Proloquo2Go in regional Queensland: a guide for support coordinators and speech pathologists

Proloquo2go in Regional Queensland

In Queensland, “regional” covers a lot of ground, from Toowoomba and Bundaberg to Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns, and all the towns around them. If you coordinate supports or provide speech pathology in those places, you know that specialist AAC services can be hours away by road or air, and families can wait months for a conversation about communication. Proloquo2Go is a well-known AAC app that runs on an iPad the participant can use at home, at school and in the community. This guide covers what the app does, what to line up under the NDIS, and how ordering works when the participant is a long way from Brisbane.

What Proloquo2Go is

Proloquo2Go is a symbol-based AAC app from AssistiveWare for people who cannot speak or need help being understood. Its built-in Crescendo vocabulary has core words that stay in the same place across folders, which supports motor planning, plus a large set of fringe words for topics, people and activities. A few features speech pathologists tend to look at first:

• Three vocabulary levels across 23 grid sizes, so the layout can grow with the person without losing their customisations.
• A built-in library of about 25,000 symbols, or the person’s own photos.
• A Typing View with word prediction for people who are moving towards text.
• English (Australian, UK and US), Spanish, French and Dutch, with bilingual speech in two languages.
• Switch scanning and Apple’s VoiceOver support, along with adjustable access settings.
• An optional Gateway to Language & Learning vocabulary, sold as an in-app purchase for people already familiar with it.

The app needs a recent iPad (iPadOS 17.5 or later at the time of writing), so the iPad model matters as much as the app.

Who decides if it is the right app

The participant’s speech pathologist. Proloquo2Go suits a broad range of communicators, but fit depends on language level, motor access, vision, support people and goals. A support coordinator’s job is to make sure that assessment happens and that the right evidence is in place, not to pick the app.

What to line up under the NDIS

The NDIS describes tablets and smart devices as day-to-day household items, so they are usually not NDIS supports on their own. They may be funded as a replacement support, which must relate to the participant’s disability, replace an existing support rather than add to it, and be approved in writing before purchase. Assistive technology under $1,500 that is low risk can often be bought without an AT advisor, but evidence still matters.

In practice, we suggest support coordinators work through this list:

1. Read the plan wording. Do not assume “low cost AT” or “communication device” funding approves an iPad.
2. Ask the speech pathologist for a recommendation that names the app and explains why.
3. Check the NDIS guidance for the participant’s situation before ordering, and confirm any written approval you need.
4. Allow time. Approval requests can take weeks, so start early.
5. Tell the plan manager which provider will invoice them.

This is general information, not NDIS advice. Always check the NDIS website or the participant’s planner for what applies to them.

Ordering from regional Queensland

Adaptive Independence is a Brisbane-based NDIS provider that supplies AAC bundles across Australia, so a participant in Cairns or Mount Isa orders the same way as one in Brisbane:

1. The speech pathologist assesses and confirms the app first.
2. You send us the order form, and our team contacts you within 48 hours to talk through the order.
3. We invoice the participant’s plan manager and process the order once funds clear.
4. If you choose, we set the bundle up before it ships, so it arrives ready to use straight out of the box and nobody needs technical help.

AAC bundles cannot be returned or exchanged once ordered, so it is worth getting the speech pathologist’s recommendation in writing first.

FAQ

Can we trial Proloquo2Go through Adaptive Independence? We do not run trials of AAC bundles. The speech pathologist’s assessment is where the app is confirmed, which is why we ask for it before an order goes ahead.

Does it work for adults as well as children? Yes. The Crescendo vocabulary is designed for a broad range of diagnoses, including autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.

Does the participant need to be near a speech pathologist? The assessment still needs to happen, but many speech pathologists work with regional clients through telepractice. Ask the participant’s speech pathologist what is possible for them.

Next step

If the speech pathologist has recommended Proloquo2Go, see our AAC bundles and send the AAC order form. We will be in touch within 48 hours.