PandaPal (AAC) vs CardTalking

PandaPal - Autism Communication System is a user-friendly communication tool that has been proven over the past 7 years to help facilitate communication and improve language skills, designed by Kim Scott-DeLand, M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist. This communication system allows non-verbal children and adults to exchange information by activating icons and creating sentence strips to exchange information. PandaPal has proven to improve the speech and language skills of thousands of children with autism in over 200 countries and growing! PandaPal was the first original application to use real photos and has its unique “touch and hold” button to avoid mistakes and over-activation of icons. PandaPal uses an adorable gender-neutral panda bear, your child’s pal, to help him/her communicate throughout the day! 3 APPS IN ONE! • “First & Then,” “Schedule Board” and an “AAC device” are all included in Panda Pal. PANDA PAL PRO • Panda Pal comes with 12 common categories, however the Pro Version allows the user to add as many photos/categories as needed. • Categories can be deleted, added or replaced and customized to meet the needs of the user. • Once a category is selected the user is taken to a new screen of that chosen page. • Each page comes with a sample of approximately 20+ icons, all of which can also be modified to meet the specific needs of the user. • PandaPal is as customizable as you would like to make it (photo, audio, word) and accessible in ALL languages! REAL HD PHOTOS • App uses real photos, so you won't see any confusing abstract drawings. • Kim has found that by using real photos her clients are more successful with communication and demonstrated 70% less frustration and confusion. SIGN LANGUAGE PHOTOS • Used for certain high frequency words such as; “want,” “please,” “yes/no” and "more." CUSTOMIZE AUDIO • This entire app was designed to be modified to meet the individual needs of the user and to allow for language growth. • Words, phrases and entire messages are recorded in digitized speech, however users can choose to re-record in their own voice or a familiar voice of mom/dad or a sibling, which has been proven to help children with autism feel more comfortable and help develop verbal speech. • Real speech provides natural prosody and allows the user to hear and model accurate speech as opposed to unnatural ‘robotic speech.’ INCIDENTAL LEARNING • Achieved by teaching your child to read by placing words directly on top or below each photo, you can modify this in settings. • Font size and color can be modified to meet your needs. TOUCH-AND-HOLD • A unique, one-of-a-kind feature, designed by Kim Scott-DeLand, M.S., CCC-SLP, to help prevent small hands from unintentionally tapping the wrong icons. • When this feature is turned on, it requires that you touch and hold the intended icon for one second, as displayed by a progress meter before activation occurs. • Now for the first time, users can touch icons without accidentally selecting them. • Kim designed this feature after hours of research with her clients and it has been proven to help clients make accurate choices. • Touch-And-Hold is optional and can be turned on or off in settings. CUSTOMIZE ICON SIZE • Only app that allows for the icon to be easily modified to fit your child’s needs. • Extra large icons (2 icons) or as small as 24 icons per page for higher-level language learners. DATA COLLECTION • Just with one tap of the star button saves a sentence that your child created. • Watch your child’s language develop and keep a record of your child’s success! • Great tool for SLP’s and educators. FIRST & THEN • Designed to teach children that one event must come before another. • For example, First "homework” and Then "snack.” • Select the events from the built-in library or take a photo and add them into a place of either ‘First’ or ‘Then.’ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

CardTalking(former name is Blossoming) is a visual support tool for autism children, include First-Then Board, Visual Schedule, Visual Instruction, Reinforcer Choice Board and PECS Board. Parents or teachers can design special courseware to support or train child based on theire own requirement. There are lots of cards and courseware examples built in the App. And users can expand them unlimitedly. User can share cards after simple register/login. More functions and user guide as below: 1. This App is only support iPad/iPhone. Author have no play to develop version for other platforms. 2. First page is for child. Only courseware in use will be listed. 3. Parents or teacher can enter settings by shake iPhone/iPad, or triple clicking the screen with 3 fingers. Before the settings, one simple question is needed to prevent child to use it by mistake. 4. Materials are orignal version for all cards. Courseware is for sepcial trainning purpose. And the cards in courseware are from materials. 5. There are 5 kinds of coureseware: PECS Board, First-Then Board, Visual Schedule, Visual Instruction and Reinforcer Choice Board. 1) PECS Board is for language training. Child's operation is draging (or pressing, depends on the settings) the card needed to the sentence strip above, and then clicking the check button in top-right. Please read PECS introduction in the end of this page before you use it to train child. 2) First-Then Board to tell child 'xxx firstly, then xxx'. eg: wash hands firstly, then have lunch. 3) Visual Schedule defines the schedules of one day, or steps of some action. eg: steps of washing hands. a) Open the tap; b) Make hands wet... 4) Visual Instruction shows one card and one command to child. 5) Reinforcer Choice Board let child to choose one reinforcer as award in DTT. 6. The times can be used for card in PECS is settable. 'No Limit' means the card will back to box after check button clicked. But cards in 'Daily' can be used only one time everyday. 'Daily' is used to control the quantity of snacks or games child wants. 7. Parents or teachers can set operation mode for PECS courseware . There are two options, 'Drag' and 'Press'. if 'Drag', child need to drag the card to sentence strip. if 'Press', child only need to press the card, and it will fly to sentence strip automatically. 8. The layout of some coursewares is customizable. It can be 1x1, 2x2, 3x3 or 3x5. You can put some blank card into courseware if needed. 9. Teachers can prepare different coursewares for different children. Click the Edit button in courseware list page，and then coursewares will be draggable. The coursewares in not used(hidden) section won't appear in first page. 10. The App has some built-in cards. Parents and teachers can add his own classifications and cards, or edit existing ones. 11. While editing card, click the existing picture can take photo to replace it. 12. Sharing card is appreciated. 13. The built-in cards are from Internet. If it infringe your copyright, please tell me. 14. The coureseware and cards added by you are stored in your device only. Please don't uninstall this App, or they will lost. 15. Please don't use this App for other purpose. More about PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), please visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_Exchange_Communication_System