A Guide to Picture and Symbol Sets for Communication by Sally Millar, CALL Scotland 2011

Name of Examples Type / Distinguishing Use & comments Associated Software Contact Pics/Symbols Features Info Colour Any – digital or ‘ordinary’ Colour, fully pictorial, can be 100% Widely used, especially as Printed photos need to be www.irfanview.com Photographs photo specific and fully personalized so more & more people are scanned in. Otherwise, .jpg is

meaningful to user. But photos can online and /or have digital the most useful graphic format, often be too ‘busy’, poorly composed cameras or iPads, phones for use in any software that Email photos from phones and poorly lit, so may be visually etc. with built-in cameras. handles graphics. Might want to or other mobile devices difficult to process, for some users. Remember to take single crop / edit etc. using graphics item against contrasting viewer / editing software e.g. background to make it clear IrfanView (free from internet) or Use App Bump to transfer to see, for user. .jpg is the PhotoShop etc. from iPhone to iPad or best format, need to keep iPod iPhoto is useful for handling file size down photos from iPhones, etc.

Coloured pictures E.g. cut from magazines, mail- Often better quality and clearer than Nice way to involve the Not useful digitally – would need (on paper) order catalogues etc. Use self-taken photos (but not service-user in choosing to be ‘scanned in’ then treated postcards, cuttings from tourist personalized) their own pictures, can be as any graphics file (see above) leaflets etc. for outings and cut out, stuck into diaries, trips albums Photo Albums etc.

Images taken Like photos in Useful for being very Import into any software that Download images from general, can specific, e.g. to represent TV handles graphics, to edit or crop from the Internet www.google.co.uk be more program, etc. Watch out for etc., as above, (if your health (images) board or local specific than copyright issues – do not authority network symbols. reproduce or sell, though www.images.google.co.uk may be OK to use with does not block Not always Also see CALL handout individual learners this) good quality ‘Finding & Using Images’ Product Logos McDonalds, These are not ‘transparent’ or Some of these are very Might need a graphics program Cut from materials from Marks and ‘guessable’ pictures/ symbols – you familiar to everybody; others like Irfanview or Photoshop to the stores or products Spencer, Coca either know what they represent or may have particular crop images. themselves, or search you don’t (and it’s hard to predict significance for a specific Internet in Google images Cola etc. CameraPlus is a useful photo which service users will know which) individual. If used, must be editing App for iPhone/Pod/Pad tailored to individual’s experience and interests.

Cartoon style May seem appealing to staff, but very As above, not widely used, From Clip art. Internet image Search in Google Images pictures often difficult to process, not not standardised, so cannot search etc. for name of cartoon meaningful to child or appropriate to transfer from / to different character or ‘XXX cartoon’ situation. Can be a bit ‘childish’. situations and be meaningful to all

 CALL Scotland 2011 1 [email protected] This is a continuous ‘work in progress’ as things keep changing! Apologies for any inaccuracies or omissions - please let me know if there is anything you think should be changed or added Type / Distinguishing Name of Examples Use & comments Associated Software Contact Features Clip Art You can buy big (usually too Like any photos (see above) clip art in Handy to have a collection Clip Art is widely available free www.free-clipart- big and unwieldy!) or small photo form will be highly specific available, but not on the Internet and commercially pictures.net/ or search in more specialized sets, E.g. (although unlike your own photos, standardised, so cannot (and in Microsoft Word, if Google for ‘free clip art’.  Flash! Pro 2 (photos) NOT personalized). Graphic clip art transfer from / to different installed) Commercial sets are www.inclusive.co.uk can sometimes tend to be a bit situations. generally not useful unless they  Picture This...Pro http://office.micros  Let’s Sign and Write ‘cartoony’ so not always appropriate or Pages using a lot of random have a searchable index and meaningful (see below). There is even visual preview facility. oft.com/clipart/ for Word (graphics for signing) clip art from different clip art  ORT and Wellington a collection of video clips (Animals sources can look over-‘busy’ Specialised sets for use with Square clip art (to go with and Transport CDs, £29 each) and ‘bitty’. Special Needs are www.Cricksoft.com/uk for reading schemes) available from Inclusive Technology recommended, (see ‘Examples’ ORT & Wellington Square Ltd, see ‘Video Bank’ on their website box, left) sets as Clicker add-on Cartoon style May seem appealing to staff, but very As above, not widely used, From Clip art. Internet image Search in Google Images pictures often difficult to process, not not standardised, so cannot search etc. for name of cartoon meaningful to child or appropriate to transfer from / to different character or ‘XXX cartoon’ situation. Can be a bit ‘childish’. situations and be meaningful to all

