Speakbook is a simple communication tool that was developed by Patrick Joyce who had Motor Neurone Disease (MND / ALS). Understanding the progression of his condition and the needs of others, Patrick realised that there was a need for a cheap and easy-to-use way of communicating for people who are able to read and spell and can move their eyes, but struggle to point with their finger or hand.
Speakbook is a template for a communication book which you populate with your own messages.  It also provides access to an alphabet chart. While originally developed with MND in mind, Speakbook can be useful for anyone who is literate and requires a communication tool that they can access with their eyes. (<a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/project/speakbook/">For more information &#8211; see here</a>)
<h2>With thanks to:</h2>
English &#8211; With thanks to Suzanne Guerin and her colleagues for finding the mistake with the circles/triangles and cyan/green dots!
Turkish &#8211;  Ersin Sinay
German &#8211; Julius Deutsch, kommhelp e.V., Michael Ritson, Ace Centre, UK.
Afrikaans &#8211; Emma Emmerich, Inclusive Solutions.
Portuguese &#8211; Hélio Lourenço, Ace Centre UK
Maltese &#8211; Martina Zarb, Mariah Amber Busuttil, Jamie Said, Access to Communication and Technology Unit (ACTU), Malta
Bulgarian &#8211; Evgeniya Hristova
French &#8211; Michael Ritson, Ace Centre, UK.
Zulu &#8211; Sipho Sibanda, Inclusive Solutions
Arabic &#8211; Hossein Amin, Iraq.

SpeakBook

This communication book is designed to be used by someone who can point to fairly small messages. The template will need to be completed with personalised words and phrases that are communicated repeatedly and useful to deliver quickly.

A5 Communication Book you can point to

Communication Partners (I)

<h5>Reflect on your personal interaction style and develop communication partner skills to support AAC users.</h5>

This leaflet is derived from the information presented in the chapter &#8220;Augmentative and Alternative Communication” written by Ace Centre colleagues Lizzie Sadiku, Katherine Small and Suzanne Martin for a book by Dr. Sean Pert called “<a href="http://bit.ly/AACLang">Working with Children Experiencing Speech and Language Disorders in a Bilingual Context: A home Language Approach</a>”.

Appraising an AAC Resource in a Language You Do Not Speak

We have created this document pulling from our experience of supporting AAC users who want to communicate in more than one language. It is a compilation of questions you can and should be asking when appraising resources in a language you do not speak and considerations for you to keep in mind.

Key Features:
<ul>
<li>Read text by paragraph, word or sentence</li>
<li>Quickly switch between different languages</li>
<li>Access over 400 voices in 100 different languages</li>
<li>Import your own text documents</li>
<li>Full library of help videos</li>
</ul>

TextAloud

TextAloud is a brand new iOS App developed by Ace Centre! It is a text-to-speech app which reads any text you enter into to it.

Bath

A symbol chart to support communication around taking bath.
It is available in five layouts (choose the option below) to support different access methods:
<ol>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 1 – 8 symbols</li>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 2 – 16 symbols</li>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 3 – 30 symbols</li>
<li>Eye pointing – 6 symbols</li>
<li>Hand (or other body part) pointing – 6 symbols</li>
</ol>
Learn more about the options for customisation offered and how they can help to meet needs your learners needs by <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/blog/customisable_symbol_charts">clicking here</a>.

Make Up

A symbol chart to support communication while putting on make up.
It is available in five layouts (choose the option below) to support different access methods:
<ol>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 1 – 8 symbols</li>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 2 – 16 symbols</li>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 3 – 30 symbols</li>
<li>Eye pointing – 6 symbols</li>
<li>Hand (or other body part) pointing – 6 symbols</li>
</ol>
Learn more about the options for customisation offered and how they can help to meet needs your learners needs by <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/blog/customisable_symbol_charts">clicking here</a>.

