iName it

iName It is specifically designed to help individuals with difficulty recalling the names of common items found in the home. Developed by speech-language pathologists, iName It provides users with a systematic way to recall functional words needed for activities of daily living. iName It consists of fifty nouns that are displayed within the context of the rooms where they are typically located, such as bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc… Each target word can be elicited by using one of more of the five different types of cues available: phonemic, phase completion, whole word or semantic.

iName It is now available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese!

How to Use

iName It is a single-player app specifically designed to be used by a speech-language pathologist or caregiver such as a family member. From the home screen, the user has the option to select “start practice,” “about,” “results,” or “support.” By selecting the “start practice,” the user can choose, or create, a client avatar.

Once the client is selected, the screen automatically populates with a choice of five visual scenes. There are five settings included on the applications. Each setting includes ten vocabulary words, and each vocabulary word includes five levels of cueing.

A tap of the screen allows the scene to be selected, and a task bar displays the items to be found within the scene. One you are on the scene, simply tap on one of the ten items offered on iName it to start practice. The item select is the only one that remains in color while the rest of the scene is grayed out.

There are five cueing levels on iName it

Word Completion

Semantic

Phonemic

Word Completion

Semantic

Video Tutorial

Data Collection

iName It tracks data throughout the app. In the “results” area, the user selects the appropriate client avatar. The data report will display indicating the dates the app has been used, overall accuracy without cues, overall accuracy with cues, and which type of cue was most successful. Each session is recorded by date and visual scene name.

The session data report can then be emailed, printed, or exported to the Therapy Report Center for easy progress monitoring and report writing.

Purpose

iName It is designed to work on word-retrieval secondary to aphasia, and includes 10 target items for each household scene: bedroom, kitchen, living room, bathroom, and garage. Each scene is realistically depicted specifically to assist with visual and sentence completion clues. In addition, the app contains several types of clues or prompts to assist with the verbal recall.

The primary objectives of iName It is to:

1. Improve word finding of common functional
words found in the home and community.
2. Provide several types of cueing options to meet
the needs of a wide range of clients at varying
communication levels.

These include printed cues, a definition prompt, a semantic prompt, a phonetic cue (initial sound), and the written word. Each of these prompts was designed using the five types of evidenced based cueing suggested as being useful for word-finding (Hillis, 1993; Nickels, 2002, Wambaugh, 2007). Literature suggests using initial syllable cues and sentence completion cues may trigger motor commands for articulation and be beneficial to individuals with apraxia of speech as well (Love, 1977).

iName It can be used effectively by Speech-Language Pathologists and caregivers working with individuals experiencing word finding difficulties. It is specifically designed to assist people with a wide variety of word-finding deficits. Although the app is designed primarily for use by adults, it can be used with adolescents and children.

Target Audience (s):
This Application is designed for adults, but can also be used with adolescents and children. iName It targets individuals with word finding difficulties secondary to aphasia. Additionally, it can benefit individuals with apraxia that are assisted by visual and sentence completion cues.

Reviews

iname-img16 Shannon, SLP

“This app is super cool for adults because it uses such real looking pictures. If you couldn’t tell from the name of the app, it’s used for naming items within their natural contexts.”

Authors

Elizabeth Begley M.A., CCC-SLP, runs the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Clinic at the College Station Medical Center, College Station, TX. She provides AAC consultative services for schools, home health agencies and residential facilities. She is the co-author of two iDevice apps, Small Talk Dysphagia and Small Talk Oral Motor.Mary Pitti, M.S., CCC-SLP is the Clinic Program Director and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at Ithaca College. She teaches courses in Dysphagia and Voice Disorders. She is the co-author of two iDevice apps, Small Talk Dysphagia and Small Talk Oral Motor. Published materials with Pro.ed include: Problem Solving Picture Cards, Everyday Activities to Sequence and Critical Thinking for Activities of Daily Living.

App Designer: Barbara Fernandes, M.S; CCC-SLP

References

1. Hillis, A.E. (1993). The role of models of language processing in rehabilitation of language impairments. Aphasiology, 75-26.
2. Love, R., & Webb, W. (1977, May). The efficacy of cueing techniques in Broca’s aphasia. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 42, 170-178.
3. Nickels L. (2002) Therapy for naming disorders: revisited, revising, and reviewing. Aphasialogy.2002; 16:935-980
4. Swathi, K., & Gina, B. (2009, September 18). Evaluating the effectiveness of semantic-based treatment deficits in aphasia: what works? Seminar in Speech Language, 29(1), 71-82. Doi:10.1055/s-2008-1061626.
5. Wambaugh, J., & Ferguson, M. (2007). Application of semantic feature analysis to retrieval of action names in aphasia. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 44(3), 381-394. doi:10.1682/JRRD.2006.05.0038