Tips for Using TapToTalk

This is my final post for my TapToTalk review. I wanted to cover a few tips about using it and what kind of albums to design. If you missed the other two posts, you should go back and read them first. The first one TapToTalk Communication for Autistic Children
and the second is TapToTalk and Our Reactions.


When you first use the TapToTalk on the DS Lite, you may notice that you are only getting picture and sound. There is a “text” feature to the program that you may find helpful to use with your child. When you push the letter “A” on the DS Lite, the names of the pictures will show up on the screen.

This can be helpful in establishing identification of the written word to the picture for your child. It help’s my son to see the words, so he knows what the picture is going to say when he touches it with the stylus. My son can read and has a great memory. Once he has used one picture, then he knows what it will say the next time he needs to use it.

The problem with this, is that I am always changing and adding to his album. I have even started creating a second album. I’ve loaded it onto his memory card and he now has two albums to choose from. I did notice that on the DS Lite, when you are working with more than one album, the last album accessed is the one that comes up the next time you turn on the DS Lite. All you have to do is push the “start” key and it will display the pictures of the albums you have stored on the memory card.

I have used the started album as an album for general topics like “I want to go” and then the choices, “I want to eat” and then the choices. Of course, the ever important “I have to go to the bathroom.” I then created from scratch another album for talking to people. These choices include “I want”, “Will you play with me” and choices of things, and several others. I am still building this up as we are going.

This is one of the reasons that having the membership to the TapToTalk website is important. You can go into the Designer Login and add, take out, modify and create new pictures and albums. It’s also easy to use once you have watched the video tutorials. (I really love them. I learn better by seeing vs. reading). They also have a support team you can contact if you are having problems or just have a question.

In case you are still wondering, I love TapToTalk. I want to thank Lenny Greenberg of TapToTalk for sending me this product to me for free to review and for setting me up with a free three month subscription to their website. I have tried to cover everything with this review. I didn’t want to leave anything out. If I did, just leave me a comment. I’ve tried to get my son on web cam using the TapToTalk, but he doesn’t like to sit still to be recorded. I will try again when we get into our home schooling routine.