There's an app for that! Introducing ProLoQuo2Go

For years I've thought about getting Jman an augmentative communication device to help him communicate. I kept putting it off for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that they were big, clunky, and cumbersome, and very expensive (on the order of thousands of dollars for something that would meet his needs). However, factors have now reached the point where technology, functionality, and practicality have all merged at a cost that is affordable for almost anyone.

Last week we ordered a 32Gb 3rd generation iPod Touch (about $290) for me. The day after it arrived we downloaded the application called ProLoQuo2Go, a nifty aug comm program that runs on an iPhone or an iTouch. It cost us about $190. A few days later we added an Otter case and a screen protector to help the iPod stand up better to the beatings it is sure to endure. So, for around $500 (instead of $5000) Jman now has a slick little aug comm device that's easy to program and use, and that fits in a pocket and does as much or more than the big, clunky, expensive ones (including playing music, surfing the web, and more that the other aug comm devices can't do) AND, being an iPod Touch, it's very high on the 'coolness factor' to boot!

Jman has very quickly begun to understand how to use ProLoQuo2G. He has used some PECS books in the past where he had to flip through pages to find picture cards that he could then assemble in order to say something (such as "Mom Jman drive McDonalds" if he wanted to go to McDonalds for something to eat). PECS were a pain because you had to make little cards, laminate them, attach velcro to the backs, organize them in a notebook, and then lug that big notebook around, AND when you used the cards you had to remove them from their stored location, assemble them into a sentence, and then return them to their stored location. PECS books are relatively inexpensive, but very cumbersome to actually use.

But because of his experience with PECS, Jman had no trouble transitioning to ProLoQuo2Go for similar communications. He quickly learned how to navigate through some of the preprogrammed pages to say, "I want to use the computer" and "I want french fries ketchup hot sauce." Yep, that's my boy! He also, of course, has found it great fun to "stim" with ProLoQuo2Go, making it say such things as, "I want I want I want I want to use the computer to use the computer to use the computer." (He likes things in sets of four. Yeah, that's my boy too.)

I have several posts I could write about ProLoQuo2Go so far, but I particularly want to point out a couple ideas in this introduction. First, ProLoQuo2Go can help Jman with word retrieval issues, which he has had for years (and was one one of the first reasons I became interested in aug comm devices years ago when he was about 4yo). P2G can also help him with speaking out loud. There are many times where Jman wants to say something, but the words just won't come out of his mouth. It's not that he can't articulate the words (apraxia). It's that the words just won't come out, more like a type of mutism. The P2G can speak the messages out loud, so when Jman can't speak for some reason, he can let the P2G do the out-loud talking for him.

There's one issue that ProLoQuo2Go will not as easily solve, however. If you noticed, Jman was quickly using the P2G to make requests. Requesting is a very important form of communication known as 'imperative' or 'instrumental' or 'means-to-an-end' communication. Generally, folks on the spectrum don't have a problem with 'means-to-an-end' communication such as making requests, answering questions, following rules, etc. They can use 'means-to-an-end' communication to do just that--use language as a means to achieve some end result. The end result might be getting something or it might be acquiring quantities of information about topics of interest. Using the common popular definition of 'higher functioning' equating to 'lots of language,' sometimes the 'higher functioning' kids on the spectrum are called 'little professors' because they know so much about certain topics and will talk your ear off about their topic of interest (whether you are interested anymore or not).

Means-to-an-end communication comprises only about 20% of human language use. Most of the time, people converse with 'declarative' or 'experience sharing' communication. People are constantly commenting on ('declaring') what is going on around them, what they see, what they hear, wondering what other's are seeing or hearing, or what others think about what's going on. People are intrinsically interested in other people, how they feel, what they think, what their reactions are in comparison to your own. People are interested in 'sharing experiences.'

However, folks on the autistic spectrum really struggle with 'experience sharing' and therefore with 'experience sharing communication.' In a normal 'experience sharing' conversation with someone, you may make the occasional request, but more likely you'll 'go with the flow' and share information and thoughts and feelings about whatever the topic is. Instead of simply, "I want to go to McDonald's" and then expecting the other person to therefore take you to McDonald's, you might comment to someone, "I was so busy today that I forgot to eat lunch." Note that in the first sentence (I want to go to McDonald's), there is an expected response--yes, let's go or no, let's not (with the 'yes let's go' being the obviously desired response).

With sentence number two (I was so busy today that I forgot to eat lunch), there is no required or expected or 'correct' response from the other person. In fact, the other person may have to do a little thinking to figure out just exactly what the first speaker means with that comment. Are they merely pointing out that they are hungry? Are they asking if you have something to eat in your backpack? Are they saying that they're really looking forward to dinner? Are they saying that they are so hungry they can't wait for dinner to get soemthing to eat? Or maybe they aren't really hungry at all, but instead are needing to talk to someone about the busy day they had. The speaker shared a bit of information that could mean many different things, and the listener will have to think and consider and perhaps ask for more info or make his own comment to understand the intent of the first speaker.

ProLoQuo2Go will not automatically help Jman with experience sharing communication because Jman first has to have that 'experience sharing' intent in his head. ProLoQuo2Go will however help him with the type of language he already uses and understands better--imperative or 'means to an end' communication.

We have several 'language goals' for Jman that we hope the ProLoQuo2Go will help with. The first step he is already undertaking--learning to navigate his way around ProLoQuo2Go to more easily say what he already would like to say. It will help him with word retrieval. It will help him with speaking out loud. It will help him to get more of his needs and wants across to us as a result, and that alone makes it worth it. We hope to be able to use the ProLoQuo2Go as a useful tool to help teach the structures of the English language also, and the unique 'automorphology' features of ProLoQuo2Go should prove especially helpful with that. And, of course, we also hope over time to be able to use the ProLoQuo2Go to help Jman begin to develop and use 'experience sharing communication' in addition to 'means to an end' communication.

If you would like more information on ProLoQuo2Go, check out the very helpful videos on their webpage. They also have FAQ's (of course) and a community discussion board where users, developers, and those interested can ask questions and 'share experiences' with each other. You may also find ProLoQuo2Go you can see and handle at a resource center near you if you want to maybe give it a test drive. Finally, here's a link to an article online about ProLoQuo2Go which you may find interesting.