Introducing Proloquo and Proloquo Coach - the next generation of AAC

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In 2009 AssistiveWare set out to democratize access to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). We introduced Proloquo2Go - the first affordable AAC solution available on a consumer device. Today we are taking the next step: Bringing successful communication within reach of families by introducing Proloquo and Proloquo Coach.

(Updated February 14, 2024)

As Proloquo2Go was turning ten, we started thinking, were we doing enough? In some ways, Proloquo2Go is an immense success. It is currently the most popular and the highest-rated AAC app on the App Store (4.8 out of 5 stars). But, for a company with a social mission, are commercial successes and high customer satisfaction enough? We set out to make AAC an effective and accepted means of communication. Are our users becoming successful communicators?

In talking to parents and visiting schools over the past ten years, we found many parents and schools are struggling. Getting started with AAC can be overwhelming. Many things in life you learn in school or by observing the people around you. Nothing can prepare you for AAC in that way. What’s more, all current, good AAC systems are designed by experts for experts. There is so much to learn and too few experts to help.

Parents and educators lack AAC knowledge and feel lost. Over the years, we undertook several initiatives such as the AssistiveWare Core Word Classroom and the Learn AAC section on our website to address these issues. But while these efforts lead to some improvements, we still have a long way to go. Most parents and educators continue to find AAC overwhelming. Over 80% do not use Proloquo2Go’s recommended setup. As many as 40% choose to have fewer than 20 buttons per page. With such a small grid, language and communication are limited.

Our mission as a company is to break down the barriers to communication, but we were clearly not doing enough to achieve it. If education alone doesn’t suffice, it’s time to take the radical decision to start over and design a different solution.

Researching

Our first step was research. We reviewed the academic literature and did a lot of interviews. We studied learning strategies. We analyzed anonymous data from tens of thousands of AAC users of all ages and abilities. Not in the least, we questioned our ideas and beliefs and took nothing for granted.

We confirmed much of what we already knew, but we also had some surprises. Some of the more shocking insights from our research were that:

  • With an average of around 100 words per day, AAC users say very little.
  • There is no clear correlation between grid size and the quantity or quality of communication.
  • AAC users lag in language development. Even the most proficient symbol-based AAC users have the vocabulary size of a typical 6-year-old.
  • As many as 10% of symbol-based AAC users type more than 10% of their words

Our idea for the next generation AAC

We know that parents need clear guidance in small doable steps to learn AAC best practices. To develop confidence, they need an AAC solution that is inviting and intuitive. AAC users need support from the people around them to best develop language and literacy.

We could not address the challenges through incremental updates to our existing products. We had to build something new from the ground up. This required a massive undertaking and a relentless focus on the needs of parents, AAC users, and educators.

After three years of work by the entire AssistiveWare team, we are incredibly proud to present Proloquo and Proloquo Coach. Proloquo’s unique design is based on the latest research. Its new Crescendo Evolution™ vocabulary builds on anonymous data from over 10,000 AAC users. Its unique design makes it possible to have over four times as many words yet remain as efficient as systems with much larger grid sizes. It supports language growth from first words to full literacy. Proloquo offers access to a rich vocabulary for all ages.

Introducing Proloquo and Proloquo Coach the next generation of AAC
Introducing AssistiveWare Proloquo and Proloquo Coach

Proloquo Coach is designed to guide parents and educators in expanding their child or student's communication (see example). Both apps together represent the next generation of AAC. Radically different in some ways, familiar in others. They are focused on the single goal of helping families, educators, and AAC users be successful on their AAC journey!

Proloquo and Proloquo2Go?

Everything in Proloquo is designed to provide a clear path towards communication success. It is an ideal choice for non-experts who want their child or student to grow and learn. You cannot go wrong or “break” Proloquo.

For now, Proloquo is only available in English. It was designed for children and adults with vision and fine motor skills sufficient to independently operate an iPad (open apps, select buttons). For those who do not fall into those categories, Proloquo2Go will likely be a better fit. Proloquo2Go is also great for AAC users and experts who like to customize everything. We want to reassure you - there are no plans to discontinue Proloquo2Go. It is still an excellent AAC app.

Proloquo is an excellent choice for people just starting with AAC, but if you are using another AAC app and not making progress - try Proloquo for free for one month. Existing Proloquo2Go users get a six-month trial period.

Different ways to buy Proloquo

We offer several plans to get access to Proloquo and Proloquo Coach:

All plans include access to Proloquo Coach. We add new content regularly, and our team will answer your questions seven days a week.

We know some people prefer a one-time payment, but our goal is not to sell you a product. We want to guide you towards success by providing ongoing support and guidance.

You can invite the people around the AAC user to Proloquo and Proloquo Coach for free. That way SLPs, teachers, family members, and others supporting the AAC user will all have access to the same apps and content. This is ideal for modeling. You control who can make changes, and everything will be kept in sync automatically.

Download and try Proloquo for free and accelerate your path to communication success.

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