All right. Hi, everybody. You all doing okay out there today? I got a favor to ask to get us started. Would you all be open to sending me some sort of a chat message, a Q&A, a smoke signal, something to let me know that you can see my screen, you can hear my voice, that you're here, that everything's sorted? I'm using this new version of Zoom, and I just don't know how to use it. I'm trying so hard, but it makes it feel like I am all alone in here. Okay, I see a message in the Q&A. Thank you, Jewel. Okay, chat is disabled. I keep messing up the chat. Okay, let's use Q&A today then, you all. Okay, perfect. I see a hands up. I'm going to say that's my smoke signal. I'm looking in the Q&A. Okay. I appreciate it, you all.
Thank you so much for indulging me with that. This has just been the biggest learning curve in the world, so I appreciate you all being so kind and letting me know. Okay. We'll go ahead and get started then. Thanks for coming out today, you all. My name's Ali, and I'm so happy that you're here. Today we are going to be talking about TD Snap Core First. TD Snap Core First is one of the page sets within TD Snap. TD Snap is a communication platform, and within TD Snap, there are multiple page sets or language systems, and Core First is one of those, and that's what we're going to be talking about here today. I do want to be really transparent about two things as we get going. I'm hitting it at all sides with the new stuff.
Number one, we're using this new version of Zoom that I'm obviously a novice with. Then also, this is a new session, so you all are here for the first installment of the Explore and Customize TD Snap Core First session. This is brand new. We are getting it from both sides, all new stuff today. My ask from you is this, if you would, if anything feels off or wonky, if it's technical or just a clarity issue, anything like that, if you all would please let me know. I would be so tremendously grateful. I know I've somehow disabled the chat. We've still got the Q&A. You all just be in contact and communicate with me, okay? If I'm going through things and you're like, "Oh, this is.
It's not making any sort of sense." Or, "I don't understand what she's saying," or anything like that. Or maybe like, "I can't hear her at all." "Where is she?" Let me know. It's not intentional. I'm just learning right alongside you. That's my ask for today. You all, let's just ignore this since the chat is disabled. We've got the Q&A today, though, and it looks like folks are already in there utilizing that, so please continue to do so. I'm very open to any questions at all. The chat being disabled is not intentional even a little bit. Honestly, the opposite. You all send your questions over. We're going to be covering quite a lot of ground today. This is a 60-minute session.
We began at 3:30 P.M. Eastern Standard Time here in the U.S., so we will be ending the session today at 4:30 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. All right. Before we really start talking about what TD Snap Core First is or how we could use it, let's just talk about what is TD Snap. TD Snap is a communication platform, and we recognize that there's really no one-size-fits-all approach to AC, and we want communicators to have the ability to choose from a selection of evidence-based page sets that support different AC approaches. That includes a page set designed specifically for people with aphasia, a text-based option for literate AC users. That might be people with a Parkinson's disease diagnosis, an ALS diagnosis, who have head or neck cancer.
TD Snap incorporates a very wide range of symbol-supported page sets, and these are page sets that are developed by Tobii Dynavox. All of them are, in fact. These symbol-supported options include both text and symbol supports and typically are used by folks who could benefit from both. All of these page sets here on this screen are developed by Tobii Dynavox, so they are all within TD Snap, and they're available anytime at no additional charge. If you're here today and you are thinking like, "Oh, yeah, I'm using Core First, but Motor Plan looks pretty interesting," or, "I would actually like to check out the aphasia page set," you have access to all of them. Please feel free. We would love for you to do that.
Now, also within TD Snap, you will find PODD and Gateway available within the platform as an in-app purchase. TD Snap Core First, what we're going to be talking about and focusing today, this has been our premier page set, and it has also been optimized for scanning. There's also a high-contrast version of the Core First page set and an English-Spanish bilingual version as well. All right, what exactly is TD Snap Core First? Let's start talking about Core First. TD Snap software is an augmentative and alternative communication, also known as AC platform, that utilizes a variety of different language systems. Now, the Core First page set within TD Snap is what we are going to be exclusively exploring in today's training. The Core First page set speaks selected symbols and text when activated by the communicator through touch, switch, or eye gaze .
