FAQ
Click here to see a slideshow of the boards that are available for purchase in our In App Store for 99 cents!
Here is a youtube showing how to use the In App Store to purchase boards from the settings menu on the BRIDGE Communication apps.
The BRIDGE Communication apps require iOS 9.3.5 or later and works on an iPad, iPad Mini, iPod Touch, and iPhone.
Mac users: requires macOS 11.0 or later with Apple M1 chip
Hold down the settings gear in the upper right hand corner for 5 seconds. The dropdown settings menu will appear.
We are noticing a big deficit with our little ones, grades 1-2 especially, and their difficulty with reading. Likely due to the pandemic, masks, and virtual learning.
This app is easy for parents to download and use at home for extra practice. From what we have seen, parents are eager to help their children learn to read! The wide array of vocabulary provides a fun and organized platform to practice reading skills.
The ARTICULATION feature of the app that can be turned on in the settings menu provides an easily accessible way to practice specific speech sounds and phonetic/phonemic awareness.
BRIDGE Communication Builder app has all the capabilities of the original BRIDGE Communication app, but with blank boards designed for easy customization. This new version of our app was created in response to our app users whose clients needed boards for a variety of purposes including education and curriculum support as well as organization suited for teens, adults, and older clients.
app store links:
Yes. BRIDGE Communication app boards can be shared between 2 devices. The sharing takes about 6 seconds in an auto save mode, so any changes you make on one device automatically get pushed to the other device as long as you are both signed into the same BRIDGE Communication app user ID and you are both on WiFi. It’s really nice for remote programming. You don’t have to go to where she is living for her to be able to see it. In fact, you can put a nice video on the app every morning for her to wake up to if you wanted. It’s very simple.
Here’s how: Open the Setting Gear (5 second hold then the drop down menu will appear). Go to the bottom of the menu where it says Login/AutoSave. Click on Login/AutoSave and then at the top of the screen, you will see the blue REGISTER button. Click on the blue REGISTER button. Create an email and password. Any programming you do will be auto-saved. On your mom’s device, do the above steps but instead of clicking on REGISTER, just enter the email and password you created. Give it about 6 seconds, and anything you do from that point forward (or have done) will show up on her screen automatically. As long as neither of you Logout, you will not have to do anything again – your programming is auto-saved, auto re-covered, and auto-pushed. We refined this technology over the pandemic and it works seamlessly – we login and logout for different clients or students, which can also be done for different programming. Same method as above, just set up different registrations and logout between new creations on new accounts. No limits on REGISTER.
By going into the Settings Menu you can turn on the ARTICULATION feature in our BRIDGE Communication app and have access to 2,800 prompts developed by our team of 14 SLPs. Very cool feature!
You can also turn on EDIT DEFAULT ITEMS and change the names of group to the actual letters in each group.
The BRIDGE Communication app allows the uploading of up to 1 minute of video per tile. You can use the TAKE VIDEO to take up to a minute of video footage, or edit a longer video clip so its length is one minute or less. Alternatively, the screen recording button can be used to take video of online videos/GIFs, edit them, and upload them from your camera roll.
The video function of the BRIDGE Communication apps can be used for this purpose. To do this, go to the settings menu by holding down the SETTINGS GEAR for 5 seconds. The EDIT MENU should be in the ON position. To exit the SETTINGS MENU, tap on the black area surrounding the SETTINGS GEAR.
Tap on a blank ADD NEW tile. Select GROUP. The top of the input box should show GROUP. Type the word you would like others to sign in the TITLE box (ex. swim). The PICTURE SEARCH can be used to select a SYMBOLSTIX image, or an image can be used from your photo library or the internet. Select a background color and SAVE. Here’s a system that has been used successfully with one of our deaf clients. Click the first row left tile of your 3×3 board and select VIDEO. Take a video of a sign model signing the sign or select a video clip from your camera roll of a person signing the target word (ex. swim). Internet sources that people have found helpful for finding video clips of accurate ASL signs are signasl.org, startasl.com, as well as an app, ASL Dictionary Sign (if you have other ASL video sources you would like to recommend, please write to us!). On the second row left tile, select “ITEM” and type the word (ex. swim) in the title box, and select the picture or image you woud like to display on that tile. Use the 6 remaining tiles on the board to upload video of family members, friends, teachers, paraprofessionals, staff signing the sign.
