Free and Inexpensive Apps for People Who Need Augmentative Communication Supports

Sep 28, 2026

A curated, non-exhaustive guide to mobile applications that support augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The document emphasizes selecting tools based on an individual’s communication needs and abilities, while warning against “onesize-fits-all” matching and assuming apps can replace full speech generating devices. It outlines how each listed app is presented with description, available platforms, price range, and AAC specialist/user comments, and frames the focus on low-cost options for families worldwide.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages53

Reading Time2 h 14 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

Purpose and selection approach

Limitations and professional guidance

Free apps list (US dollars)

App entry format

Example: Verbally

FREE AND INEXPENSIVE APPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED AUGMENTATIVE COMMUNICATION SUPPORTS Harvey Pressman and Andrea Pietrzyk Central Coast Children’s Foundation, Inc . Nobody in their right mind would try to keep up with the rapid growth of mobile device apps in the field of assistive technology. In the time it takes to write three of them, somebody somewhere has probably produced another new one. Even in the narrower fields of apps for people who need augmentative communication supports, it is next to impossible to keep up with the number of new apps that keep popping up. So we have tried to produce, in the list below, not a complete list of apps for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users, but rather an incomplete list of some of the current favorites that a few key “app-a-holics” in the field of AAC are giving passing grades to. We have tried especially to focus on apps that will not break anybody’s bank, especially for people who don’t happen to live in the ten richest countries in the world. While the number of mobile devices in poorer countries is not necessarily as high as in some of these rich areas, the rapid growth of mobile devices even in some of the poorest countries in the world cannot be denied, and the pace is only going to quicken. Our list begins with over 25 totally free apps which, taken together, could provide a lot of new kinds of help for someone who may well never be able to afford one of the $8,000 (US) speech generating devices currently on the market. We have also cut off our list at $40.00 (U.S.), in hopes that it will prove especially useful for people with small pocketbooks but big ambitions. We don’t pretend to be able to give each app an accurate “grade.”Instead, we have taken the cowardly way out and just shared relevant comments from AAC specialists, family members and a few users of AAC that may move the reader to find out whether an app offers features that may help a particular individual communicate more effectively. For each app, we have tried (1) to provide a brief description,(2) say what platforms it is currently available for,(3) tell you its current cost, and (4) share some comments that might help you decide to look for more information about it. We hope nobody will make the dangerous assumption that, just because this stuff is now so readily available, you don’t need professional help in figuring out which apps with which features best meet the needs of a particular individual. (There are already enough so-called AAC specialists in schools, clinics and private practices around the world who resort to a “onesize-fits-all” approach when it comes to helping people find the right device or solution.) We need to constantly be asking the question, as Jessica Gosnell of Boston Children’s Hospital has put it: “Are we finding the right technology for this person?” not: “Are we finding the right person for this technology?” We also are not making the equally dangerous assumption that mobile devices can serve as a “substitute” for a full-fledged speech generating device (SGD), i. e., as a primary communication device, rather than as a starter device, a supplementary or secondary device, or a readiness device that can help prepare a young child to use an SGD at an earlier age and/or with a greater ability to “hit the ground running” in the use of an SGD. A serious approach to matching an individual’s communication needs and abilities to the features and characteristics of the mobile device and its apps still needs to be taken. We still need to follow a process in which a person’s current and future communication needs and strengths are carefully evaluated and then matched to specific features of AAC symbols, strategies and tools. Although it may now be much easier to put the cart before the horse (and lots of people seem to be doing just that), you clearly are not going to get very far that way, and you could even end up going backwards. There are lots of good fol

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the app list?

To provide an incomplete set of current favorite mobile apps for people who need AAC support, especially options that are free or inexpensive.

How does the document suggest choosing the right AAC technology?

By evaluating a person’s current and future communication needs and then matching them to specific AAC symbols, strategies, and tools on the device and app.

Does the document recommend apps as a substitute for speech generating devices?

No. It cautions against treating mobile devices as a substitute for a full-fledged speech generating device (SGD) and distinguishes supplementary or readiness roles.

Sep 28, 2026

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