TD Snap Core First is symbol supported. This is a page set that is appropriate for all ages who are still developing from language that would benefit from the use of picture symbols to help learn language and communicate. Now, the default symbols used within the software are picture communication symbols, also known as PCS, and you may be familiar with these if you've used Boardmaker or even the Immersive Reader in Microsoft. Now, whenever we use the symbol set in multiple places, what happens is that it provides a quick connection between the AAC device and other everyday applications or academic materials that the communicator might be using. It's also really important, y'all, for me to note that PCS provides a diverse set of symbols to represent various races, ethnicities, gender identities, disabilities, and more.
TD Snap was designed to be intuitive and engaging no matter the page set that you're using, and that's so our users and those supporting them can use the software really right from the start. TD Snap Core First is research-based. It uses a core word strategy, and the vocabulary selected was informed by the research done by Dr. Karen Erickson and her team for the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This research happened a few years ago, and the goal of this research was to identify a set of core vocabulary words that supported students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade here in the U.S. to successfully communicate and engage in academic settings. By doing so, we can better ensure our communicators participate more, understand better, and develop ongoing language literacy, and communication skills.
Let's start thinking about who would benefit from using TD Snap Core First. TD Snap Core First was developed with symbol-based communicators in mind, and these are communicators that are still developing language and benefit from symbol or picture supports to understand language and communicate with others. For example, a non-speaking preschooler, for example, they could use TD Snap Core First to begin putting wishes and needs into words. Now, maybe a middle schooler who is using TD Snap Core First, they could combine single words into more complex sentences, and they could do that by combining multiple symbols together. TD Snap was designed to be appropriate for all ages and ability levels. With those intuitive editing tools, you can customize the language system that you're using, with the communicators that you support to meet their unique needs.
For example, using the Core First page set with early communicators, we could use the editing tools to decrease the grid size or the number of buttons visible on the screen in order to limit the amount of vocabulary that's showing. We could also utilize a keyboard too, to support letter recognition activities as well. Now, TD Snap was designed to support communication partners as well. It is intuitive. The supports are easy to use, and it really does allow the communication partner to learn the software so they know how to model it or how to use the language system in daily activities and conversations. Lastly, TD Snap Core First was not designed with a particular diagnosis in mind, so it can be used to support people with a wide variety of diagnoses.
These diagnoses could include people with autism diagnoses, who are autistic, people with Down syndrome or cerebral palsy. You'll see a wide variety of people using TD Snap Core First. All right. The tools that really make TD Snap Core First what it is or what goes into TD Snap to make it what it is this set of communication tools here, and that includes Core Words, Word List, QuickFires, Topics, Keyboards, and Supports. TD Snap Core First has this core word methodology really at the center. I think of core words kind of being like the sun and that these other communication tools rotate around it. You'll see what I mean by that whenever we get into the software.
There's also a set of orientation and navigation tools available as well, the toolbar, a search feature, a dashboard, and there's also a light bulb, and we're going to check all of those out today. We are going to be talking about, when we get into the software, let's talk a little bit about customizing and, then we are going to actually get into the software and take it for a spin, including quite a lot of customization. All right. This is what the layout of TD Snap Core First looks like. We've got our Core Words here. We have our toolbar by default over on the left-hand side of the page. Here are the three different page set options of Core First, the high contrast version, Core First scanning, and then also the English/Spanish bilingual version. All right, y'all.
Let's just go ahead and get in the software now and talk about customizing in there. As we are getting into the software, if you came with anything in particular that you want to make sure that we cover today, as far as questions about the software or customization, please send them through in the Q&A so I can make sure that we get to those. All right. I am in the software now. I'm in TD Snap Core First, but actually, I want to take a step back and show you how you can make sure that you have access to TD Snap Core First as well. To do that, let's go ahead and just add a new user profile.