Listen To Music

A symbol chart to support communication while listening to music.
It is available in five layouts (choose the option below) to support different access methods:
<ol>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 1 – 8 symbols</li>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 2 – 16 symbols</li>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 3 – 30 symbols</li>
<li>Eye pointing – 6 symbols</li>
<li>Hand (or other body part) pointing – 6 symbols</li>
</ol>
Learn more about the options for customisation offered and how they can help to meet needs your learners needs by <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/blog/customisable_symbol_charts">clicking here</a>.

Core

Core words are useful words that support communication in any settings, during any activities and with anyone. Core word communication charts are a great way to get started with paper based AAC! Simply print and use whilst chatting in whatever situation you find yourself.
It is available in five layouts (choose the option below) to support different access methods:
<ol>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 1 – 8 symbols</li>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 2 – 16 symbols</li>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 3 – 30 symbols</li>
<li>Eye pointing – 6 symbols</li>
<li>Hand (or other body part) pointing – 6 symbols</li>
</ol>
Learn more about the options for customisation offered and how they can help to meet needs your learners needs by <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/blog/customisable_symbol_charts">clicking here</a>.

Mr Potato Head

A symbol chart to support communication while playing with Mr Potato Head.
It is available in five layouts (choose the option below) to support different access methods:
<ol>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 1 – 8 symbols</li>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 2 – 16 symbols</li>
<li>Finger pointing Stage 3 – 30 symbols</li>
<li>Eye pointing – 6 symbols</li>
<li>Hand (or other body part) pointing – 6 symbols</li>
</ol>
Learn more about the options for customisation offered and how they can help to meet needs your learners needs by <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/blog/customisable_symbol_charts">clicking here</a>.

For more information about creating symbol based materials click <a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/getting-started-with-paper-based-symbol-resources">here to access our Getting Started with Paper-Based Symbol Resources eBook</a>
<a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/all?category=symbol-charts">Click here to download free symbol based AAC charts featuring core words.</a>
<a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/learning/search?category=communication">Visit Ace Centre Learning for live and on demand training courses on introducing symbol based AAC here</a>

Getting Started with Core Words

This leaflet is a starting point for introducing the concept and importance of core words to people who are creating symbol based AAC materials.
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Check out <a href="https://youtu.be/fCgGy8dFIFE">this video</a> to learn about the eBook features
For a more general all round introduction to low tech symbol based AAC, you could see another resource in this AAC Information Series, Getting Started with AAC: Using low tech symbol based systems with children.

Access to paper-based symbol resources when pointing is difficult

The aim of this resource is explore access to low tech symbol based AAC when accessing standard resources is difficult physically or visually. It is aimed at people who are familiar with low tech AAC, but want to find out more about how to adjust and adapt the resources to meet individual needs.

