CoughDrop Releases Open Source Cross-Platform AAC App for Struggling Communicators
Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) January 19, 2016 -- CoughDrop (mycoughdrop.com) today launches the first official release of their cross-platform augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app to better serve individuals with autism, ALS, cerebral palsy, Rett Syndrome -- and the teams that support them. Individuals with complex communication needs, as well as their parents, therapists, teachers and caregivers, can now take advantage of CoughDrop’s cloud-based approach to AAC help make their voices heard.
“We’ve received some really great feedback since launching the beta version of our app just over a year ago,” explains Brian Whitmer, founder of CoughDrop. “Now we’re excited to have it available for download in the App Store and on Google Play, as well as on any web-enabled device.”
CoughDrop is a cloud-based application that individuals with complex communication needs can use to generate speech using a tablet, smartphone, laptop or other device when they struggle using their own voice. Unlike most AAC apps, CoughDrop is cloud-based so any changes to a communicator’s vocabulary “boards” are automatically backed up and synced, and changes can be made remotely as well.
“We want to free up communication so it’s not so stuck on a single device,” said Scot Wahlquist, Director of Business Development. “I know from personal experience with my son how frustrating it is when an individual’s voice is lost because of a broken device, a dead battery, or even just to take it away to program in some new words.” CoughDrop can also be run on multiple devices at the same time, so communicators can use one device at home a different device at school, with everything staying updated.
In addition, CoughDrop’s cloud sync enables the support team around the communicator to have access to the vocabulary and reports from their own devices. “One of the best indicators for success is how engaged the team is around a struggling communicator,” says Whitmer. “Having access to boards and reports across devices lets parents get to know the vocabulary, helps therapists use their session time more effectively, and keeps everyone on the same page – all while no longer having to take away the communicator’s speech device.”
The CoughDrop application is published as an open source product, which means that anyone can access the source code used to build the app. “We're excited to be sharing this powerful communication tool with the world. We believe that a communicator’s voice shouldn’t be locked in a proprietary system,” explains Whitmer. “CoughDrop can export content using open standards, and even the app itself is open source, so there’s always freedom of access for the individual.” The CoughDrop source code is available on GitHub at http://github.com/coughdrop/coughdrop.
CoughDrop is available for download today from multiple app stores. Users can sign up at mycoughdrop.com for a free 2-month trial, and after that choose either a month-to-month subscription or a long-term purchase.
About CoughDrop
CoughDrop is a simple, flexible, cloud-based AAC app written for today’s communicators. It embraces the web to provide simpler management of vocabularies across devices, better reporting and insights on communication over time, and coordination tools to help the team around the communicator stay informed and empowered. CoughDrop runs on most modern devices including tablets, smartphones, laptops and even unlocked speech devices, and is available with a free trial before purchasing. Learn more at mycoughdrop.com.
Brian Whitmer, CoughDrop, Inc., http://www.mycoughdrop.com, +1 (801) 997-0844, [email protected]
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