For me, since I'm already using TD Snap, I need to go into edit mode, and if you are also using TD Snap already, you'll also need to get into edit mode. Okay. From here, we'll select user. This is my current user profile that's pulled up right now. I'm going to scroll all the way down to the very bottom. I've got a lot of user profiles, and I'll select new user. Okay. Now, if you are logging into TD Snap for the first time, or using TD Snap, getting it set up on a new device or from the App Store or on your Windows computer like me, this is where you will land the first time. If you're already using TD Snap, you've got just a couple of extra clicks, but now we should all be on the same page.
Okay, I'm going to select new user, getting started. This is where I will name the page set. Something that I just like to do is name it with the page set name as well, and the month and the year. I know it's April now. The second part is just something that I like to do for me because y'all saw I have quite a lot of user profiles. Typically, this is just a person's name very often. All right. We'll keep following the prompts. Y'all, what we're working through right now, we call this the setup wizard. We are looking for a page set with symbol supports. These are all of the access methods that TD Snap supports. Of course, since TD Snap supports them, Core First supports them as well.
We are just going to be using basic touch today. I'm using my computer and my computer mouse. I would have options to use these other access methods like touch, enter, and exit, and auditory touch. I could also, if I wanted to, use scanning, even if I didn't have switches set up. I can designate specific keys on my keyboard to be different scanners for me, like a mover and a selector. That's an option. Mouse dwell is, of course, an option because I am using a mouse. I also love that you can select these access methods, and it'll give you a little bit of a preview about what that access method actually entails.
I do want to point out that eye gaze is not an option for me today, and that is simply because I do not have an eye tracker connected to my computer. I'm just using my PC computer today. If I was using a TD Pilot or a TD I-Series with an eye tracking accessory like the eye tracking camera installed, I would have eye gaze access. Even if I was using my computer with a PCEye, the eye tracking camera accessory, then I would have eye gaze access here. Simply because I don't have an eye tracker connected to my computer, I do not have the ability to use eye gaze as my access method today. All right. These are all of the symbol supported page sets.
We can click these, and it'll give us a little preview about what they mean or what they entail. We're going to go with Core First. Then here are the different versions of Core First. We have the United States version of Core First, the high contrast version, the scanning version, and then two different bilingual page sets. I totally didn't mention the English/French bilingual page set. For us, we'll just select the United States Core First to use today. I do want to point out, though, that the scanning version, and the high contrast versions, these are still Core First. They're just optimized for those different pieces. The high contrast version was adapted for people with low vision, and you'll notice that there's reduced visual complexity. There's a black background. The PCS symbols that are used are high contrast.
The scanning version of Core First, it was optimized for scanning, so it includes scan patterns. There are some pre-organized messages organized by topics. There's also some scanning-specific features in the scanning version, to help someone learn about scanning as an access method as well. All right. Let's go ahead and hop in. Now we just need to select a voice. There's a wide variety of voices available. We can go through and filter by sex and by age. For us today, I'll just select this one right here. Actually, let's preview one of these. [Presentation] [Video Narrator] Okay. [Presentation] [Video Narrator] Okay, we'll select that one.
Then it's also really easy to change the voice as well, without having to undo any sort of edits or quote-unquote, "start over." If at any point the voice just isn't interesting anymore, someone has their personality or their style has changed, they want to change the voice, or they selected one and it's just not working for them, it's really easy to update that. Now we need to select the grid size. The grid size is going to be the button layouts. There are smaller grid size options like this 3 by 4. We start getting into our 5 by 5s, our 7 by 7s, and 8 by 10s, and there's a few more options as well.
