The Top 3 Best Speech Therapy Apps for Adults

Speech therapy is the primary treatment for aphasia and other communication disorders in adults. While this treatment is primarily conducted physically, your speech language pathologist (SLP) may also perform it virtually or suggest speech therapy apps to aid your treatment.

Over 75% (1) of people develop communication disorders following acquired brain injuries such as strokes and traumatic brain injuries, and technology-based interventions like mobile apps help to improve the reach and language outcomes of patients. These apps improve access and convenience, allowing you to complete homework and speech therapy exercises at home to improve communication skills and reduce recovery time.

However, although these mobile therapy apps may be helpful, finding the best speech therapy apps for adults speech language therapy may prove difficult. Here, we’ve explored 3 high-quality mobile therapy apps that are therapeutically beneficial.

Key Takeaways

• Speech therapy apps have become an essential aspect of speech therapy, allowing speech therapists to incorporate self-guided or recommended programs and exercises into the user’s daily routine.
• Speech therapy apps offer convenience, ease of access, personalized reports and feedback, and improve language and communication outcomes.
• When choosing a speech therapy app, you want to consider your therapy goals and needs, your speech disorder, the features, cost, and budget.
• Some of the best speech therapy apps include Constant Therapy, Tactus Language 4-in-1 App, and Proloquo2Go.

Why You Need A Speech Therapy App

Speech therapy apps complement the traditional face-to-face speech-language therapy and offer several benefits to users. Here are a few reasons why a speech therapy app may benefit you.

• Convenience and Ease of Access: This is one of the most significant benefits of speech therapy apps. You can engage in interactive games, structured activities, and personalized exercises where, when, and for as long as you want to. These apps eliminate barriers such as travel time, transportation cost, and availability of local SLPs. This is especially beneficial to individuals who live in rural areas, far from their speech therapists.
• Engaging Sessions: Like regular games, mobile therapy apps provide an immersive and interesting therapy experience, thus ensuring sessions and activities feel less chore-like. They utilize colorful graphics, interactive games, and self-paced activities that keep you engaged, motivated, and consistent.
• Personalized Feedback: These apps provide personalized feedback based on your activity, allowing you to track your progress, commitment, and consistency. Game levels, real-time corrections, and reward systems serve as a source of motivation and keep you informed on your improvement over time.

Factors to Consider when Choosing a Speech Therapy App

The quality and credibility of your speech therapy app are essential to your progress and outcome. Choosing the right speech therapy apps goes beyond a random selection; it requires careful deliberation and research. Here are a few factors you must consider when selecting a speech therapy app;

1.    Speech disorder

What type of speech disorder do you have? Are you dealing with aphasia, dysarthria, apraxia of speech, or a combination of speech disorders? Following a session with your physician and speech language pathologist, you’ll be told the type of speech disorder you have and if you have any accompanying cognitive defects. This will help you determine the app to work with, as speech therapy apps often focus on different types of speech challenges.

2.    Therapy Needs and Goals

Your therapy needs and speech goals typically depend on the type of speech disorder and its severity. If the goal is to improve speech sounds, you want to subscribe to apps that focus on articulation.

3.    Cost and Budget

Most speech therapy apps require payment to gain access to their features and services. The cost often depends on the specific app, package, and length of time the package should last. These apps typically require a one-time payment deposited upfront or a subscription. However, they also offer free trials or demo versions with limited access that give you a feel or an idea of the available features. Before making your choice, create your budget, check the cost, and decide what works for you.

4.    Features

What type of features do you want or expect? Look out for games, variety and types of exercises and activities, customization options, progress tracking, and professional support. It is essential that you compare the cost and features offered side-by-side to determine if it is worth it. Your speech, language, and communication goals will determine the features that are most important.

5.    Consult with your SLP

Speech therapy apps alone are not effective. They produce more significant results when combined with professional help from a speech language pathologist. Ensure to discuss with your SLP before incorporating any app into your treatment regimen. They can review the speech therapy app you want to use or suggest effective options based on your needs and goals.

Best Speech Therapy Apps for Adults Speech-Language Therapy

There are over 2680 (2) speech therapy apps on Google Play, Apple Store, and across the web, but not all of these apps are suitable for you. Only a fraction of these are evidence-based and have shown credible results over time. Here are the top 3 speech therapy apps for adults that will provide you with therapeutic benefits.

Constant Therapy

Constant therapy App provides a unique blend of speech and cognitive therapy, providing a convenient and evidence-based therapy for adults recovering from acquired brain injuries. Developed by scientists and clinicians from Boston University, this comprehensive speech, language, and cognitive therapy app was intricately built for patients and clinicians.