 CALL Scotland 2011 2 [email protected] This is a continuous ‘work in progress’ as things keep changing! Apologies for any inaccuracies or omissions - please let me know if there is anything you think should be changed or added

Name of Pics Examples Type / Distinguishing Use & comments Associated Software Contact Info /Symbols Features Product Logos McDonalds, These are not ‘transparent’ or Some of these are very Might need a graphics program Cut from materials from Marks and ‘guessable’ pictures/ symbols – you familiar to everybody; others like Irfanview or Photoshop to the stores or products Spencer, Coca either know what they represent or may have particular crop images. themselves, or search Cola etc. you don’t (and it’s hard to predict significance for a specific CameraPlus is a useful photo Internet in Google images which service users will know which) individual. If used, must be editing App for iPhone/Pod/Pad tailored to individual’s experience and interests – these are not Hand-drawn Black and white line drawings, Easy, quick and always available! Not Probably not widely used – If you wanted to make life really pictures usually. always good quality but can be can be highly specific to complicated, could be scanned recognizable and ‘do the job’ situation and powerful tool. in and saved / imported as temporarily at least, if closely linked to However, not standardized, graphics, drawn on tablet context and done in front of service- not easily replicable. computer screen and saved user in ‘real time’. etc…..nah….!

Picture / Symbol Sets (clip art collections with limited or specialised vocabulary for communication, disability, or for making information accessible to non/weak readers)

Mainly for Children Ispeek Visual Images come on CDs - Ispeek at Designed by a parent / Image sets on CD Ispeek - Communication Home and Ispeek at School. Over educator and designed for images (metafiles or .jpgs) can http://www.jkp.com/catalog 1300 coloured images per CD (£23 ex use by children with autistic be imported like any clip art or ue/book/9781843105107/ VAT per CD), organized into spectrum disorder. other graphics into whatever

categories. Categories and images software you want to use. geared primarily to ASD e.g. facial http://www.jkp.com/catalog Company also sells low-tech Available online through expressions / emotions, sounds that Jessica Kingsley Publishers ue/book/9781843105114 cause sensitivity / distress. communication materials e.g. communication books, There are also a few ‘Freebies’ for and keyring communicators. www.ispeek.co.uk/ down-load, e.g. schedules, ‘Boy Passport’, ‘Girl Passport’, ‘getting dressed’ etc. Approximately 2,400 brightly coloured Some people think if you are Pics for PECS 2010 Image set www.pecs.org.uk/ Pics for PECS and clear images in .jpg format doing PECS you have to use comes on a CD £33.49. If Vocabulary selection and type of image these images – not true – bought with ‘Card Creator’ are designed mainly for children / ASD you can use any images or software (a bit like symbols. Equally these BoardMaker?) the total is pictures could be used for £57.40 client groups and purposes Again, the images can be

other than PECS schedules, imported and used in any PECS books etc. software.