When we're thinking about a grid size, it is this balance of accurate selection, which typically is provided, like a big part of success with that can be having bigger buttons. We also want to keep in mind that as the buttons get larger, it will mean more navigation within the software as well. Let's start with the 7 by 7 and just see how it goes. With anything, this is easy to change, so we can change the grid size too, without undoing edits, and I'll show you how. All right. We are in TD Snap Core First. We have a brand-new user profile going. Everything that we see in here now is just the default version of this. All right.
By default, our homepage is going to be our Core Words, and Core Words, these are the words that were informed by the research done by Dr. Karen Erickson. Core Words are our frequently used words. We use them frequently, we use them functionally, they are flexible words, and they're words really for anyone. Okay, I got nervous that I wasn't sharing my Core First page set there for a second. Core Words are words that we use with a lot of different people in different places, in different ways. For example, what we could do is, let's say with the word go. That could mean I want to go home. It could mean that I want to go when it's my turn with the game, or I want a big push on the swing, right?
I want to go run down the hallway. Words can be used really versatilely. We can use Core Words to make demands or requests like we see there. We could use Core Words to comment. I like. We can combine Core Words. We can use Core Words to ask questions. When? We can use Core Words to protest or object. Stop. Right. We can use Core Words in a lot of different ways. We saw that we can use Core Words individually. We can combine Core Words together. We can also combine Core Words with other types of words, which we would call fringe vocabulary. Since Core Words make up about 80% of what we say, what we read, and what we write, you might think, okay, what's the other 20% of our vocabulary?
The other 20% of our vocabulary is words that we would call fringe vocabulary, and we would find that fringe vocabulary in our Word List over here on the right-hand side of the page, at that top of that very far right row. Now, fringe vocabulary, this is highly specific vocabulary that we are going to be using. Think of things like verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, really specific words. Let's check those out in our Word List. Now, that Word List button is strategically placed, so we can either get here easily, or so we can combine this vocabulary with Core Words quite easily, and I'll show you how. Whenever we get into our Word List folder, we find even more folders, and these folders are organized based on use.
Based on some data collection that happened a few years ago, we saw that people were using words for actions and feelings and people and questions far more frequently than they were using these folders for things about clothing and numbers and hobbies and holidays. Let's check out the Actions folder here. We'll just look at this as a template, I guess, or an example of how the other folders for the other Word List words would look. We have our main actions to get us started in here.[Presentation] [Video Narrator] . We also will have folders for things like people actions, for hygiene actions, sports actions, and home actions.[Presentation] [Video Narrator] Right. We could use words in our Word List independently, right? Can you all start thinking about how we might say, like if we're talking about something, maybe we just use pizza right, individually.
That could mean I want pizza. It could be me ordering pizza. It could be, I'm just thinking about pizza. When am I not? We could also. There's a folder for communication, lots of options here. I actually really love this folder and can think of some excellent ways that we could incorporate it for someone to talk about their AAC system or learn more about it. We can use these words in our word list independently. Now, we can use Core Words independently, we can use word list words independently, and we can also combine them. For example, I selected pizza just as a little example there. Maybe I wanted pizza. I could also come to Core Words and say,[Presentation] [Video Narrator] . Right. A few extra button hits. Now you know for sure I am the one wanting the pizza.
I'm not just thinking about it. I'm not just suggesting it for dinner. I actually really want that pizza. Just an example of how we can use Core Words and Word List independently and together. I want to pause here. Any questions on Core Words or on Word List as communication tools, or how they can be used individually or together? I'm just going to pause for a second to give everybody time to get to the Q&A, and if there's not any questions, that's all good too. Okay. Let me just do one last look in the chat. Okay, I think we're all right. Let's keep moving. Let's go back to Core Words just so we start here at our homepage. Next, let's talk about topics.
