The complete guide to Pictalk Buddy: your digital companion for robust communication, an adapted visual schedule, interactive sequences and visual notebooks, with pictograms and images
What is Pictalk Buddy?
Pictalk Buddy is a digital companion app with a robust communication module, an adapted schedule, sequences and a life notebook for people with a cognitive disability or a neurodevelopmental disorder that makes them more anxious and less independent during the day. Examples include autism (ASD), dyslexia, dyspraxia and other specific learning disorders, and Down syndrome.
We took our inspiration from paper communication books and the weekly planners you often see on the fridge, as well as from more traditional calendar apps. The app also offers sequences (or step-by-step routines) and notebooks.
Pictalk Buddy gives spoken feedback through a synthetic voice and includes a pictogram search engine covering ARASAAC, Sclera, Mulberry, ParlerPictos and OpenMoji. You can also import images from your photo library. Pictalk Buddy has a notification system to support independence.
Installation
The app is available on Android and iOS. You can also use it right in your web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) at this address: https://buddy.pictalk.org/
You don't need to create an account to start using Buddy. Once installed, the app works offline for viewing events.
How do I use it?
Five tabs, five modules built around different needs...
Pictalk Buddy brings together everything a person with a neurodevelopmental disorder needs day to day. All in one app.
 The Robust AAC module |  The Adapted Agenda module |  The Interactive Sequences module |  The Visual Notebooks module |  Your profile, your settings |
The Robust Augmentative and Alternative Communication module
Pictalk Buddy's robust AAC module lets people who are nonverbal or who have difficulty expressing themselves build sentences, reach their vocabulary and make themselves heard, with a natural-sounding voice and a tool designed for everyday use.
The Agenda module
The Agenda module gives a clear, intuitive view of daily or weekly events using customizable pictograms and images. Designed to support your independence, it also offers advanced features such as repeating events, built-in detailed sequences and text-to-speech.
The Sequences module
This module lets you create interactive, step-by-step sequences to guide you through daily activities like brushing your teeth, or work tasks like maintaining a piece of landscaping equipment.
The Notebook module
Visual notebooks let you keep a record of everyday moments (activities, outings, highlights) with photos, videos, pictograms and text. This module is especially helpful for people who find it hard to tell others about their day out loud: by flipping through the notebook together, they can point, comment and share. It's a great gateway to language.
Settings
Pictalk Buddy is highly customizable so that as many people as possible can use it.
The Robust Communication module (AAC)
Understanding the interface
The module is built around a customizable grid of pictograms. The grid layout supports motor planning: each pictogram always stays in the same spot, so you can navigate faster and faster over time.
Extensive, progressive default vocabularies are built in, based on the most frequently used everyday words. They can be adapted to any profile and any age, and come from the Open AAC library.
In the top left corner, a small arrow takes you to your list of vocabularies. You can have several vocabularies for different situations, for example a quick mode with the essentials and a full mode for more elaborate communication. Each vocabulary can be set up independently: language, display type, color coding.
In the top right corner, the three dots give you access to display and editing options:
Guided word search
Print an aided language display (ALD) directly from the app
Turn on edit mode to change the grid
Change the layout: grid (customizable number of rows and columns), fixed (same number of columns) or automatic (adapts to the device)
In edit mode, drag and drop pictograms to rearrange them. You can also select several pictograms at once to edit, delete, hide, copy or cut them. Note: on a tablet or phone, press and hold to bring up this interface.
Building sentences and autocorrect
The sentence bar at the top of the screen shows the pictograms as you select them. Tap it to open sentence mode: there you can type on the keyboard, browse your favorite sentences or find sentences you've already spoken.
You can also interact with the sentence bar by dragging and dropping.
To speak the sentence, press the blue button: the sentence is displayed in large type on the screen. The back arrow to the right of the speak button lets you move through the vocabulary without losing the sentence you're building.
Labels automatically adapt to the subject and tense of the sentence. The app learns from your corrections and your vocabulary to become more and more personalized. Several levels of autocorrect and sentence expansion are available, with real-time next-word suggestions, just like on a keyboard.
Creating a word
To add a word to your vocabulary, first switch to edit mode. Then tap an empty cell: a creation screen appears.
There you can choose the displayed word, the associated image, the speech (the word read aloud, which can differ from the displayed word), the cell's background color, and an optional link to another board.
Printing
You can print the entire vocabulary right from the app.
Aided language displays (ALDs)
An aided language display (ALD) brings together on a single page the words for one activity, such as mealtime, bath time or a game.
To access your ALDs, open the Communication module, then the left panel, and tap "ALDs" at the top.
Module settings
The entire Communication module is customizable. In the app settings, tap "Communication" to access the following options:
Autocorrect: level of autocorrect and sentence expansion
Vocabulary: managing pictograms and boards
Sentences: setting up the sentence bar and favorites
Display: grid size, layout, visual theme
Usage statistics: tracking the vocabulary used, helpful for families and professionals
The Agenda module
Understanding the interface
By default, the day's events are shown vertically. Scroll down to see tomorrow's events, the day after, and so on. Each day has its own color, and you can change the color theme in the settings.
As you can see in the screenshot, past events are grayed out. Upcoming events (here "Going home") are tinted gray. This keeps your cognitive load as low as possible when you look at your day.
To change the display direction or switch the calendar shown, tap the three dots in the top right corner. You can then select or deselect a calendar, print the current week or change the view: 1) infinite vertical view, 2) day by day, 3) week by week on a tablet or computer.