DANISpeech

The goal of the DANI communication tool is to develop and nurture
interaction for those with autism spectrum disorder or other speech
impairments. DANI has been developed by two independent creators with
guidance from parents and Special Education teachers. Our aim in creating
DANI has been to create a user-friendly tool that will prove useful in the
classroom and everyday settings.
DANI stands among a wide range of tools and apps resulting from the
growth of Alternative Augmentative Communication (ACC). Like many
existing ACC resources, DANI provides a bridge between those who struggle
with traditional verbal communication and others. Seeing as communication
is a real-time human function, DANI has accessibility woven into its user
experience.The app is very user friendly, allowing for easy navigation
between pages using a simple menu at the bottom of the screen. After initial
sign up, the user is directed to the Speechboard page, containing words and
phrases that the app organizes into several categories. DANI is also visually
appealing. All images and icons, both modified and in original form, come
from the graphic resource Freepik (https://www.freepik.com). These icons are
simple and comprehensible while still more sophisticated than typical stick
figures.
While the existing apps prove very helpful in aiding those facing
speech challenges, there are several vital components missing from the
existing ACC resources. One vital component missing from these existing
resources is the ability to facilitate real conversations. Many ACC apps
available allow for very basic articulations, such as “I want food” or “I am
sad,” but fail to expand the conversation much further. In addition, many
existing apps do not allow for ease of access to full sentences, either
previously built by the user or commonly used.
Aside from affordability, DANI stands out from other available
resources in several other areas. The user is easily able to access previously
used sentences and phrases as well as the most common words or phrases
she uses. Moreover, the DANI app, unlike others, is personalized to the user,
allowing the user to customize her profile with a selection of profile icons.
Once the user has begun to use the Speechboard, there will appear a pie
chart showing the most popular word categories that the user employs in
communication. This pie chart, along with the recently-used word
components of the app allow parents and teachers a new glimpse into the
user’s recent communications and interests.
DANI also allows for a more interactive and adaptable user experience
than other available apps. The user may add her own words and images,
using the add word functionality. In the future, DANI will also allow for a
more extensive conversation guide, with a mapping of typical conversations
between the user and her parent or teacher. We aim to add functionality to
the DANI app that will allow the user to build custom conversations that she
can then subsequently follow. We also aim to upgrade the Emotional
communication aspect of DANI moving forward. In the future, the app will
help display various coping strategies in response to communications
regarding the user’s current feelings.
Overall, we hope to see DANI continue to develop and color
connections and interactions by facilitating communication for all.