iName it Household Items: App Review

Recently, I was approached by Smarty Ears apps with an opportunity to review an aphasia app.  I thought, but I don't work with adults with aphasia.  Then, in talking with the Smarty Ears rep, I realized that this app isn't only great for adults with aphasia, but possibly my students with autism or students with word finding difficulties.

This app is called iName it Household Items

To begin using this app you can look at the settings, and choose from three different languages. 

Next, you can select a user by pressing Start Practice.

Then, you pick a room to work in.  There are five different rooms to choose with a variety of vocabulary to target.

Once you choose the room, the app gives you an interactive screen with all of the vocabulary.  At the bottom of the page is a tray with all of the targeted vocabulary.  As you target each word, and the student or client gets the vocabulary word correct, a check mark appears on the picture, showing you that it has been targeted.  To target a word, you simply touch the part of the large picture that you would like to work on.  The rest of the picture turns to black and white and only leaves the target word in color.

If your student or client are able to say the name of the item, then you click the green checkmark, and go on to other targets.  If, however they are incorrect and need more cues, you click the blue circle at the top to begin the prompting process.

There are five different prompts:
The first is just the written two sounds of the word.

The next prompt describes the item both auditorally and with a written cue.

Then there is a sentence completion cue that is both auditory and visual.

Then, there is an auditory only cue of the first two sounds in the word.

Last, there is cue that presents the name of the item both auditorally and visually.

You are able to choose whichever prompt you would like to go with.  I liked to use the sentence completion prompt with my students with Autism.

Data is collected by pressing the Got it button, or after you go through all five prompts, the missed button appears also.  If your student or client does not get the item correct, a check mark does not appear on the corresponding item on the tray.  You could loop back to it later and try again.

When you are finished with your session, you can press the back button to the main menu page.  From there, you click results and select your student or client.  You will get data about the overall accuracy of responses both with and without cues.

I really liked this app for its simplicity.  When I worked in a skilled nursing facility many years ago, I did not have anything like this.  I would have loved it though!  So many of my patients had difficulties with word finding.  The prompting levels are perfect, and can be faded back or added on as much as needed.

You can get this app from Smarty Ears Apps HERE!  The current price is $14.99

Thanks so much for checking out my review!

*I was in no way compensated for this review.  I was provided with a copy of the app by Smarty Ears Apps in order to complete the review.