Look2Talk is the award-winning guide for carers, parents and professionals who need to make and use a communication book for people who communicate using their eyes.
When speech can not be understood, and using hands or fingers to point is difficult, eye pointing to symbols or text can be a fast and effective way of communicating a wide range of messages. The Look2Talk guide is a step-by-step system that introduces symbols at a speed that suits both the learner and their communication partner(s). It emphasises the importance of learning together in fun, relaxed activities where the learner can take control.
<h2>Look2Talk Package</h2>
Look2Talk guidebook is the main element of a complete package containing several elements which include:
<ul>
<li>Guidebook: Free online eBook or download as PDF ​</li>
<li>Demonstration Pages: Free to view electronically or download and print​</li>
<li>Templates: Free to download as Boardmaker7 or InPrint 3 (coming soon) file</li>
<li>Communication Easel: A4 and A3 options available from Ability World</li>
<li>Training: Introductory and Developing levels from Ace Centre Learning ​</li>
</ul>
<h2>Look2Talk Guidebook </h2>
The original Look2Talk guide was based upon experience gained from the Look2Talk Project, a two year project run by Ace Centre to support and learn from six children and their families who either used or were learning to use their eyes to access symbol communication. The guide was awarded the Sternberg Award for Clinical Innovation in 2008.
This edition of the Look2Talk guide has been fully revised and updated, drawing upon the clinical experience of the full Ace Centre team.
Available as a free online eBook, which can also be printed as a PDF, and supported by video tutorials and real-life example clips throughout. The guidebook covers all of the essential questions that need to be answered when creating an eye pointing communication book, such as:
<ul>
<li>What vocabulary do I put in the book?</li>
<li>How many pictures or symbols do I use on a page?</li>
<li>Where and when do I start to use the book?</li>
<li>How do I develop the book over time?</li>
</ul>
Look2Talk Guidebook complements Ace Centre’s popular Developing and Using a Communication Book manual for people who can finger-point, and both books have similar key concepts:
<ul>
<li>A stable core vocabulary, that is always available and develops through five stages. The suggested core vocabulary, ranging from two symbols at Stage One to forty-one symbols at Stage Five, is drawn from a developmental model of spoken language acquisition, but does not stick rigidly to it.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Guidance on choosing personalised topic vocabulary designed to meet an individual’s interests, needs and varied environments.</li>
<li>An emphasis on the role of the communication partner who is shown, throughout the process, how to use and model the symbols during communication and to support and scaffold the learner’s own communication attempts.</li>
</ul>
We know of no other resource that provides such specific and comprehensive guidance to help this small but important group of people who struggle to communicate.
<a class="link-button" href="https://docs.acecentre.org.uk/look2talk/">View the Look2Talk Guidebook by clicking here</a> 
<h2>Look2Talk Demonstration Pages</h2>
The Look2Talk Demonstration Pages contains example communication book pages that aim to bring to life the practices and principles described in the Look2Talk guide. It is designed to be used alongside the guide which provides detailed information about each stage, ideas around readiness, and aims for both the communication partner and the learner.
Interactive versions are available to view online or to download and use in PowerPoint. A PDF version for printing is coming soon!
<a class="link-button" href="https://acecentreuk.sharepoint.com/:p:/s/AnonymousShares/EWN9rlMoAJtNr3PAjRtAolIB8IhyPYVD5H65qOI2iNpJUQ">Click here to view online interactive Demonstration Pages</a>
<a class="link-button" href="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Look2Talk-Demonstration-Book-6.23-v2.ppsx">Click here to download interactive Demonstration Pages</a>
<h2>Look2Talk Communication Book Templates</h2>
Free downloadable files for creating, personalising and printing pages for an eye pointing communication book.
<a class="link-button" href="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Look2Talk-Communication-Book-Templates-Ace-Centre-June23.zip">Boardmaker 7 users click here to download templates</a>
InPrint3 templates coming soon!
Please note: these files download as a .zip files. Please extract the individual template files before opening in your symbol software. 
<h2>Look2Talk Communication Easel</h2>
An eye pointing communication book is best viewed by the communication book user and their partner when it is displayed on an easel file. As the book can get quite big (and heavy!) it is best that a sturdy easel file is used. We recommend the Communication Easel by Ability World which is available in an A4 as well as A3 version should larger pages be needed.
<a href="https://www.ability-world.com/a4-communication-easel-5395-p.asp">Click here to view the Ability World A4 Communication Easel</a>
<a href="https://www.ability-world.com/a3-communication-easel-5397-p.asp">Click here to view the Ability World A3 Communication Easel</a>
<h2>Look2Talk Introductory Stage Symbols</h2>
Download and print loose &#8220;more&#8221; and &#8220;stop&#8221; symbols to use while helping the learner to understand that they can use their eyes to communicate.
<a class="link-button" href="https://backend.acecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Look2Talk-Introductory-Stage-More-Stop-6.23.zip">Click here to download symbols</a>

