When the Button Message Pop-up feature is turned on, selecting a button that speaks will display a pop-up of the spoken word or phrase.
Some communicators may benefit from the display of an animated word along with the spoken word when a button is selected. A word in motion draws the user’s visual attention to the word spoken by the button. When a button displays an image, the animated word helps the user associate the word with the image. Combining animated words with speech output promotes understanding and development of literacy skills.
A Button Message Pop-Up supports the transition from graphic symbols to literacy—a Transition to Literacy (T2L) feature. Please see Jessica Caron, Janice Light, Christine Holyfield & David McNaughton (2018) “Effects of dynamic text in an AAC app on sight word reading for individuals with autism spectrum disorder”, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 34:2, 143-154, DOI: 10.1080/07434618.2018.1457715
The Literacy menu provides options to set up and activate button message pop-ups.
Turn Button Message Pop-Ups On and Off
Note: You may want to create a profile with the Button Message Pop-Up setting turned on and a separate profile with the setting turned off. For example, when you want to spend some time working on a page of animated words or working on the literacy of core words, you could load the profile that has the setting turned on.
To turn on Button Message Pop-Ups:
Go to Menu > Application Settings > Literacy > Button Message Pop-Up.
Select Button Message Pop-Up. A checkmark indicates the feature is on.
To turn off Button Message Pop-Ups:
Go to Menu > Application Settings > Literacy> Button Message Pop-Up.
Select Button Message Pop-Up. No checkmark indicates the feature is off.
Button Message Pop-Up Settings
Button Message Pop-Up
When Button Message Pop-Up is turned on, selecting a button that speaks will display a pop-up of the spoken word or phrase.
Full-Screen
When Full-Screen is turned on, a pop-up fills the entire screen.
Zoom Rate
To set how quickly a pop-up expands to its full size and then shrinks back into the button, select Zoom Rate. The Zoom rate window opens.
To increase the rate, select +. To decrease the rate, select –. Or use the keyboard to enter the exact rate you want. Select OK.
Timeout
When Timeout is turned on, a pop-up begins to shrink automatically after the specified Display Time is reached.
Display Time
To set how long a pop-up remains displayed before it begins to shrink, select Display Time. The Display Time window opens.
To increase the display time, select +. To decrease the display time, select –. Or use the keyboard to enter the exact display time you want. Select OK.