Point-and-Chat® is software for a Windows® PC. It leverages an AAC user's existing communications skills with simple to use talking email, talking instant messaging, and talking twitter. So that if you could say it with AAC software, you could send it as text over the Internet.

How? When an AAC user interacts with AAC software to produce computer generated speech, that user is really creating text objects that the computer's software reads out loud. Point-and-Chat® took those text objects, displayed them in a low cognitive load interface, and made it easy for the user to send them - either as an email, instant message, or tweet. When a recipient of the electronic communication returned a text message, Point-and-Chat® displayed the text in its own interface and the computer's software read that text aloud.

• Point-and-Chat IM is easiest to learn, because it is most like the face-to-face conversations with which AAC device users are familiar.
• Point-and-Chat Twitter is almost as easy. Twitter is like a simple public diary or newsletter for friends and family. Twitter also has Direct Messaging, which is like simplified email. The Point-and-Chat interfaces for IM and Twitter are almost identical.
• Point-and-Chat Email is more difficult, because it has email's more complicated file structure and additional commands.

We worked with the Saltillo Corporation to ensure that Saltillo's AAC software worked well with Point-and-Chat®. The most recent version of Point-and-Chat® worked"out of the box" with Saltillo's TouchChat™ (Windows® Editor). Point-and-Chat® worked with other AAC software, but required a helper program and some changes to vocab files.

Click here to Download a 30 Day Free Trial - (Not updated since 2011. Not tested on latest updates to Windows.)

Click here for narrated slide show.        Click here for User Guide.        Copyright (c) Point-and-Read, Inc. 2005-2012