The first thing you will notice is that there are two options: a screener and a full test. They are both great tools to use, so let's look closer.
You will likely get a screen like this pretty soon after opening the app for the first time:
I highly recommend you watch these videos. They could explain how to use the app way better than I could in a blog post.
Watch the Full Test tutorial here:
Another great place to start is the information tab:
Administering the Tests:
Once you start either the screener or the full test, the child will see a series of picture prompts and be asked to say what it is. You can record the child speaking during the test, which makes it easy to go back and listen later.
To score:
The targeted sounds will be green. If the child produces it incorrectly, simply click on the sound and it will change to red. If it is an approximation, click on it again, and it will change to yellow.
If the child omits it completely, drag the sound upward and the symbol below will appear. You can also mark substitutions and phonological processes. Just drag the process to the sound, and it will mark it for you!
Once the child has completed all items, this screen will appear:
After the test, there will be a section for a speech sample. You have your choice of scenes. Once you're in the scene, click around and various prompts will appear:
Record the student during this time for review later.
Once you have this completed, the report section will appear. You have several options. The first is the words tested tab. This will show all of the words tested and how you marked the errors. It will also include any notes that you made.
The next section is errors marked. This will show the total percentage correct of the errors and the sounds that were incorrect. These errors are compared to normative data or when the sound is normally developed.
Based on those errors, a report is generated and recommendations are made. You have the option to print or email the report. You can also add more conclusions that you may have to the report.
What I Love:
-I love that it's a one-stop shop. It has both a full test and a screener.
-I love that it's portable. Maybe the place for the child to be tested is not the most convenient for us. This app helps us out in this situation because we don't have to carry bulky test materials everywhere.
-I love the built-in report feature. This makes for quick progress monitoring and saves me so much time!
-I love how comprehensive the data tracking is. You can track omissions, substitutions, approximations, phonological processes, and other notes.
-I love the recording feature. I cannot count the number of times I've wished I could have recorded what a child said and review it later. This solves that problem!
-I love that the student's data is kept, so you can compare different reports and monitoring progress.
-I love that real pictures are used. Sometimes symbols can be confusing, so this is an awesome feature.
-I love that it's pretty easy to use!
-I love the speech sample portion. We learned in grad school how important this is, so I was very happy to see it included.
-I love the variety of settings and options to turn on/off to customize it to each student's needs.
-It is evidence/ normative data-based. In the report section, you can see the research used cited at the bottom.
For Future Updates:
-Even for screenings, I like to collect a short speech sample. Sometimes I cannot truly hear if a child has a sound in their phonemic inventory or not until a conversation. So that being said, I would love for there to be a speech sample section as part of the screener.
-This is a long ways off and would take lots of research, but I would love if this app would be standardized. Districts require standardized scores for formal testing most of the time, so this wouldn't qualify for that. (However, it would be perfect for progress monitoring, as I mentioned, so I will definitely use it for that!).
-I would love it if the app could be programmed to automatically identify the phonological process. It is just a picky little thing, but it would definitely save the tester time!
Bottom Line:
This is an amazing app that every SLP should have in their back pocket. I cannot wait to use it in my speech room this year to assist with progress monitoring and screening!
This app is currently listed at $49.99 in the iTunes store. BUT from August 12 through August 14, both this app and their best selling Articulation Station Pro will be on sale for 30% off the normal cost. That brings the price down to $34.99!! This is their biggest sale of the year, so plan to get these apps while they are discounted!
Note: A code for the app was provided for my review. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are mine.
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