TapToTalk is a piece of software developed in the USA for the Nintendo DS that gives a child or an adult with non-verbal communication a voice at the tap of a picture.
TapToTalk comes with a library of over 2000 pictures which the user can tap on onscreen to generate spoken sentences and phrases, such as “I would like a drink”. TapToTalk can be customised, so it is also possible to add your own personal pictures – photographs etc. – to make it even more relevant to the user and their communication needs, and very simple to use.
Widgit have recently teamed up with TapToTalk to enable Widgit Symbols to be used in the TapToTalk software. This is a great opportunity for a Widgit Symbol user, or indeed someone who has never used Widgit Symbols before, to take their skills with symbols into verbal communication.
To use Widgit Symbols on TapToTalk, you will need to purchase Widgit's Metafile Collection and then import the symbols onto your TapToTalk device following the instructions on the TapToTalk website.
The Nintendo DS is a very sturdy, hardwearing games system, and can withstand being handled roughly. One its great benefits is that, because of its popularity, a child using TapToTalk on a Nintendo DS is unlikely to feel that they are ‘standing out’ or using something different from their peers.
For more information on TapToTalk, please visit www.taptotalk.com. More information on the Nintendo DS can be found at www.nintendodsi.com