 CALL Scotland 2011 3 [email protected] This is a continuous ‘work in progress’ as things keep changing! Apologies for any inaccuracies or omissions - please let me know if there is anything you think should be changed or added Name of Examples Type / Distinguishing Use & comments Associated Software Contact Info Pics/Symbols Features Picture This Picture This Pro contains over 5,000 These photos are all very Costs £55 ex VAT. The CD with Available from Inclusive Pro photos, designed for creating clear, on a white the photos on also contains an Technology Ltd. schedules, lotto boards, games, background. Some are great easy-to-use program that www.inclusive.co.uk reading activities, worksheets etc. etc. while others are strangely allows you to format photos into The photos are categorized, e.g: old-fashioned or very ‘middle various size flashcards with or class America’. without text, with coloured actions, animals, bathroom, bedroom, borders etc. Search for the body, buildings, clothing, colours, The Picture This Standard images you want either by More details and Standard electronics, emotions, food, furniture, Edition is cheaper with a name or by sounds within a Edition from holidays, household, kitchen, line art, smaller picture collection - word. music, nature, opposites, people, .maybe useful for parent www.silverliningmm.com places, prepositions, rooms, with one child with limited The software in the Standard sequences, shapes, sports, tools, toys, requirements edition is less fully featured and travel, vehicles. less flexible. Flash Pro The Flash! Pro 2 CD has a collection of Primarily aimed for use in Costs £55 ex VAT Designed for Available from Inclusive over 8,500 colour photo flashcards that education, to make simple users with no computer Technology Ltd. you can select, preview and print from flashcard materials that can experience and has no complex www.inclusive.co.uk your computer, designed as materials other wise be costly. Images setup or installation. As well as to stimulate speech and language. mainly geared towards Early the built-in flash-card creation Years level software, all the images can Photos are arranged into 65 also be used in other software, categories, including Actions, Animals, such as PowerPoint, SwitchIt! Emotions, Body Parts, Food, Clothing, Maker, ChooseIt! Maker etc. Flags, Street Signs, Locations, People, Furniture, Vehicles, Colours.

Mulberry Still seems to be in development. This is an interesting project You can view the symbols More info from Symbol Set (Version 1.8 at January 2009). as the developers of the online and have to register and http://www.oatsoft.org/Softwar Vocabulary is still relatively small at c. Mulberry Symbol set have log in to download symbols e/straight-street-symbol-set 1500 pictures. Apparently another committed to developing and (free). (also known as 1000 in development. Simple coloured providing symbols free of Straight Street Image files can then be used in images, in .wmf format, are charge, through the Oatsoft Symbols at http://straight- Symbols) any software e.g. Clicker, very clear and nicely up to date network. street.com/ PowerPoint, Word etc. and culturally accurate (eg Symbols are reportedly British style ‘barbecue’). monitored by professionals. Black and white .wmf and

Version in .svg format To access, you search by also available name or category. Or you can browse through the

symbols alphabetically.

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Symbol Systems / Symbol Languages Bigger, wider vocabularies, some grammatical elements, wider range of applications Designed to be combined together into symbol phrases and sentences, not just used as ‘prompts’ or ‘labels’

