Blog Post #4 Adaptive Tool: ChatterBoard

  As a former special education teacher and pediatric physical therapist assistant, I get excited to learn about and find new resources that I could use in my library. There are many resources including free ones out there, however, it takes time to find the ones that work well and are user-friendly. I came across the website, Bridging Apps, which is a catalog of different free-paid apps that offer accessibility solutions. It was there that I came across Chatterboards. This app can be downloaded via Apps. 

About ChatterBoards

Chatterboards are an augmentative and alternative communication device. It was created as a more cost-effective version of Chatterbox and it is a free app. This app houses stock images, symbols, and user pictures to make items to be requested. Chatterboards allow for multiple profiles, which is great for classroom usage. Personal voice recordings can be programmed as words to make requests. It has lock controls so that a user cannot access other things. It has a folder to hold pictures that can be categorized. It can be programmed with certain questions or songs that will be used during instruction. It allows and encourages whole-class participation. 

One of its downfalls is that it can only be used with Apple products. During my research on this application, users left reviews of the product stating that it could be better, but it was usable for personal and classroom use. I was excited to read on the site,Bridging Apps’ description as it stated that it featured multiple languages, but as I completed further inquiries I could not find any other sources that said this. 

How to Use

Several videos have been posted on Youtube and other sites with How to features.   

On this one, Angela Moorhead recorded a how-to video to showcase ways to allow users to access their personal boards across different devices. 

This video was created Dominic. He uses the device as a communication aid. He goes through all of the features, how he uses, and why he uses it. 

How I Would Use It

Chatterboards would be a great resource to not only have in the classroom but also to share. One of the features that I like about it is that multiple profiles can be accessed on it. It also allows for uniformity as the profile could be used on different devices under the same app.  I like that Chatterboards allows for questions and songs to be programmed into it before class, which means that what they are communicating back to you is pertinent to the question. It would make participation least restrictive. In Carli Spina’s article, How Universal Design Will Make Your Library More Inclusive, she discusses ways to make the library a place that is accessible to all through Universal Design. Through this application, it will allow all to have a means of communication so that they can get their needs met and foster a sense of belonging through a simple and easy-to-use application. 

Resources

DomPlaysPS4. (May 20, 2021). How I use my communication aid. [YouTube]. https://youtu.be/jLC_kxD4b1M?si=8a50EoeUmE3czwCX

Moorad, A. (2022). Chatterboards AAC: How to share boards across devices. [Youtube]. https://www.slj.com/story/how-universal-design-will-make-your-library-more-inclusive

Spina, C. (2017). How universal design will make your library more inclusive. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/how-universal-design-will-make-your-library-more-inclusive