Review of the Speech-EZ® iPad Application “Apraxia Picture Sound Cards APSC Pro”
Marijke Morris, Speech & Language Therapist
The Apraxia Picture Sound Cards APSC Pro was developed by a Speech and Language Pathologist. The app was created for individuals with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) and severe phonological disorders. This version is the professional version, designed for speech and language therapists to create multiple entries for different students.
The pro app costs $299.99 and is mainly designed to support the Speech-EZ® Apraxia Program. It is mentioned in the app description on the app store and the developer’s website that it supports the Program. The parent version costs $179.99. I am reviewing the professional version of the app from a therapist’s point of view. The only difference between the parent and the pro version is that the parent version is for a single user and with the pro you can track multiple students. I am not a certified Speech-EZ® Apraxia Program practitioner, but was informed by the developer that if I purchased the manual, I would be able to use the app in clinical practice.
The target population is quite small, which means this app is not appropriate for frequent use for therapists, unless they have a specialised caseload of CAS and severe phonological disorders only.
The picture flashcards are very clear and colourful. When you press on the picture, the picture flips over to reveal the text. A few children found it reinforcing to look at the text and were motivated to activate the flip themselves. Some children were often more motivated to flip through the pictures, and needed constant supervision to say the target word. It would have been useful to have a recording facility on the app, for children to self-monitor, and for therapists and parents to share feedback.
The therapist cues and elicits the target words and rates it on the app out of 3, using a smile, neutral face or frown symbol. Parents may find it difficult to rate their child’s speech accurately and this needs to be taken into account if the app is used as part of a home programme. If a target word needs to be repeated, it also skews the data of the session, as the rating is only connected to the sound position, not the target word. The data can be stored and emailed to the parents. This was usually very effective in tracking data, but I found that the data was completely incorrect for one of my therapy sessions, so manual back-up data is also recommended for therapy tracking.
Target sounds can be selected for the picture cards on their position in the word, whether final or initial position. Target sounds are not available in the medial position. Tap-to-play audio is also available, but it should be noted that it is in an American accent, not suitable in the UK and Ireland. Some target words are also American vocabulary, for example “pail” instead of “bucket”.
The hand cue cards contain video footage to demonstrate the hand cues and would be useful if you are not using a different set of visual cues in therapy already.
App Summary
Skill(s) Targeted
- Target speech sound practice within words
Age/Grade Levels Targeted
- Children
How to Activate
- Isolated finger point
Type of Device
- iPad
Cost
- $299.99 (excl. manual)
- Manual $95 (required)
Would you recommend this App?
- No – the price makes this app poor value for money. There are other cheaper apps that can be easily adapted to serve the same purpose. It would not be suitable in a core vocabulary approach. The target words and audio are American, and not suitable for children outside the US. (This could easily be rectified with localisation, as done by other app developers).
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