Picture Symbols are pictorial. Huge and ever- The most commonly used The flagship software is the http://www.mayer- Communication growing vocabulary. Basic Vocabulary of symbols in education, adult BoardMaker range. Standard johnson.co.uk/ 3000+ and now several ‘Addendum’ settings, and as general BoardMaker was for paper- Symbols (PCS) packs with about 2000 more symbols ‘visual environment’, in based materials only. (also www.mayerjohnson.com (often referred bring vocabulary up to 6,000+ (also Scotland. Advantage of this Addendum packs of extra to as specialized vocabularies, e.g. is that staff tend to be symbols, 1998, 2000, 2002, For the UK ‘BoardMaker Animations and Communicating about familiar and supported with 2004, 2006, 2008) or if you buy http://www.widgit.com/produ Sexuality) Available in both colour and this system. Children get the latest ‘deluxe’ version, it’s cts/boardmaker/index.htm Symbols’) black and white, and ‘transparent’ so can continuity through school already updated to 2006 and go in outline on a colour-coded and into adult life. you just need to buy 2008. www.inclusive.co.uk background. Originally American, which sometimes shows and may annoy There are many BoardMaker BoardMaker Plus! (v6) and the www.callscotland.org.uk occasionally, but also supplemented by ‘add-on’ resources available new look BoardMaker Studio, (resources, BoardMaker specialist symbols for other cultures, e.g. for sale E.g. Schedule It! with lots of built-in templates resources) Jewish, and now also Scottish! Sequence It and ‘ready- and resources are interactive, made symbol topic boards & talking versions In BoardMaker, searchable database games etc. e.g. Print N’Play, You can also buy PCS symbols www.boardmakershare.com that can be added to, otherwise you can Print N’Eat (Menus), Print as a library for Widgit find symbols arranged in alphabetical N’Learn units. Or – free – Communicate software, or as a order. you can download and use ‘stand-alone’ CD of Metafiles to BoardMaker and Communicate in Print resources made by others import into software of your are just for making materials, on the BoardmakerShare choice (BoardMaker symbols BoardMaker Plus! Speaking Dynamically resource exchange (and join will not insert into Clicker). Also Pro, and BoardMaker Studio, and groups, and upload your a set of ‘animated’ PCS. Widgit’s SymWriter, are interactive and own resources to share) can be accessed by user as a communication aid, or as talking worksheets, or group activities (e.g. on interactive whiteboard). Symbols for Symbols designed to accompany the Just because you use Symbol databases are www.makaton.org/ Makaton Makaton manual signing programme. Makaton signing it does not available on CD (quite dear per Thick black & white line drawings mean you must use CD) but need other software to www. widgit.co.uk originally based on Rebus, so pretty Makaton symbols – you can run them. Can be used with similar to Widgit symbols. Vocabulary is combine Makaton signing your software of choice and / or limited but MVDP continue to create new with other symbol systems. installed as a ‘symbol library’ in symbols, to match vocabulary Makaton symbols tend to Widgit’s Communicate range. requirements of National Curriculum, have been overtaken by Most popular starter is bundle and personal e.g. bereavement, sex ed. Widgit Symbols and PCS £155 of core, transport & Core symbols and 7 topic linked symbol these days? animals, & National Curriculum. resource CD packs (signs and symbols) available.

 CALL Scotland 2011 5 [email protected] This is a continuous ‘work in progress’ as things keep changing! Apologies for any inaccuracies or omissions - please let me know if there is anything you think should be changed or added

Name of Examples Type / Distinguishing Use & comments Associated Software Contact Info Pics/Symbols Features

Widgit Symbols The whole Widgit Rebus and Widgit Very widely used across  Writing with Symbols 2000 www.widgit.co.uk Literacy symbol system has been England and Wales, (now replaced by the new www.symbolworld.org revised recently to add useful becoming more common in  Communicate SymWriter) vocabulary, ensure consistency and add Scotland especially as new Colour Symbols new vocabulary and some basic symbols and new software  Communicate in Print grammar markers. Now called Widgit becomes better known.  Communicate Ideas www.sensorysoftware.com/r Symbols, there are around 8,000+ Designed primarily to help esources/g ridsets/adv.html Black and White symbols available Symbols always used make information accessible  Communicate Webwide

Symbols to be black and white only, but now and to develop literacy and  Communicate by Choice available in colour too. A sub set of ‘writing’ (rather than as a www.askability.org.uk/ symbols is available in simplified / communication aid). Used Widgit software comes with all particularly clear a ‘Visual Impairment’ by all ages but perhaps the Widgit symbols built-in and Visual version. Symbols are very clear and look more by slightly older will accept other images and Impairment neat and easy to process on a page, as students and adults. symbol libraries (e.g. PCS, (VI) Symbol they are all of a standardized size Makaton, Bliss). Third party software such as The Grid 2 collection Lots of Add-ons available for from Sensory Software can be The vocabulary is extremely sale, and also many free licensed to ship with Widgit comprehensive (even to the extent of 5 downloadable resources symbols built in.

different skin choice colours, for people available and news of symbols!). Special packs are available symbol projects on the e.g. Sexuality symbols, Diabetes excellent and extensive web WWS and SymWriter are symbols, Eden Project etc. sites. New developments interactive and switch- such as making email and accessible so can be used Nice because they are rooted in UK web sites symbol supported. directly by service users. culture.

