【實用教育app】DropTalk|最夯免費app-綠色工廠好玩App

1. OutlineDropTalk is a Japanese AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) application which helps people with autism or a speech disorder to communicate with other people in speech. For people with developmental disabilities to communicate, it is very effective to use visual supports such as symbols or a VOCA (voice output communication aid), which can play voices associated with symbols. VOCA devices, however, are often expensive. DropTalk is a powerful, yet easy-to-use VOCA application for iPhone and iPod touch at a reasonable price.DropTalk has a visual support symbol set "Drops" developed by the Droplet Project and the associated Japanese voices preinstalled. The Drops are based on Japanese culture and published at free of charge. They are achieving the standard status as communication symbols in Japan.2. Basic UsageWhen you launch DropTalk, you will find four buttons at the bottom of the screen: Canvas, Library, Add New Symbol, and Settings.2.1. CanvasThe Canvas is the main screen of DropTalk. You can put up to nine symbols on a Canvas. Tap a symbol to play the associated voice. You can also switch between the Word Mode and the Sentence Mode.2.2. LibraryThe Library shows all the preinstalled Drops and the added symbols (see below). You can easily find the symbol you want with the flicking navigation. There are tabs to choose the symbol categories at the top of the screen.2.3. Add New SymbolThe Add New Symbol screen lets you create and add new symbols. You can use the photos taken with the iPhone built-in camera, or the pictures from your Photo Library as your own symbols. The built-in microphone is available to record the associated voice (some iPod touch models need an external microphone).2.4. SettingsOn the Settings screen you can choose how many symbols a Canvas has, and arrange symbols on a Canvas.3. AdvantageSupporting the handicapped people requires the pictures that match their cognitive level and life style, but it has been a troublesome chore to prepare such symbols for a VOCA device: you have to take some photos, upload them to a computer, record associating voices, and at last transfer the photos and the voices from the computer to a VOCA device.Adding a new symbol on DropTalk is very simple and straightforward. You can take photos and record voices to create new symbols just with your iPhone on the spot, and the symbols are now available on DropTalk. You can also adjust the settings on the fly. Thus DropTalk is very helpful both for the handicapped people and for the supporters.