PrAACtical Resource: Searching for AAC Devices with SpeechBubble

Keeping track of all the AAC devices, vocabulary sets, and other features is a full time job and few of us have the time to do that. And, yet, when we’re considering the different AAC options for a particular client, we have to be able to access that information. Looking for SGDs that have a specific vocabulary set? Need to identify the small, handheld AAC devices? Looking for devices that do voice calling?
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Finding an AAC device that is a good fit for the people with whom you work is much easier when you have a searchable database. In the US, many professionals are familiar with AbleData and use it to find equipment that fit the bill. SpeechBubble is another free resource that indexes AAC devices in the UK.
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Search by Feature
SpeechBubble makes it easy to search for features you know that your client needs. There is a simple search option that helps you narrow down the field, with options like single message device, devices with 2-16 messages, midrange devices without touch screens, etc. For people relatively new to AAC, that is often a good place to start. There’s a more advanced search option as well, allowing you to check off different features, such as the kind of access method or type of speech.
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Vocabulary Sets
We love the way you can search for SGDs by vocabulary sets, because that is something we think about very early in the assessment process. If it doesn’t have the ‘right’ vocabulary system for a particular client, then the other bells and whistles aren’t likely to be enough to draw our attention.
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Device Comparison
SpeechBubble also lets you select up to 5 devices to do a side-by-side comparison. This is a handy tool that gives you an at-a-glance look at what each SGD has to offer.
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Our only wish is for a more comprehensive list of devices that are indexed in the SpeechBubble database. Other than that, we are big fans of this well-designed and helpful site. Happy exploring!
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