SymbolStix About 4,000 + vocabulary items - a Used by News 4 U, and now SymbolStix come with Matrix http://symbolstix.com/ mixture of coloured images and coloured with communication aids. Maker. You can buy ‘stickman’ type symbols that look very Maybe preferred by some SymbolStix as a set in Tobii similar to PCS but a bit more modern in commercial developers as SymbolMate (a bit like some respects, and quite fresh, avoids paying high royalties BoardMaker) or subscribe and expressive and ‘vibrant’. for PCS symbols use SymboStixOnline. Agreeable symbols, but some items are rather heavily ‘American’ sadly – this SymbolStix are used in spoils them a bit for UK use Proloquo2Go, some Users in The Grid 2, AMDI overlay maker, Mind Express and more

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Name of Examples Type / Distinguishing Use & comments Associated Software Contact Info Pics/Symbols Features Bliss Symbols Huge vocabulary, (c4000) including quite Widely used in Scandinavia WinBliss www.blissymbols.co.uk/ sophisticated and abstract meanings, and elsewhere but in UK Tobii Symbolmate and plus potential to use strategies and these days used only by Communicator www.blisswords.co.uk/ ‘combine’ symbols to make new some adults, not children. Mind Express meanings. Black and white only (may Pity, as it’s a powerful use colour-coded background). Many system that can give Symbols for Windows (SfW) www.blissymbolics.org/ suite house symbols are not ‘transparent’ or excellent communication to guessable though there are simple rules more cognitively able users SfW Communicator & Paper www.sensorysoftware.com Chart Maker Both come with that help you decode symbol shapes Felt to be a bit too abstract for some users, and might Bliss pre-loaded but are For communication aids that be harder for staff especially designed primarily as Can be easily hand-drawn, which is communication aids not just for provide a Bliss interface: convenient in mainstream schools and community settings, who making materials. www.techcess.co.uk might need special training. (communication software, MindExpress) book Hopefully may come back Otherwise, can cut and paste into fashion one day soon, from BlissWord Dictionary. perhaps when software Bliss libraries available for www.tobii.com situation improves. BoardMaker, for Sensory Software’s The Grid 2, and soon for the Widgit Communicate range, this will library make Bliss more usable Pixons The Pixon Project is a new development This is an interesting project Symbols are provided in both in http://www.aacinstitute.org/ by Gail Van Tatenhove and backed by to provide a programme for BMP and BoardMaker Format,. Resources/ProductsandSer other AAC specialists including Bruce developing language and This is interesting, as few vices/Pixons/index.html The Pixon Baker, inventor of Minspeak. laying the foundations for symbol sets other than PCS Project Kit: a The Pixon Picture Set blends VOCA use, by introducing (and now Widgit) are made Minspeak® icons with drawing available in BoardMaker format, language core vocabulary conventions used in other pictures sets systematically through first but this is very useful, as so curriculum (such as PCS Over 1800 Pixons are activity based low tech many people are familiar and available. Pixons™ are designed to act boards and then gradually comfortable with that software. as a bridge, or ‘stepping stones’ into a high tech voice output Not sure yet whether the Pixon between basic single meaning pictures / device, Minspeak application kit is available in UK but can picture symbols and the key icons from program. be bought online $150 Minspeak Application Programs. The Cynically, it is also a way to The kit is composed of a book idea is that if you start a child off with promote use of Prentke (language curriculum) various Pixons™ as his/her basic Romich’s Minspeak devices. low tech manual and eye communication vocabulary, he/she will pointing communication boards already be familiar with the basic and board templates, library of pictures that are used on the device, symbol files, educational and when he/she is ready to have a environment labeling materials Minspeak-based communication aid.

