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Showing posts with label articulation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label articulation. Show all posts

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Sunny Articulation Phonology Test {Guest App Review}

This post has been long overdue. For those of you who don't follow me on my Facebook page, I have recently relocated from New York to Pennsylvania with my new hubby. Actually, tomorrow will be my first day of work with the 3-5 population! After working with middle schoolers for the past 2 years, I welcome the change that preschoolers offer! Needless to say, my posts will be reflective of the new age group that I will be working with. I hope you all stay tuned as I write about my new adventure!

I'm excited to introduce you to a fantastic SLP that I was fortunate enough to work with during my time at my middle school. Jeanette will be reviewing the Sunny Articulation Phonology Test app. Take it away Jeanette! 

I am very excited to bring you all my very first product review from Smarty Ears! As a pseudo-techy Speech-Language Pathologist, I can appreciate the Sunny Articulation Phonology Test (SAPT) and its uses with the iPad ($49.99). At first glance it appeared to be just another artic app, but as I continued to use it I found that it had a plethora of features.  


First, the app features a video tutorial. It is a quick and easy to understand resource to get you started. Manual information for the SAPT can be found within the app. Like many other apps out there, the SAPT allows you to enter each individual student’s demographic information.  This app separates itself from the competition in that it lends itself to both articulation screenings and a full evaluation of the student’s articulatory repertoire.


Next, is a must-see feature, which includes the ability to change orientation depending upon where the clinician is seated in relation to the student’s seating placement. This allows you to document the student’s articulation while testing is going on.


The screening version contains 30 words and evaluates 65 different phoneme targets including both consonants and consonant blends. Whereas, the full evaluation consists of 46 words with 103 targeted phonemes!


During testing the clinician can readily view the target phoneme as it is written in green. Once the clinician indicates the student’s error, the target phoneme turns red. You also have the option of utilizing the single recording feature to record the student’s production of the picture stimulus. Clinicians are also able to take notes, note the level of intelligibility, and indicate the type of error observed (i.e. distortion, substitution, omission).


As an often-frazzled school-based SLP, I can appreciate the detail that goes into the test report. The report includes:
·      sound development norms
·      detailed descriptions of the student’s articulation errors
·      break down of accuracy across the initial, medial, and final position of the word
·      a review of the types of errors the student made
·      discussion of place, manner, and voicing of target phonemes
·      transcription of the student’s articulation errors

Once the clinician has completed the administration of the screening or test, the scores and reports are immediately available to print or email.


I absolutely LOVE the Sunny Articulation Phonology Test! This app is a valuable resource as it allows for you to screen, evaluate, and track progress over time. I found it very easy to use and extremely detailed in the report it generates. As a school-based SLP I can already see the advantage of using such a test for Response to Intervention (RTI) and elementary level speech screening purposes. The one caveat that I found while reviewing this product is that this is not a standardized assessment tool and therefore cannot be used to meet eligibility criteria. Other than that, this is a product that I would recommend to any speech-language pathologist, especially the techy ones!

I hope you all have enjoyed my very first product review almost as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Thank you,
Jeanette L. Clarke, M.A., CCC-SLP/TSSLD







Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Speech Buddies {Product Review}

Speech Buddies are a set of instruments (i.e. Buddies) that provides kinesthetic awareness to those with decreased articulatory precision. There are 5 Buddies, they target R, S, L, CH and SH.

Below is a diagram of how they work:

In my own use, I found it to be a wonderful tool that helps clients determine the accurate placement and motor plans for difficult sounds. Many sounds we produce are difficult to explain, the Speech Buddies seem to be a great way to bridge the gap between the abstract explanation of sound production and the actual target production.


The complete set includes 5 tools

What I liked:
  • The Speech Buddy sight offers free online games through Speech Buddies University for users to practice their sounds while having fun on the computer. 
  • For those who are reluctant to take the plunge, Speech Buddy offers a 30 day trail. 
  • Tools come in a cute carrying case for easy transport.
What I did not like:
  • This is a pricey item. Costing $299 for 5 tools (includes tools for R, S, L, CH, and SH).
Overall, I think the Speech Buddy is a great addition to any SLP's toolkit. Just like any tool, they aren't right for every child, but they really have cut down on overall treatment time for a client I've been treating this summer. Although parents can use the Buddy to help their child while at home, it is not a substitution for therapy or an SLP.

To see Speech Buddies in action, take a look at this video below: 



Disclosure Statement: I was provided a set of the Speech Buddy tools. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions.

