SwitchForLife 1.4

This application serves as a comprehensive communication tool designed for individuals with cognitive disabilities, enabling them to express themselves and interact with their environment effectively.

It presents a versatile solution suitable for various settings, including educational institutions, therapeutic environments, homes, and community spaces.

Particularly beneficial for schools, educators, and therapists, this tool can accommodate multiple users with different abilities within a single app instance.

Features include:

• Grids: Offers traditional communication boards enhanced with additional functionalities.
• Visual Scenes: Quickly create visually engaging scenes, seamlessly linking them to grids.
• Slideshow Mode: Displays single-page items with verbal prompts, particularly advantageous for visually impaired users.
• Media Integration: Incorporate music from personal libraries or YouTube videos into any item.
• Environment Control: Integrate voice commands with HomeKit smart devices, including lights, outlets, and door openers.
• Music Player: An intuitive music player designed for accessibility.
• Switch Adapted Toys: Wirelessly manage adapted toys using the SwitchForLife Puck (external hardware required).
• Switch Control: Leverages Switch Control Accessibility for users who cannot interact with a touchscreen. Optimized for the SwitchForLife Stick Switch Interface (external hardware required).

This application is suitable for both emerging communicators and advanced augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users. The inclusion of visual scenes provides an alternative to grids, offering contextual familiarity that can enhance communication for specific individuals while being user-friendly and enjoyable to create.

It is fully customizable and designed to encourage improved communication and social interactions among users. With over 20,000 included symbols or the option to employ personal images, it allows for significant personalization.

The app supports the importation of established communication systems appropriate for a range of users, from beginners to advanced individuals across age groups. Additionally, it facilitates the export of content for sharing with other users, educators, therapists, and caregivers through an easy drag-and-drop interface. Features such as text-to-speech with voice customization or the ability to record audio further enhance its usability.

This innovative design is grounded in extensive technical expertise and experience working with assistive technology users, along with collaboration from parents, caregivers, educators, and therapists. Users are likely to experience remarkable progress in their communication capabilities.

The application proudly aligns with the OpenAAC initiative’s philosophy that “communication supports are essential; open standards are for everyone.”

SwitchForLife Pro features (available through In-App Purchase):

• Ability to create multiple boards
• Access to Visual Scenes
• Environment Control functionalities
• Import/Export capabilities