Over the past ten years, the use of speech therapy apps by speech-language pathologists and people with aphasia has increased significantly. There are now so many wonderful speech therapy apps available.
There are also many free in-built iPad apps and other mainstream apps that can be hugely of benefit too. We've compiled a list of some of our favourite free speech therapy apps for aphasia.
Photos
A picture can speak a thousand words, as the saying goes. So for people with aphasia, taking photos and showing them to others can be a wonderful way of communicating where they have been, what they have done, who they have seen etc.
The Photos app will automatically make albums of photos, sorted by date, location etc. Google Photos is another great option. It has even more features, including making photo collages, such as the one to the right.
Notes
In the Notes app, you can write text and use Predicative text. You can also write or draw on the whiteboard. You can email what your write/draw, send it as a message or post it on Facebook.
Messages
The Messages app on iPhone/iPad is ideal for practising writing functional messages. People with aphasia can send messages to friends and family which is usually very motivating.
The predictive text feature can be very helpful for those with more intact reading skills. If reading is impaired, Speak Selection can be used to read text aloud.
If writing/spelling is very difficult, sending an emoji can be a great way of expressing emotions and even making requests without writing any words.
Find more tips for supporting the communication of people with severe aphasia in our AAC in Aphasia blog post.
Uber
Many people with aphasia may no longer be able to drive. Being able to independently get from one place to another is often hugely important for them.
Uber is a great option for those who live in larger towns and cities. Once the person has internet access on their phone, they can type in where they wish to go and find uber cars/drivers that can pick them up at their location and take them to their destination.
Find My Friends
Find My Friends allows you to easily locate friends and family using your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Once the app is installed, the person can share their location with family and friends.
Family and friends can also easily share their locations back to the person so everyone is in the loop. If at any time the person doesn't want to be followed, they can hide their location with a single switch.
Facetime
Facetime is a video-calling app that is wonderful for helping people with aphasia connect with others. Many people with aphasia can find using the phone intimidating. They often find video-calling easier as the other person can see their face and vice versa. This can help reduce communciation breakdown and misunderstandings.
We hope you have found our list of free apps for people with aphasia useful. Please help to spread the word by sharing this post. If you would like to share your experiences of using these apps or if you there are any other free apps for aphasia you would like to recommend, please leave a comment.
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