I like for us to look at topics right after looking at Core Words and Word List, because I think you're going to see some similarities, and I think you'll see some really big differences too. With topics, this is going to be folders of all phrase-based language. Since we were talking about food earlier, let's look in the eating topic to begin. Again, we'll look at a couple of these, but keep in mind, we're using this as an example. Every topic folder is going to have phrase-based language for questions, general comments, positive and negative comments, and then depending on the grid size, even potentially some buttons that we can customize too. All right. If we are thinking about eating, we could use a phrase like this.[Presentation] [Video Narrator] .
We would want to customize that button there. Okay, I've got a question for you all, and you're welcome to share in the Q&A, or at least think to yourself here. What are some benefits of using phrase-based language like this? Okay. I'm sure that you all are having some thoughts here. Now, I got something in Q&A. Can't wait to see it. Let's see. Yes. Okay. The person doesn't have to switch between screens to complete a sentence. I think this is so important. I also think it's really important to note, it doesn't always have to be a full sentence too. If we are looking for a more complete thought, especially if it is something that helps with speed or accuracy or communication partner, the people around them understanding, I think there's huge pros with having full sentences.
Yes, you're thinking exactly what I'm thinking. This tends to be faster. There are less button hits. This can be something that could work potentially really well for someone who is learning their new software, and learning TD Snap Core First. Maybe they're learning a new access method. Let me check what else we got in the Q&A here. It can reduce frustration. Exactly. I think of this example. I'm a former educator. I worked in the classroom prior to joining the team here at Tobii Dynavox. My last year in the classroom, part of my responsibilities, as a teacher, was I ate lunch with a student every single day. I ate lunch with the same student every day. At the time, this fellow was 12. Just some general things about him. Number one, he was an eye gaze user.
He had been using eye gaze for several years at that point, but was definitely still learning the access method to be independent with it. There was a significant amount of modeling happening. He had low vision and a CVI or a diagnosis. T here are visual pieces at play. He was a full-time wheelchair user. He also used other types of physical supports, like a chest strap to help hold him upright in his chair. He used a tray at lunch. He used wrist supports, and braces on his arms. During lunch, we would eat together, and I was helping. He would make selections for the food through gestures and cues to signal to me, but I was the person actually feeding him his meal.
I'm thinking about having lunch with him, and he used Core First as his language system, and so I spent quite a lot of time modeling. We did have a Core Word focus and initiative at the school that I worked at, so we used Core Words a lot. There was a lot of toggling back and forth in between Core Words and fringe vocabulary, especially during lunch, right? When we're talking about specific foods and how we want to eat and things like that.
Looking back, knowing what I know now, I wish that we had used topics way more, especially this eating topic during lunch, because lunch is one of those things, or eating a meal, and again, I want to be sensitive that not everyone's receiving their nutrition by mouth, but we want to be able to have a conversation while this other thing is happening. I think about using topics, like when we want to focus on something but still have language available, we might consider using topics. While we were eating lunch, think about how easy it would have been for me to say like,[Presentation] [Video Narrator]. Right? Or for him to be able to select,[Presentation] [Video Narrator] Instead of having to do so much navigation on his page set.
Even for someone that was, I would say he was very experienced with his AAC system, at least exposed to it, this could've been highly beneficial for him, and it also would have just let us have focus on lunch being lunch, and less of this me doing so much navigation in the AAC system. I hope that story helps get my thoughts across. I love using the topics. Lots of phrase-based language. Think about blowing bubbles, right? If we want the bubbles to be our activity, but we just have easy modeling or easy AAC exposure or easy access for the person who's using AAC, I think topics could work really, really well in any activity. There's even a topic here about arguing, right?
Now, if you're looking at these topics and you're thinking, "Okay, but I need a topic about this particular thing," there are six folders, depending on the grid size someone's using, available, ready to go. All of these are fully functioning. We would just need to add in messages, so they can be spoken aloud. Also, in all of the topics, let's go into this art one here, you will find a folder for supports, and these are visual supports. They are going to be specific for each topic at hand. This one's going to be all about art. We have a first, then schedule here, a little mini schedule, and all of these speak and can be customized. First, choose your project. There's a social script. [Presentation] [Video Narrator] . A social narrative. [Presentation] [Video Narrator] .
