Go Talk Now

Speech Bubbles

Communication Challenges for Children with ASD

A major concern for children with autism is the inability to communicate effectively with the people around them. It is common to see speech that is either delayed, diminished, or entirely absent among children with ASD.(2) Thankfully technology has made some incredible leaps and bounds over the past several years, giving children with autism is an opportunity to easily communicate and express themselves with the press of a button. One particular app we will focus on today in this post is the app called Go Talk Now. 

What Is It?

Go Talk Now App
It is an easy-to-use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app that allows kids to communicate by tapping images representing words on the device.(1). It is very customizable, allowing parents/educators to adjust the app to suit the child's specific needs. This app allows the student to import their own sounds, images and stores unlimited messages and can back-up, restore and share pages. It has 4 page styles for communication including standard, scene, express and keyboard. The device also has built in IOS text to speech and has 21 different languages to choose from. Our favourite feature is the Go-Talk-Now library includes male, female and child voices allowing autonomy and inclusivity.(1)


Go Talk Now App

Who Would Benefit?

The people who would benefit from this would be: 
  • those who have little to no speech; 
  • those who are visual learners;
  • those who are learners with slow processing skills. 

Benefits

The benefits of Go Talk Now:
  • import your own sounds/images/videos from the internet or your own device to make it customizable;
  • back up, restore or share pages;
  • 4 page styles for communication (standard, scene, express, keyboard);
  • stores unlimited messages.

Usefulness

The usefulness of Go Talk Now: 
  • go talk now Library has male/female/child/acapela voices;
  • allows individuals who have little to know speech capability to communicate;
  • they have a guide to getting started.

Accessibility

There are several features to this app that make it fairly accessible:
  • Built-in IOS text-to-speech; 
  • beneficial for all ages; 
  • can be used in 21 different languages

Cost

Unfortunately Go Talk Now is costly. It ranges from $100 to $1,000. The basic level with minimal apps costs approximately $100. Families do have the option to upgrade and choose up to 5 apps, costing approximately $375, or they can upgrade to the premium model and choose 20 apps which will cost approximately $1,000. The sad reality is it creates a divide between the families than can and cannot afford this communication resource.

Points for Improvement


As previously mentioned, this app is supported through IOS devices, such as iPads and iPhones. The latest version of the program is called Go Talk Wow which links to Apple Watches making communication even more accessible. A future consideration could be to make a downloadable version for other devices such Android. It would also be beneficial for the provider to make the app more cost effective. Communication between a child with ASD and their parent or teacher should not be limited to those who can afford it. Communication is a basic human right.

References

Attainment Company, Inc. “GoTalk NOW.” Attainment Company Home, www.attainmentcompany.com/gotalk-now. 

Bennett, S., Dworet, D., Gallagher, T. L., Somma, M., & Weber, K. (2019). Special education in Ontario schools. St. Davids, ON: Highland Press. 

https://www.isetcec.org/practice-portal/go-talk-now-app/ 

 Muharib, R., Correa, V. I., Wood, C. L., & Haughney, K. L. (2019). Effects of Functional Communication Training Using GoTalk NowTM iPad® Application on Challenging Behavior of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Special Education Technology, 34(2), 71–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162643418783479 . 

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