This strategy can be used to emphasize the importance of accurate signs to those interacting with your child and compare their delivery of signs with solid signing models with video clips that you have selected. The making of these video clips will hopefully be fun, motivating, and informative for all involved, including your child!
The visually appealing 3×3 grids SymbolStix images and the ability to upload images, photos and video from the internet or one’s photo library makes the BRIDGE Communication app a easily accessible tool for ESL students of all ages. Spanish translations are included in the app.
A custom keyguard for the BRIDGE Communication app on the iPad is available for purchase at https://www.keyguardat.com/bridge-communication-keyguard/.
This keyguard supports different designs based on user settings and preferences. Each of these affects the positioning of items on the screen, and thus the design of the keyguard itself. Your Lasered Pics keyguard will be custom-designed to match every one of the choices you make for the end user.
App Settings and Options
This keyguard supports different designs based on user settings and preferences. Each of these affects the positioning of items on the screen, and thus the design of the keyguard itself. Your Lasered Pics keyguard will be truly custom-designed to match every one of the choices you make for the end user.
To activate the HIDE/SHOW feature, go into the EDIT menu by holding doing a 5 second hold on the settings gear in the upper right hand corner of your screen.
Turn the HIDE/SHOW toggle to the ON position. Exit the EDIT menu by tapping the black area near the settings gear. A 3 second hold on a tile will now darken the tile.
The HIDE/SHOW feature would be perfect for your game idea! Another use that comes to mind is when performing a multi-step sequence, such as in a vocational training program or following a recipe, tiles can be darkened as steps are completed.
The BRIDGE Communication app was initially created for AAC support. However, as users have discovered and utilized its many customizable features, along with the BRIDGE Communication Builder app, our audience has become widespread. The youngest user we have had on this app for AAC was a 1yo who has Down Syndrome and the oldest person we know using this app is a 92yo who recently had a stroke.
Implementing AAC should be done in a manner of talking WITH the individual, not to them or at them. Talking WITH each other starts with social interaction, joint attention, reciprocity, connection, and honestly, fun. Ask them their favorites. Let them respond, errorlessly, tell them your favorites, make sure they take the time to listen to you (and to the voice output of the app), and then grow from there. This app has so much to teach anyone listening, and can grow with the child and the team, but start where you are and enjoy growing, and building, together.
Here is a link to some of our favorite pages!
The AAC world speaks a lot of robust apps. I firmly believe in robust; however, I prefer robust enough with a simple design, easy to intake visual field, and easy enough navigation for the littlest fingers to independently direct and explore on.
Robust language is hidden in our app’s simple 3×3 grid design, and the language and vocabulary variation across the various parts of speech to support robust communication are in fact there. We decided our AAC users needed a platform that was similar to the way we teach language to their verbal peers – bits of processing at a time, where the focus can be directly and fully into the concepts being taught.
We have found that most of our students and clients, with this approach, will either become verbal communicators or text-based communicators. There are children who will need to be on AAC systems for forever and this app may just be a stepping stone for them, or may be a permanent solution others. It all depends on what the family wants and what the team supports as to how AAC looks across a lifespan.
If you are using this app with an AAC focus, it’s absolutely my favorite! Yes, I am the creator but the creation was intentional and it was intended to be intentionally different than what the market presents. Why? Because the other products didn’t meet our needs.
Schools get 1/2 purchasing price when using the Volume Purchase Program on Apple. Scholarships are available upon request based on need and availability.