 CALL Scotland 2011 7 [email protected] This is a continuous ‘work in progress’ as things keep changing! Apologies for any inaccuracies or omissions - please let me know if there is anything you think should be changed or added Name of Examples Type / Distinguishing Use & comments Associated Software Contact Info Pics/Symbols Features Mainly for Adults with Learning Difficulties and for Accessibility / Inclusion related Uses CHANGE Picture 4 picture bank CDs: General pictures; All pics show adults, some CD £120 each (complicated www.changepeople.co.uk/ Bank & CHANGE Health Pictures; You and Your Baby / elderly. Some are perhaps pricing structure - different Little Child. Approx 400 - 500 images so specific as to be difficult prices for different purchasers – Health Picture on each CD, All are black and white to use if they are not exactly dearer for big organizations, Bank line drawing style and many cover right for your service user less for families) You buy extra whole ‘scenarios’ - some quite (e.g. ‘happy’ is available only pictures online one by one, abstract. Organized in categories, as a short-haired oriental once you’ve bought the basic alphabetically (e.g. E – Epilepsy – 4 woman or a young man set images) only). Possible lack of Images are contemporary and with a consistency of style across Picture sets are designed by good ethnic spread, but some are a bit the set, some simpler / more group working with adults with complicated and may be hard to detailed than others. complex disabilities. process (see ‘video camera’, left) Valuing People A memory stick with c.2,000 specially There are a variety of styles, At £105 per CD (again, less for www.inspiredservices.org.uk/ Clip Art created graphic images (but lots of ranging from very concrete self-advocacy groups), this duplicates as there are colour & black (almost a bit old-fashioned) seems better value than some collection 2009 and white versions of each pic) and a to quite cartoony and others few more are added each month (you abstract which can be a bit

have to be a yearly subscriber (£30) to inconsistent, but they have a get the new updates) good stab at some abstract Free to reproduce but you are concepts. The company (consultant in self asked to credit the source if you advocacy, making information No way of looking up the are publishing materials using accessible etc.) will draw you a whole word/concept that you want, these images. new set (or individual images) if you you have to look through all can’t find what you need (prices start at categories and then all the £30) pictures in each

Photosymbols 3 A memory stick with approximately Some people like these, but £470 for individual – again www.photosymbols.com/index 3,000 photos (actually more like 1,200 they seem very expensive complicated pricing structures .jsp/ when I counted) arranged in 32+ when there are so many to cover purchase by whole themes, with a new search facility that other cheaper alternatives. local authorities etc. Safe and Sound is useful. Some pictures are so

Designed to create easy read specific as to be difficult to accessible information use and there are not £141 for Keeping Safe set enough duplicates (e.g. Also a specialised pack of 200 images elderly woman walking, on the vocabulary of keeping safe, young black man in bullying, hate crime and abuse wheelchair, but no elderly Royalty–free so can be Photos models are real people with black man walking etc.) reproduced as much as desired disabilities.

 CALL Scotland 2011 8 [email protected] This is a continuous ‘work in progress’ as things keep changing! Apologies for any inaccuracies or omissions - please let me know if there is anything you think should be changed or added

Name of Examples Type / Distinguishing Use & comments Associated Software Contact Info Pics/Symbols Features

Say It Works The Say It Works Picture Library is an These are composite Available on CD Rom (£299 for http://www.sayitworks.co.uk/ Picture Library extensive coloured picture bank on pictures of scenarios, by and the full set of 937 images) or for adult related topics, including disability large, rather than download picture by picture at images, drug pictures, alcohol pictures, representations of single £4.95 per picture (reduces as equality and diversity images, mental meanings. Not sure how well you buy more, e.g. £50 for 25 health pictures, images of routines, this works as many of the images) supported living, leisure images and topics are simply too pictures relevant to person centred complex to pictorialise planning and more. effectively, but they would certainly help to support Useful to make information more understanding of a written or accessible. audio presented text.

Bonnington Approximately 600 Black and White Were developed and used Some symbols for use in public http://www.communicationfo Symbol System symbols (with some red eg. for medical originally in Edinburgh and events available from: rumscotland.org.uk/2010/TK cross, and crossing out eg. No Lothians (adult resource http://www.communicationforu _Resources_BSS.php smoking). Style of symbols is in some centres FE colleges). mscotland.org.uk/2010/TK_Res cases virtually identical to PCS, Symbols are not childish. ources_BSS.php Makaton, Rebus, (see below), and in Developed originally for use other cases to ‘international airport by adults with learning You can be supplied (with new signs’ style in line with British Standard difficulties. Now used by symbols designed on demand) Symbols (cf Sign Design guide, JMU Communication Forum through Access Partnership, RNIB) Vocabulary Scotland / Civic Participation http://www.tomorraccessibility.c is geared to ‘signage’ and accessibility Network to make documents o.uk/ and inclusion in the community rather and public information than covering a range of meanings and accessible functions of language

