While the number of Spanish speakers on the caseload of speech-language-pathologists is growing, the number of apps available in Spanish is not as big as we all would like to see. Early on in my carrier, I struggled to find materials in Spanish, and most of the time you have to settle for ” good enough” materials. Back in 2011 I wrote an article called ” Apps for Bilingual SLPs“, and many of the apps were ” repurposed apps”. Nothing wrong with them, I love repurposing apps. However, isn’t it great when we find apps in Spanish that were designed for promoting speech and language. I am very proud to be a part of making apps available in as many languages as possible, but most importantly in Spanish and Portuguese. Let’s take a look at what is out there four years later, I can tell you it is a lot more than what I was able to report back in 2011.
Speech and Language Assessment Apps
1. Bilingual Articulation and Phonology Assessment ( BAPA)
The BAPA app is a standardized application that assesses articulation and phonology skills not only in Spanish, but it can also assess English skills. One of the key features of this application is the automatization of the articulation and phonology assessment process. As the clinician inputs the child’s production, this application automatically analyses the data and compiles a report. The report contains information regarding students’ productions in either language or in both languages. If the child was assessed in both English and Spanish, the report contains a side by side comparison of skills in both languages. I am proud to be one of the authors of BAPA. You can read more about this application here: http://smartyearsapps.com/service/bilingual-articulation-phonology-assessment/
2. Dysphagia2GO
Dysphagia2Go guides clinicians on the process of a dysphagia evaluation. There is only one version on the app store, but you area able to switch the language of choice within the app from English to Portuguese, Spanish or Italian. This app is a very comprehensive form like application. It guides you through assessing and inputing information regarding medication, cranial nerves, and a bedside evaluation. After the clinician adds the patient’s information, the application automatically compiles the data into a neatly organized and comprehensive report that can be printed directly from the iPad.
Speech and Language Therapy apps
3. Spanish Artik
Spanish Artik is a comprehensive articulation therapy app that I was able to make available back in 2010. Spanish Artik includes all Spanish phonemes at the word and phrase levels. Just as some other traditional flashcard apps, this app allows users to record voices and track data.
Spanish Artik includes realist photos and the ability to do multiplayers for group sessions.
4. Casa
SpanishOne other option of articulation app in Spanish is the Complete App of Spanish Articulation ( CASA). This app offers a free version, and users can purchase the sounds as in-app purchases. The app also allows you to add student’s and keep track of their progress overtime.
CASA includes targets at the word, phrase and sentence level.
Language Therapy Apps
5. Speak Colors
Speak colors is an app also designed by and to SLPs. The app focuses on teaching young children to work on sentence formation using a combination of colors and nouns. Users are able to select the color and a series of nouns to prompt sentence formation. It is possible to do voice recording.
6. Auditory Memory Club
This application includes three languages within the same application. Auditory Memory Club includes four activities: Yo hablo tú haces, qué fue eso?, Recurde para Amber and vamos a ponerlos en orden. These four activities include adjustable settings in order to provide flexibility to meet each child’s individual listening levels. It is possible to adjust background noise levels, and amount of delay prior to answer selection on each activity.
7.Adjetivos Remix
Adjetivos Remix is one of the very few apps that has a separate application for each language. In case you have a caseload of English and Spanish speakers, you would have to purchase both apps. Adjetivos Remix provides the tool for targeting a variety of vocabulary words such as colors, size and feelings.
8. Yes/No Barn
Like many of the previously mentioned apps, Yes/No Barn includes a language option within the same app. A multi-player app, Yes No Barn is based on evidence surrounding comprehension, sentence structure, vocabulary, and word-meaning development in individuals. Research shows yes – no questions can help children acquire auxiliary verbs (Fey, Loeb 2002). You can select the types of yes no questions you want to include on the session. Data is tracked overtime and also for specific sessions.
Language Rehabilitation
9. iName it
iName is an app designed to provided contextual cues to improve retrieval of household names. The app includes fifty words, ten per each scene within the home: bedroom, bathroom, garage, kitchen and living room. The users can tap on the image and a series of prompts are displayed on the screen. The app tracks data for a variety of users for each session as well as overtime. The English version of iName it includes a language setting option for Portuguese or Spanish.
10. Language Trainer
Language Trainer is perfect for working on vocabulary, word finding, stuttering, and receptive or expressive language therapy. There are four activities within Language trainer: Picture identification, Picture Naming, Divergent naming and phrase completion. While the application was designed with older clients in mind, the app is very clean and can be used with individuals of all age groups.
11. Reading Rehabilitation Toolkit
The Reading Rehabilitation Toolkit is an application targets improving reading skills for adults with reading difficulties. The Reading Rehabilitation Toolkit integrates six state-of-the-art reading activities at the word and phrase levels all specifically crafted to promote success in reading rehabilitation: word-image match, image-word match, image-phrase match, phrase-image match, sentence building and read and answer.
Alternative Communication
12. One Voice AAC
One voice includes a variety of options of languages, one of them being Spanish. This is a VERY basic AAC application, and the vocabulary is very limited by the lack of any specific symbol set. However, when our options are limited, we have to be grateful about what we got.
As you can see the number and quality of apps for delivery therapy in Spanish has increased significantly. I am very happy to be a part of making this trend happen. Smarty Ears has a bundle called Bilingual SLP -Spanish App Bundle that includes four apps. You save a lot when purchasing apps in bundle. If you were to purchase these apps individually you would pay $126.96, however you can snag this bundle for only $89.99.
