Children’s Speech Therapy Apps
If you’ve ever taken a quick look around, you’ll see that there are TONS of children’s speech therapy apps.
How do we know which ones are actually helpful?
Well, like toys (you know, those old-school things kids used to play with before apps were around), some are better than others…
Here are just a few of our favorite speech therapy apps, with a couple of disclaimers. First and foremost, the most effective way to use any app is to sit and engage with your child while he is playing with it. That being said, we all know there are times when we just need Junior to entertain himself. You know, like when you’re washing the dishes, driving the car, or just enjoying a minute of silence.
Second of all, these are children’s speech therapy apps that I’ve used myself, but I am by no means an expert in all available apps. Also, none of these companies pay me to write this. So if you decide to get one of these, it does not benefit me financially.
Now, let’s get into it:
Toca Kitchen Monsters
I have not met a child who doesn’t like this app! Kids enjoy cooking, cutting, and feeding different types of food to monster characters and watching their reaction. You can work on vocabulary, language expansion (noun + verb), and turn-taking skills with this speech therapy app. Toca Boca puts out some great apps, and many of them are free. See how to navigate the app a little bit here!
Ages: 5 and younger Target Skills: Vocabulary, Language Price: FREE
My PlayHome
This is one of my favorite apps! It is a great way for children to work on vocabulary and language expansion by placing people and objects in different parts of the home. They have also expanded to include other areas of the community, including a hospital, school, and stores.
Ages: 5 and younger Target Skills: Vocabulary, Language Price: $3.99
Articulate It! Pro
This app is an excellent way for children to develop articulation and fluency in speech. Children receive practice with a wide range of speech sounds, and the app can be customized for different skill levels.
Ages: 2+ Target Skills: Articulation Price: $42.99
Touch Chat HD
TouchChat helps children build expressive language skills. It can serve as an alternative/augmentative communication (AAC) system for minimally verbal children or those with apraxia of speech. The app contains many communication pages for a wide range of topics, which can be customized. The app also has a voice synthesizer function (only on the HD version).
Ages: 2+ Target Skills: Language, AAC Price: $9.99 (lite version); $149.99 (HD version)