I finally had the chance to sit down and really dive into the GoTalk NOW App. Here’s what I found!
Overall Ease of Use:
I highly recommend having the user guide open and readily available as you initially explore this app. The user guide features a quick-start section that will introduce you to the app’s core features. Once you’ve followed the quick-start guide, you will understand the thought behind the unique design of this app. Most Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps open directly into a communication page. The GoTalk NOW app is different in that when you first launch the app it opens up to a Home screen. The Home screen features buttons to open the communication player, page editor, settings, the store, and the help guide.
The user manual itself is one of the best that I’ve encountered. Its clear, full of lots of pictures, and is easy to search – and really, that describes the app overall. Once you’ve reviewed GoTalk NOW’s initial features, its very easy to edit and use.
Vocabulary:
There is an online gallery of vocabulary pages you can select from. As far as I can tell, these vocabulary pages are created and uploaded by the Attainment Company Inc. (the creators of the app) and other GoTalk NOW users. With that said, keep in mind the research and time put into other vocabulary sets (such as the WordPower Language System) may not necessarily be reflected in the vocabulary pages available in this app.
Images:
The app comes free with the GoTalk Image Library. It contains illustrated images for core vocabulary. If you want images for more specific things, thoughts, or ideas you could either upload a picture from the Internet or take or create a picture on your own. Otherwise, users can purchase symbol sets such as SymbolStix, Widgit Symbols, and Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) through the app’s store.
Voices:
GoTalk Now allows users to select from built-in iOS voices or purchase additional synthetic voices through the app’s store. Instead of using a synthetic voice you can record someone speaking phrases or words.
Features:
I’m not really going to get into much detail on GoTalk NOW’s features because their website and user guide does a great job describing them. Check out my links below under the resources heading to get to their website or open the user guide.
Resources:
- GoTalk NOW Website: GOTALK NOW LINK
- GoTalk NOW User’s Guide: PDF LINK
- GoTalk NOW App on the App Store – iTunes – Apple: APP LINK