Monday, June 24, 2013

I Dare You Articulation {App Review & Giveaway}

I have a confession to make, I find articulation therapy boring! (This probably explains why I work with the middle school population). Although I primarily work with older kiddos, I am beginning to get private clients with articulation deficits. Thank goodness for apps like I Dare You Articulation!


For $4.99 users get:

  • 600 "daring" scenarios targeting the 7 phonemes pictured above
  • Option of having questions read aloud to user
  • Option of having answers provided via audio to user

  •  Users are able to select phoneme (sound) positions they would like to have targeted (below)


Things I liked:
  • Just like Erik Raj's previous app titled Multiple Choice Articulation, this is a very straightforward and user-friendly application.  
  • This is certainly a more creative way to promote generalization of target phonemes.
  • A variety of skills can be targeted in addition to articulation (e.g. vocabulary, comprehension skills, fluency, execution of directives, turn taking, etc.)
  • Erik has created free accompanying flashcards that can be printed, laminated and used with students in a session or at home.
Things I would like to see:
  • Many apps these days come with the ability to collect, track, and share user performance. This would be a great feature to include in future updates, as it would allow for not only teachers and parents to monitor progress, but for students to gauge their own growth as well. 
  • The ability to combine phoneme positions (initial, final, medial, blend). 
App Compatibility:

Multiple Choice Articulation is ccompatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5 the iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, and iPod touch.

For a chance to win this new app please enter below. Good luck!  

Please note that comments will ONLY appear once I've reviewed and approved them (prevents postings from spam-bots). If your comment doesn't appear immediately, wait a few hours. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions. 

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Multiple Choice Articulation {App Review & Giveaway}

Rarely do my students who transition to middle school have articulation goals on their IEP's, despite having obvious and consistent errors in their speech. Multiple Choice Articulation (below) is a newly developed app by Erik Raj meant to address articulation while targeting receptive and expressive language in a conversational manner. 
Users are able to target 7 phonemes.











For $9.99 users get:
  • Over 500 multiple choice questions targeting 7 phonemes (above image)
  • Option of having questions read aloud to user
  • Option of having answers provided via audio to user
    Users have the option to hear the question and answer
    •  Users are able to select phoneme positions they would like to have targeted (below)

    Things I liked:
    • In addition to articulation, receptive (auditory processing, language memory, 'wh' question comprehension, turn taking, reasoning) and expressive language use (pronoun use, sentence formulation, word order, etc.) are also able to be elicited
    •  Students/users will want to discuss these scenarios as they are a departure from the more "traditional" questions adults would ask them e.g. "What would you rather sleep on - a pillow made of smooth mud or a pillow made of itchy cloth? Why?"
    Things I would change:
    • Visuals of the absurd questions would have been a great addition, as it would add to the discussion as well as provide assistance to those with difficulty visualizing
    • Price: Although Erik Raj has churned out some quality apps,  $9.99 is costly for the average SLP/educator who has little to no budget for materials at their place of employment.
    App Compatibility:

    Multiple Choice Articulation is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

    For a chance to win this new app please enter below. Good luck! 




      










    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions. 


    Thursday, October 18, 2012

    Speech Cards {Review}

    Hate not finding flash cards that target specific phonemes or concepts? The Speech Cards Pro app offers a solution. Users are able create their own flash cards as well as utilize the preloaded selection (4 decks with 10 images each).

    Home screen with 4 preloaded decks containing 10 images each

    Tapping on the image allows users to hear the name of the item on the card. Users are able to make their own recording and compare it to the already recorded target.

    Users are able to be given no/full/partial credit

    Some things I found useful:
    • Users are able to select their own images (24 decks with 20 images per deck)
    • Users are able to create their own recordings
    • Users are able to create their own text to go along with the image
    • Instead of just a "correct" or "incorrect" response, users are able to be given partial credit for their response
    • Accumulated data can be emailed to parents/teachers
    • If you decide to keep student data over a course of sessions, their performance will be summarized with percentages (Session Summary Reports)
    You can choose to discard or keep student/session performance


    Users are able to make their own deck with their own images.

    I would like to see Speech Cards support more than 12 users (for data collection purposes) as I have way more than that on my caseload.
    This app would be great to use to create theme related decks (curriculum, holiday, concepts etc.), sound specific card decks for articulation therapy, reading/sight words/literacy, social stories decks, etc. There are a variety of ways to use Speech Cards, how have you or do you plan on using it?

    App Compatibility:

    Compatible with the iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.

    Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions. 

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