Specialized Software to help you symbolise the web etc. Point! Point is new piece of augmentative Only Widgit symbols appear From £282 per year http://www.widgit- software that website owners can use to online.com/products/point.ht assist visitors to their website. When the m visitor hovers their mouse over a word, a list of symbols that illustrate the possible meanings of the word appears. Just2Easy J2E is an online word-processor. Interesting innovation You have to subscribe to J2E to www.j2e.com Symbols Through collaboration with Widgit means Only Widgit symbols appear get the symbol function you can symbolize words by just hovering muse over the word

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Symbol sets/systems used in communication aids

In addition to symbol systems mentioned about, that is, PCS, Widgit, SymbolStix, Symbols for Makaton, Bliss, Pixon Name of Examples Type / Distinguishing Use & comments Associated Software Contact Info Pics/Symbols Features Minspeak, Unity Coloured multi-meaning icons used with Used in Prentke Romich ONLY available in conjunction http://www.liberator.co.uk/ Symbols, Clarity specific technology & software, no low- communication aids, sold in with PRI VOCAS and MAPs, tech version. the UK by Liberator Ltd. e.g. SpringBoard, Vanguard, Symbols There are symbols used only in LLL and Vantage, Pathfinder, Eco-14 others used in UNITY DynaSyms Coloured multi-meaning icons, only used Used by some DynaVox Users can choose DynaSyms www.dynavox.co.uk in combination with specific technology, users. In the UK, DynaSyms or PCS pre-loaded in DynaVox (low tech version (PicSyms) used to are usually only used to fill in VOCA products. exist but not used in UK) gaps where there are no PCS symbols

Software to help you organize symbols into grids and boards in order to make materials

Matrix Maker Like a simplified sort of ‘BoardMaker ‘ At £129 (with a home user Price drops to $89 if bought www.inclusive.co.uk software, this comes with over 15,000 copy at £49) this attractive with any communication aid images – 12,000 SymbolStix and 3,800 pricing may wean some over £100 high quality Inclusive pictures. You can customers off BoardMaker add your own images. It comes with and PCS symbols template layouts for most commonly used communication aids, Also included are examples and templates of worksheets and games, calendars and schedule layouts.

PogoBoards A new piece of software that allows you OK, but perhaps unlikely to AbleNet Symbol Library www.pogoboards.com to design symbol boards be used in UK just because there are so many better overlay and Device Templates, http://www.ablenetinc.com/Po Paying version but also FREE ‘Light’ known and established goBoards/PogoBoardsFreeLi version available through Ablenet options ghtVersion/tabid/493/Default. aspx

Tobii Software like BoardMaker to make Likely to be mainly used in A Scandinavian product http://www.tobii.com/en/assi SymbolMate paper based communication, conjunction with My Tobii compatible with the Tobii stive- educational and curricular resources. and C-Eye communication communication aids and the technology/global/products/ aid products, e.g. C-8, C-12, Tobii Communicator software software/symbolmate/featur Ships with SymbolStix (15,000 + C-15, Scan 32 es/ images) but will support Widgit, Bliss, Pictogram and PCS symbols. Provides overlay templates etc.

 CALL Scotland 2011 10 [email protected] This is a continuous ‘work in progress’ as things keep changing! Apologies for any inaccuracies or omissions - please let me know if there is anything you think should be changed or added Picture Master Again, like a simplified sort of Developed in Taiwan - Uses Unlimiter symbols? http://www.acadcom.com/aca Board Designer ‘BoardMaker ‘ software, seems to be sold / used in website/ACAtopic.asp?extra= Australia and USA (but not 24 Software in UK currently)

 CALL Scotland 2011 11 [email protected] This is a continuous ‘work in progress’ as things keep changing! Apologies for any inaccuracies or omissions - please let me know if there is anything you think should be changed or added