I'm a speech-language pathologist & co-founder of Tactus. Tactus offers evidence-based apps for aphasia therapy and lots of free resources, articles, and education - like this newsletter. Sign up to get my updates 1-2 times a month.
Speech Therapy App Spotlight: π¬ Conversation Therapy
Every Tactus Therapy app is unique, so I love highlighting what's special about each one. This week I want to share with you one of my personal favorites: Conversation Therapy.
Build confidence in communication using the art of conversation!
So much of speech therapy focuses on communicating basic needs or functional vocabulary, but people really want to talk about their thoughts & feelings and share their experiences & ideas with others. So why not use conversation to help them do just that?
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βWatch a 30-second preview videoβ
If your clients or a loved one have difficulty expressing themselves clearly, the Conversation Therapy app can help. Giving you plenty of engaging topics and questions to discuss, you can work on using communication strategies in structured conversations youβll both enjoy.
| Try Lite for FREE! |
βConversation Therapy can be used to improve language, speech, fluency, cognition, and pragmatics. That's because it's so flexible!
Answer thought-provoking questions about topics of interest using gestures, writing, drawing, words, sentences, AAC devices, smooth or clear speech, organized thoughts, or socially-appropriate language. The goals and strategies are yours to decide once you get the conversation going.
See how much more motivating therapy becomes when you spark curiosity and reveal intelligence by talking about the things that matter most.
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Care Partners: Do you know your loved one so well you donβt even need to talk?
- This app gives you new things to talk about so you can practice together
- Discover what fun & meaningful discussions can feel like again
- Train in your role as a listener and a partner β conversation takes two!
Therapists: Do you ever struggle to think of things to talk about in therapy?
- Get your clients talking, then shape their speech with your treatment
- Includes mature topics that donβt talk down to adults and older kids
- You'll have thought-provoking stimuli at the ready for any goal
- Here are more tips on how to get people talkingβ
How to Use Conversation Therapy
First, download the FREE Lite app so you can see how it works, or purchase and open the full version on your iOS or Android device.
Then find a topic that interests you or your conversation partner. Touch the icons to read or hear the questions.
Sample Questions
- What do you do for exercise?
- Name at least 3 common lunch foods.
- What does it mean to be rude?
- Why is it important to vote?
- What is your favorite book?
Not one question can be answered with a simple yes or no response. And no question or topic is required - you can skip around and pick what's most motivating for your partner - and then take the conversation off in its own direction!
Be sure to practice the strategies or communication techniques your therapist recommends, or use it to practice these evidence-based treatments:
- βHow To: Word Finding Strategiesβ
- βHow To: Response Elaboration Trainingβ
- βHow To: Conversation Partner Trainingβ
Download our free Conversation Therapy User Guide & Power User Tips now to make sure you're getting the most out of this app.
| Download User Guide |
Top Features
- One-on-one conversations or groups of up to 4
- Easier questions on the left: Describe, Define, Remember, Decide, & Feel
- Harder questions on the right: Predict, Infer, Narrate, Evaluate, Brainstorm
- 12 categories of topics including "Safety & Problems"
- 300+ topics with 10 questions each for 3,000 questions!
- 10 different languages including Spanish, French, and Portuguese
- Optional audio recording & scoring with detailed reports to share
βConversation Therapy was designed primarily to treat moderate and mild talking problems due to aphasia, but it can also be used to treat:
- βCognitive-Communication or Thinking Problems
- βDysarthria or Slurred Speech
- βSevere Aphasia β
UPDATED to VERSION 2.0: For long-time users, you'll notice that the Users tab has moved from the home screen to the Group activity tabs. Settings are now more accessible in the set-up tabs, and the sound settings are now accessible through the main play screen. Reports can be viewed and shared without emailing, and there are new images to better reflect our diverse world. Free updates are now available for both iOS and Android users with all these features!
Stay safe out there,
Megan
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P.S. If you haven't tried Conversation Therapy yet, take 10 seconds to put the free Lite version on your device to explore. If you're a power user, please leave a review on the App Store or Google Play to let others know how powerful this app can be!
Megan @ Tactus Therapy
I'm a speech-language pathologist & co-founder of Tactus. Tactus offers evidence-based apps for aphasia therapy and lots of free resources, articles, and education - like this newsletter. Sign up to get my updates 1-2 times a month.
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