Speech Assistant AAC’ is the better choice. Key features • The app is designed for the iPad. • Easy to use and completely customizable to your needs and preferences. • Categories and subcategories to organize your phrases. • History for quick access to previously typed phrases. • Option to select photos from your Photo Library or Symbols on the buttons. • Option to record speech or use one of the many iOS text-to-speech voices. • Full screen button to show your message with a large font. • iCloud backup and restore (also for recordings). Special features for iOS Switch Control • The scanning pattern can be adjusted in the settings. • All the button are created in one large grid. • The buttons can be made very small, in the settings you can choose from 6 to 12 buttons per row on an iPad. • The category buttons can be placed anywhere and it is possible to create subcategories. • Navigation through the pages can be done with page up/down buttons. • A special optional bar for the keyboard with buttons to move the cursor a letter or word. Scanning pattern • When iOS Switch Control is enabled, the default scanning pattern scans row by row and then button by button. This is not always efficient and therefore the scanning pattern can be adjusted in the settings: • The number of rows that will be grouped during scanning. • The number of buttons in a row that will be grouped during scanning. Categories and phrases • Add, change or delete your own (sub)categories and phrases. • You can create an unlimited number of categories to organize your phrases for quick access. • Create users with their own categories, phrases and voice for different languages, persons or situations. • In the settings you can quickly and easily edit multiple phrases at once. • Backup and Restore your categories and phrases to iCloud, also convenient for transferring them to another iPhone/iPad. Fully Customizable • The size of the buttons, the textbox and the text can be adjusted. • The app has various color schemes and you can also create a personal color scheme. • Change the colors of the icons on the buttons. Full screen • Show your message full screen with a very large font. • Useful for communicating in a noisy environment. • Button to rotate the text to show your message to the person opposite of you. Speech • Pronunciation corrections can be defined in the settings. • The rate and pitch of the speech can be adjusted. • Option to speak each Word or Character directly while typing. • Optional highlighting of the spoken words. • Pause and resume speaking by tapping the speak button (optional setting). Other features • Connect a bluetooth keyboard and create shortcuts for the functions Speak, Clear, Show and Attention Sound. • Button to share your message to mail, text and social media. • Attention sound button on Main and Full screen. • Option to select symbols from the set of 3400 Mulberry Symbols (mulberrysymbols.org) to place on the buttons. About the app • This app is developed by ASoft. • Ben Fullerton, who has Cerebral Palsy, has been a great help with the special features for iOS Switch Control. • For feedback or questions, please contact: speechassistant@asoft.nl Voices • The voice can be selected in the settings of the app. • The app uses the built-in iOS text-to-speech voices. • There are 90 voices in 27 languages available, for instance 9 English US, 6 English UK and 4 Australian voices available.

About

AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone

Features
Read full description

A collection of linked augmentative communication pages for a literate, fluent AAC user in a hospital intensive care unit. Specifications: Age: Any (fluent) Setting: Hospital intensive care unit Voice: Male (AT&T Natural Voice) Language: US English Grid size: Varies from (1 x 2) to (5 x 10) Symbol set: Real images No. pgs: 11 Features Include: • Pages for patient comfort, pain, body, concerns and questions, bath, feelings, personal items, and environment • Also includes stand-alone basic YES/NO page • Easy editing and customization • Add an unlimited number of speaking, linking pages • Camera image acquisition directly in each cell • Access to all provided images • Easily show, dim, or hide cells • Dimmed cell opacity is fully adjustable • Dimmed cells remain active or can be disabled • 'Restore mode' brings deleted pages from the provided page set back to their original state • iOS text-to-speech (TTS) and recorded audio • Adjust iOS TTS voice, speech rate, pitch, and volume • Configure different TTS voice output settings for the user's voice and the auditory preview voice (when in scanning mode) • International language support, including right-to-left text entry • Word prediction with a 150k word library • Optional word learning and tracking of frequency of word use • 1x-3x cell magnification for low vision (scanning and direct select modes) • List of pages includes page previews and a search bar • Undo button • 30-day user activity log in AAC Institute's LAM format • Data tracking with privacy toggle and recording indicator • Data logs may be copied for printing, sharing, and PeRT analysis • Send messages to email and SMS & MMS text via email • Pages may be backed up to a computer with iTunes File Sharing and a USB cable • iCloud backup may be enabled Switch support: • One- and two-switch scanning • Sequential and row/column scanning • Auditory preview • Bluetooth and direct touch scanning • Supports RJ Cooper, AbleNet, Therapy Box, and Inclusive Technology Bluetooth switches

Screenshots

Speech Assist Switch4 screens
AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone at $0.99 against Speech Assist Switch's $24.99. AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). Speech Assist Switch's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 40 months). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Speech Assist Switch costs $24.99 and AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Speech Assist Switch ships an update monthly, AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone every 40 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Speech Assist Switch versus AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpeech Assist SwitchAT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone
Price$24.99$0.99 — better
Rating4.3 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 40 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB11 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperTon SchalkeAlexicom Tech LLC

In-app purchases

None

Speech Assist Switch

No in-app purchases

None

AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Speech Assist Switch free?
Speech Assist Switch costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone free?
AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Speech Assist Switch or AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone have ads?
Neither Speech Assist Switch nor AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Speech Assist Switch or AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone?
Speech Assist Switch ships an update monthly, and AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone every 40 months. Most recently, Speech Assist Switch was updated on September 23, 2026 and AT Elements ICU (M) for iPhone on September 18, 2026.

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