BRIDGE Communication

My new favorite app

I can’t believe this app is not more well known, but I guess with most things people stick with the tried and true. I found out about this app because I was applying for an AAC device through AbleNet for a child with some fine motor difficulty. I knew the usual applications I go for would be challenging for him, so I went down the list of offered apps through AbleNet and found BRIDGE. It’s amazing! The student I’m talking about went from only having a couple verbal approximations to fully expressing himself and his wants/needs using this application. The buttons themselves are also motivating for kids too - so many foods, cartoon characters, toys, etc. Now that it’s so affordable I bought the app on my personal iPad to use with students today. I am even more blown away now. The articulation section is worth the money on its own ten fold. I work at a clinic that does some contract work through a school so I usually lug a large bag with Flashcards and papers that can be very cumbersome. I spend a good few minutes sometimes looking up target sounds, digging through cards to find the target sounds I want, trying to sort through those for the correct position, thinking of sentences or researching them. This app has it ALL. Every single kid I worked with today enjoyed tabbing through the pages and practicing their sound. It was so easy for me, and so much more engaging for the kids. Even when I was writing their notes at the end they CHOSE to practice their sound more with the app, when normally they just play. The customer support team is also fantastic. I’ve reached out twice to them and have gotten a thorough answer within a day. They are open to suggestions and are more than happy to help you navigate the app better. The buttons can also be translated from English to Spanish with the push of a button. You can also have the text one language and audio the other. I have a student that is getting access to two languages between home and the clinic and he is able to easily get access to it all with this app. I’m sure I don’t even know all of what’s possible but I love what I’ve seen already. I’ve started to talk the other SLPs in my building into trying this app with their kids that they are hesitant getting AAC for. I am planning to recommend this app to the parents of my articulation kids who ask for ways to practice at home, even though they may not use a majority of the features the app has to offer. Can you tell I love this app? Seriously, download it. I’m sad I didn’t know about it sooner.

Excellent app !!!

Easy to create customized boards. App gives you the option of using icons from its library, the internet, or your photo library. 3x3 grids provide a perfect size to see and use, even on a phone screen. There are two additional features that bring the BRIDGE COMMUNICATION app head and shoulders above the the pack for me. First is the login-save feature which allows teachers, SLPs, and others to create boards for individuals on their devices, then have the client/caregiver download the boards using the created login to their device. This is huge, right?! Second is that the icon label and speech output are typed on two separate lines and don’t have to match. This means that you can label the icon “cookie” and have the speech output say “I would like a cookie”. Game changer. It’s reasonably priced. So glad I found this app. Have been telling people all about it!