Look2Talk

Templates

Guide Book

This guide is designed to support educational settings through the process of creating an AAC policy that is unique to them and the needs of their students and staff. The document outlines practical steps for integrating AAC into daily classroom activities, ensuring that AAC users can participate fully and learn effectively. It also highlights the importance of fostering a supportive culture that values diverse communication methods and promotes understanding and inclusion. 
We created this free online guide, directed by the original Developing AAC Policies in Schools document created in 2001, whilst working alongside and within several education settings. The aim is to pull from and share our recent joined up experience to assist education teams through the process of creating an AAC policy that is unique to them and the needs of their students and staff. The guide addresses key points for effective AAC policies to include:
<ul>
<li>Introduction</li>
<li>Defining AAC</li>
<li>The need for an AAC policy statement</li>
<li>The educational context</li>
<li>Legal considerations in the use of AAC</li>
<li>Roles and responsibilities</li>
<li>Ongoing training and development</li>
<li>Transition</li>
<li>Funding options</li>
<li>Conclusion</li>
</ul>
Each section in this guide has been designed to promote discussion and planning throughout the process of creating your AAC policy whilst providing examples from existing school policies and considerations to explore within your setting.

A Guide to Writing an Effective AAC Policy in Education Settings

Free online eBook or download as PDF

Pragmatic-based Auditory scan book

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The original Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication Skills in Children was written by Hazel Dewart and Susie Summers. This revised version has been created with the permission of NFER &#8211; Nelson. This Profile should be used with individuals who have used AAC in the past, are currently using AAC, or where you feel that an individual is using informal modes of AAC and you wish to introduce more formal methods.
</div>
This resource is free to download. There is one version which can be used in two ways:
<ol>
<li>Print &amp; Fill  &#8211; download, print and fill in by hand</li>
<li>Auto Entry &#8211;  download and fill in electronically with Microsoft Word</li>
</ol>
To cite this work: 
Martin, S., Small, K., and Stevens, R. 2024. The Pragmatics Profile for People who use AAC  &#8211; Second Edition (First Published 26 Sep 2017). Available at:<a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/pragmatics-profile-people-use-aac/">https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/pragmatics-profile-people-use-aac/</a>.
</div>
</div>
</div>

The Pragmatics Profile for People who use AAC

Alphabet Chart Pack - charts you point to

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This pack contains ten alphabet charts designed to support face-to-face communication for someone who is able to spell but cannot rely upon speech to communicate.
<a href="https://acecentre.org.uk/blog/customisable-alphabet-charts">Click here to find read about things to consider when customising this chart. </a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

This pack includes:
<ul>
<li>Using a Clues Book help sheet (PDF)</li>
<li>Clues Book with Widgit symbol support (PDF)</li>
<li>Clues Book with text (PDF)</li>
<li>InPrint3 templates for creating a symbol supported or text based Clues Book</li>
<li>MS Word template for creating a text based Clues Book</li>
</ul>

Clues Book

Designed to support speech when there is difficulty being understood by providing a means for giving clues to a communication partner so they can make guesses to get conversation back-on-track.

Introducing Echo: The AAC app for easier communication. Auditory scanning, dual voices, and multiple access options. Accessible and inclusive.
Echo is an AAC app designed for those with a visual difficulty and physical difficulty to access communication.
Echo is based around the concept of auditory scanning. Auditory scanning is a communication method using sound cues or auditory feedback rather than visual cues. This method is especially valuable for those with a visual impairment who cant access visual based AAC.
Echo provides you with two different voices, one for your auditory cues and the another to represent your voice.
You can access Echo using the following methods.
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1">Any external switch (or combination of switches)</li>
<li class="li1">Swipe Gestures</li>
<li class="li1">Arrow Keys</li>
</ul>
We have plans to extend this in the future to allow for more access methods.

Echo

Echo is an AAC app designed for those with a visual difficulty and physical difficulty to access communication.

Alphabet Charts & Books

ABC spelling charts

Alphabet communication book templates

Alphabets you can eye point to

Alphabets you can point to

Charts for Listener Mediated Scanning

Charts with the alphabet + some words and phrases to point to

Coded alphabet charts

Encoded alphabet charts

Frequency layout spelling charts

High contrast charts

Letter codes

QWERTY alphabet charts

Getting Started

Info & Apps

Digital Publications

E-Books

Software

Learning

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Customisable symbol charts for communication available in five layouts to support different access methods.

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