iPhone Giveaway of the Day - Sing to Say - AAC for Autism

Sing to Say was developed for children with autism to help them learn language using music and animation.

Research shows that music and language are acquired in different parts of the brain. For children with autism, the language centers are impaired but the music centers are generally not. Sing to Say uses music to bridge to the language centers.

Sing to Say helps to build vocabulary and music is the teacher

LEARN IT AND SING IT
In Learn It children acquire vocabulary through the use of song and animation. Sing It is where children can explore expressive communication using the words they’ve learned in Learn It. We use the learned vocabulary to enhance expressive language.

CHECK IT
In Check It we test for understanding and retention.

CUSTOMIZATION AND TRACKING
Sing to Say offers tracking, personalized settings and customization for parents, teachers and practitioners. The app provides feedback regarding a child’s progress in all facets of the learning process.

MUSIC AND LYRICS
Sing to Say uses specially crafted original songs and lyrics that focus on the keyword. We pair words with music, lyrics and animation. The songs are well-paced, clear and articulate. Great attention is paid to the vocal performances. The vocals are prominent and clear.

ANIMATION
Sing to Say uses original animated characters called The Minimops, as our aspirations musical hosts.

RESEARCH HISTORY
Sing to Say has been in research and development since 2014. We first investigated the effects of music on learning language for children with autism. Two phases of research were conducted in partnership with Centennial College and grants from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

A prototype was produced and we conducted formative research in 2016 - including focus groups with educators, parents, and user testing with children in six schools.

We then redesigned the app in a second phase and conducted qualitative testing with 8 children in 7 families, aged 2 ½ to 9 years old. We also conducted informal interviews with 25 clinicians and educators.

ETHICS BOARD APPROVAL
Approved for research in the United States and Canada by the Community Research Ethics Board. (Waterloo, Ontario)

COPPA Compliant: Certification of Children’s Online Privacy

TESTIMONIALS (with written permission)
Renee – parent to a 5-year old child with autism who is nonverbal:

“I think this is quite amazing… Just the pictures and the music…I’ve never seen an app like this. For me this is wonderful. This is something that I think a lot of kids could benefit from. Especially with incorporating the music into it as well…because there are a lot of kids - especially special needs children, who absolutely love music… so this is going to be a positive thing for them.

Maureen – parent to 3 ½-year old twins with autism. Daughter “V” is non-verbal:

“I’m so excited about this app and when I get the chance I tell everybody and anybody! I didn’t think she was going to get all the words and then start saying complete sentences. This app is amazing… for “V” to go from nothing to this….it’s huge strides. And I don’t think V would have come this far if the music wasn’t involved.

Charlie - grandfather to 3 ½ child with ASD and a diagnosed speech impairment:

“It makes the augmented communication come alive. It’s a language board that isn’t static. You hit the button and it animates. There’s definitely something about the animation… it triggers a response that’s very powerful. It’s really remarkable the app with the music .....it taps into complicated pathways in his body. I knew we were onto something and really, I wanted something that might help my grandson find his voice.”