Complete guide on Pictalk Buddy: our visual schedule app, sequences, and life book with pictograms and images

What is Pictalk Buddy?

Pictalk Buddy, our schedule application, sequences, and life book for individuals suffering from cognitive disabilities or neurodevelopmental disorders which make them more anxious and less autonomous throughout the day. For example autism, ASD, DYS, trisomy 21.

We drew inspiration from the paper weekly planner on our fridge as well as more traditional calendar applications. The app also offers sequences (or procedures) and very soon, a life book.

Pictalk Buddy allows vocal feedback via a speech synthesis voice and provides a pictogram search engine ARASAAC, Sclera, Mulberry, and others. Importing images from your photo library is also possible. Pictalk Buddy features a notification system to promote independence.

Installation

The app is available on Android and on iOS. You can also access the app directly through your web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) at this address: https://agenda.pictalk.org/

No account creation needed to start using Buddy. Once installed, it works offline to view upcoming events.

How to use it?

First use

During your first use, you'll be guided through a welcome process. You can add default events and sequences.

Once this step is completed, you will access the four areas of the app:

The Schedule Module

The Sequences Module

The Life Book Module

The Settings

The Schedule Module

The Schedule module is the heart of Pictalk Buddy. It provides a clear and intuitive view of daily, weekly, or monthly events through customizable pictograms and images. Designed to enhance user independence, this module also offers advanced features such as event repetition, detailed sequences integration, and vocal playback of content.

Understanding the interface

	Open the print and event creation menu
	Quickly navigate to another date

	Go to previous day
	Go to next day
	Go to current day
	Create an event

Create an Event

Creating events is easy and essential for the proper use of Pictalk Buddy.

Each event includes several customizable properties:

• Title (visible directly in the Schedule view)

• Detailed description

• Start and end date and time

• Custom pictograms or images (Plus or Pro subscription required)

• Ability to add step-by-step sequences (Plus or Pro subscription required)

• Repetitions and alarms for a better routine (Plus or Pro subscription required)

• Optional address to assist with navigation (Plus or Pro subscription required)

Each event can be read vocally thanks to effective speech synthesis, promoting accessibility and independence.

The “Breakfast” event appears in the afternoon time slot. Clicking on it reveals more details. A “Read aloud” button allows hearing the entire event. Thumbnails of sequences can also be clicked to be played.

Sharing a Sequence (Plus or Pro required)

Sharing a sequence is simple and effective with Pictalk Buddy. Each sequence can be exported as a file or a QR code. This QR code can be scanned directly from the app by other users, facilitating the exchange of best practices among families or professionals.

The Life Book Module

This upcoming module will allow for an interactive digital diary, called a life book, including photos, videos, and audio files to enrich sharing experiences and memories. It will also facilitate communication between families and supporting professionals.

Settings

To cater to the widest range of needs, Pictalk Buddy offers numerous customization options

• Adjustable interface size (normal, large, XL)
• Color settings adapted for different vision impairments (protanopia, deuteranopia, tritanopia)
• Display mode selection (vertical or horizontal, day or week)
• Precise configuration of speech synthesis (voice choice, speed, pitch)

Plus and Pro Features:

The Plus subscription grants up to two calendars, ideal for managing a family calendar and a second one for school or specialized care, thus preserving your privacy.

The Pro subscription allows management of 6 profiles/users or more, with features ideal for professional structures like schools or IMEs, enabling easy and secure sharing of calendars, sequences, and life books with pedagogical teams and parents.

Operator Mode

This essential mode prevents accidental deletion or modification of events, sequences, or settings. When disabled, major edits are blocked but users can still create events in “tentative” mode, encouraging autonomy while maintaining optimal oversight by caregivers.

Creating Sequences

You can create unlimited sequences and steps, linking them to events.

Multi-calendar and Sharing

With Plus and Pro features, you can create separate calendars for different environments (family, school, external activities) without risking confusion or privacy breaches.

Printing

Printing the weekly planner with pictograms (Monday to Sunday) is possible to provide maximum multimodality to users. We are also considering printing options for the month.

Other tutorials

The APF France Handicap TechLab (written by Aurélie RÉGENT) has produced an excellent guide on Pictalk Buddy (formerly Schedule AAC) at: https://techlab-handicap.org/produit/agenda-caa/

Inclusive school resources have also created a tutorial of the previous version of the app available here: https://ressources-ecole-inclusive.org/agenda-caa/