Dad Creates App to Help Daughter Communicate

Since Rob Laffan’s daughter Sadie has nonverbal autism, trying to communicate what she wanted or felt to her parents was terribly frustrating.

That’s why Rob created a revolutionary app called Tippy Talk to help her say what she wanted, felt, or needed.

The app starts by presenting Sadie with a photo of her mother and another photo of her father. Once she selects which one she would like to communicate with, she is presented with dozens of images that correspond with a feeling or question. After she selects the image, the statement is then translated into a worded text message that is sent to the parent’s phone.

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The app may be similar to picture exchange communication boards that have already been used for years, but Tippy Talk allows Sadie to communicate with her parents whether they’re at work or out of the country – plus, it’s not as easy to ruin as the flimsier material of papers or books.

After creating Tippy Talk, Rob was elected College Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 and awarded $11,000 at the Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards two years ago. But the greatest reward of all is how Rob can now efficiently communicate with his daughter.

“Being able to understand my girl’s exact desire, needs, and feeling has brought me closer to really understanding and loving her little personality,” Rob told The Mighty. “Now it’s just a case of giving the same joy to other parents like me.”

(WATCH the video below)

 

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