Pricing

$29.99 per month or $299.99 yearly

Features

• Demo version available for 14 days
• Over 500,000 clinically-proven exercises that target different aspects of speech, including speaking, reading, repetition, analytical reasoning, listening, and understanding
• 24/7 Live Support
• Suitable for patients and clinicians
• Clinicians can curate personalized programs and activities for their patients
• Real-time feedback is provided
• Programs are automatically adjusted as your speaking, language, and communication skills improve.
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Available in English (US), English (India), and Spanish

Compatibility

Available on iPhones, Androids, Chromebooks, and MacBooks (2022 or newer) and on tablets. It is also available on Amazon Kindle devices. However, it doesn’t run on Windows 10 or 11 yet.

Tactus Language Therapy 4-in-1 App

The Language therapy 4-in-1 is one of the over 22 Tactus speech therapy apps with proven therapeutic benefits. This app carefully combines four Tactus therapy apps – comprehension, reading, naming, and writing therapy apps, that address the four major areas of spoken and written language. It was built by SLPs to aid with evidence-based treatments like Phonologicl component analysis (PCA) and Response Elaboration Training (RET) to enhance independence and language outcomes in individuals with moderate to severe aphasia.

Pricing

$74.99

Features

• A free lite version for each of the 4 apps.
• It adapts and adjusts the difficulty levels of activities and programs based on the patient’s performance.
• Offers different language options including English (UK & North American), Spanish, German, and French.
• Provides automated scoring and real-time reports, and feedback to patients and clinicians.
• Customizable activities and exercises – it allows you to personalize activities and add your own photos.
• Over 1000 speech therapy exercises are available for independent or guided use.

Compatibility

The Language therapy 4-in-1 app is available on IOS and Android devices.

Proloquo2Go AAC App

Proloquo2Go is a renowned and science-based Augmentative and Alternative communication app that provides an effective means of communication for individuals with severe speech challenges. It boasts innovative features that enhance language and communication skills while catering to visual, cognitive, and fine-motor skills. The Proloquo2Go app has been used by several English and Spanish SLPs to cater to the needs of beginner to advanced level communicators.

Pricing

$299.99

Features

• Supports bilingual use and multiple accents – individuals can comfortably switch languages
• Over 100 text-to-speech voices to choose from
• 23 pre-programmed button layouts to support different accessibility needs
• Over 27,000 Symbolstix symbols to support symbol-based communication
• Core words Crescendo™ vocabulary with 3 vocabulary levels (basic, intermediate, and advanced core)
• Fringe words vocabulary containing over 10,000 words
• Available in English, Dutch, Spanish, and French
• A customization option that allows users to use their pictures and symbols, vocabulary, app settings, and appearance.

Compatibility

Available on iPhones and iPads, and can be linked to your Apple Watch

Can I do speech therapy in Spanish?

Spanish was the most common non-English language and is spoken in about 62% of homes in the U.S. homes in 2019 (3). As such, it is no surprise that most speech therapy apps are also made available in Spanish to cater to bilingual and Spanish-speaking populations. So, whether you’re bilingual or primarily speak Spanish, these apps listed also serve as some of the best Spanish speech therapy apps.

Conclusion

In today’s world, speech therapy has gone beyond physical sessions. Speech language therapists now utilize virtual sessions, assistive devices, and speech therapy apps to improve convenience and treatment outcomes. Speech therapy apps help to improve speech and language through interactive games, exercises, and structured activities curated to meet personal speech and language goals. These apps, when combined with physical, guided therapy, help to improve independence, quality of life, and communication skills.

If you’re looking for a suitable, evidence-based speech therapy app to combine with your speech therapy or use while waiting to see an SLP, you can try out the Constant Therapy App. You can start with the free 14-day trial here!

Written by: Dr. Ori Otokpa, MBBS

Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Danielle Kelvas, MD

References

1. MacDonald, S. (2017). Introducing the model of cognitive-communication competence: A model to guide evidence-based communication interventions after brain injury. Brain Injury, 31(13–14), 1760–1780. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2017.1379613
2. Vaezipour, A., Campbell, J., Theodoros, D., & Russell, T. (2020). Mobile Apps for Speech-Language therapy in Adults with Communication Disorders: Review of Content and quality. JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth, 8(10), e18858. https://doi.org/10.2196/18858
3. US Census Bureau. (2022, December 13). Nearly 68 million people spoke a language other than English at home in 2019. Census.gov. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/12/languages-we-speak-in-united-states.html