PROLOQUO2GO

!1
Title Page

PROLOQUO2GO

!2
Abstract

PROLOQUO2GO

!3
Case Study Part III

David Niemeijer is founder and CEO of the company AssistiveWare. David holds a PhD
in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. AssistiveWare offers over ten different applications
(apps) that assist individuals with communication disabilities. Niemijer founded his company in
2000 after his friend became paralyzed as an outcome of a terrible car accident and could no
longer verbally speak. He first created KeyStrokes which is an on-screen keyboard for the Mac
(Wynsum Arts, 2012). After seeing the success with KeyStrokes, Niemijer created individual
apps tailored to physical impairments, vision impairments, speech impairments and reading difficulties. One of Niemijers most well-known apps in the educational system is known as Proloquo2Go. Originally called Proloquo, which means speak out loud in Latin, was designed for
individuals with speech impairments. When creating the app he did not know he would be creating a masterpiece to not only help his friend, but also thousands of other individuals with verbal
communication disabilities.
Proloquo2Go was first introduced in 2003 at an Apple Expo in Paris, France. Upon receiving exceptional reviews Niemijer launched the program in 2004. The began as Proloquo because it operated solely on Mac OS X. When Apple came out with the first iPhone, Proloquo2Go
was introduced because the demand was so high from customers for the program to be offered on
various devices (Wynsum Arts, 2012). According to creator, David Niemeijer,
Proloquo2Go provides a full-featured communication solution for people who have
difficulty speaking. For those who cannot read it provides symbol-based communication
using the SymbolStix symbols. For literate users it also supports a typing view with

PROLOQUO2GO

!4

advanced self-learning word prediction. Using text-to-speech voices, users can use Prolo
quo2Go to say anything they want (Wynsum Arts, 2012).
Because of Proloquo2Gos wide range of features, it has been effectively used by individuals
ranging from age two to ninety-years-old. Approximately fifty percent of Proloquo2Gos users
are on the Autism spectrum (Wynsum Arts, 2012). The Autism community is growing rapidly in
the public education system and Proloquo2Go has proven to be immensely powerful in these
students education. In addition to the Autism community it is also providing support for students
with cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, developmental disabilities, apraxia, and traumatic brain
injuries (Assistive Ware, 2014). Proloquo2Go is allowing them to communicate and express their
needs, wants, and feelings in a way that otherwise seemed impossible.
Proloquo2Go has many unique features and can be tailored to meet the needs of all
students. According to AssistiveWare (2014), some of the features include,
1. Personalized vocabulary ranging from basic communication, intermediate core, and advanced core levels.
2. Customizable pictorial symbols with over 20,000 images available through the program and
the ability to upload personal photos.
3. Language development options including grammar support for nouns, pronouns, verbs and
adjectives.
4. Grid templates customizable to the students daily life.
5. Share files and allow multi-user support for various therapist working with the student.
6. Utilizes fine-motor, visual and cognitive skills.

PROLOQUO2GO

!5

These are just some of the many features provided by the Proloquo2Go app. In addition to the
outstanding features, it has also received high praise and received multiple honors and awards.
Some of the honors and awards include, 2011 Best App Ever Award in the special needs category, 2013 Webby Award Honoree, 2011 Bett Award, and 2014 Learning Award. In 2012, the app
was recognized by tech expert, Emmy winning tv personality and writer, Katie Linendoll. She
dedicated a blog post to Proloquo2Go where she highlighted the significant impact this app has
had on children in the United States with Autism. She explained the impact of this app and its
ability of giving kids a voice (Linendoll, 2012). In addition to Katie Linendoll, Proloquo2Go has
received praiseworthy comments from educators, therapist, and professionals all around the
world.

References in APA:
http://www.assistiveware.com/product/proloquo2go
http://www.everyapphasastory.com/2012/04/every-app-has-a-story-proloquo2go/
http://www.katielinendoll.com/apps-for-autism-spotlight-on-proloquo2go