Again, we can customize all of these, and I'll show you how we can customize them, too. These visual supports are going to be specific for the topic at hand, so this one's all about art. Then there's also a visual timer, too. At the top of the screen, I just started that countdown clock. We could use that visual timer. Maybe it's five minutes until art starts. It might be okay, we're doing art, and we've got five minutes left until art is over, right? We can also change the time. By default, it's five minutes, but this can be changed to, I think, anywhere between one minute and 60 minutes. When the countdown clock finishes, there's an auditory signal that sounds from the speakers. Okay, those are our topics.
Any questions, any thoughts, anything that we should cover here while we're still talking about topics? I'm just going to pause for a second to see if anything comes through. I love using phrase-based language. Honestly, I think it can be so practical. It can help with buy-in. It can help with interest. I also feel like it can be incredibly practical for a communication partner to use as well. If I'm thinking about an AC user who's maybe new to AC, and they're using AC at home as well, or maybe they're using it in the classroom with a support team member that isn't familiar with AC, or a parent that isn't familiar with AC, I think the topics is a perfect place to get started for the communications partner's comfort as well.
For example, if I was coaching a parent who's using AAC at home, I might say, "Okay, what's something that y'all do every day? What's just a part of the routine?" They might say, "Well, every single day, as we're getting ready for bed, we read a book." Okay. Perfect. We've got a reading topic here, right? Instead of them having to feel like reading becomes a task or a chore or something that they have to set something special up for, they've got just a topic, and they can come here, and they can model as they're reading as a part of their routine. Now another place that we will see phrase-based language is in QuickFires. QuickFires, this is going to be words and phrases that we will use quickly.
These are conversational words and phrases that we can use really versatilely with a wide variety of people and settings. We can see some important people are listed here. We have yes and no buttons for things like [Presentation] [Video Narrator] , things to gain attention and keep the conversation moving. We also have folders for other QuickFires as well, like greetings and social, personal needs, feelings, questions, communication repairs, and we know communication breakdowns happen. They're normal. We just need a way to repair them when they do happen. We have a folder for My Phrases. This is blank. I will show y'all how we can use this page, but my phrases are going to be phrases that are highly specific to the AAC communicator, and that is why it's blank.
There's a really special button on there, that we'll talk about in a second. Okay. QuickFires. Let's think here. We're going to come back and do some customizations because, are y'all seeing as we move through, we're seeing some of these brackets, like, [Presentation] [Video Narrator] We would want to customize that so the AAC communicator's name was there, and so it was spoken aloud from the device, and even change the symbol either to their photo or something that represented them. Those are our QuickFires. Still in communication tools, we have access to a keyboard. This keyboard layout is the ABC keyboard layout. There are multiple keyboard layouts available, including a QWERTY keyboard, a two-step keyboard, and these are easy to change. Let me check the time.
Okay, we don't have time for my impassioned speech about why keyboards are so important, but keyboards basically provide access to every single word in the language. We know with any sort of AAC system, whether it's low or high-tech, whether it's TD Snap Core First, TD Snap Motor Plan, or any other AAC system that's on the market or available, it's just not going to contain every word in the language. It's just impossible. Whenever we have access to a keyboard, now we do have access to every word in the language. You can see as I'm going through, I have some predictive text [Presentation] [Video Narrator] . Right. It's prompting me through. We also have a dashboard. The dashboard, some important things to point out here. We have volume controls.
We know the importance of being able to talk really loud when we're in a busy restaurant, but also being able to whisper when you go into the coffee shop, right? Being able to modulate the voice right here on the screen, we have access to that. We also have access to Boardmaker activities that we can download, and then a Google Assistant and other smart assistants. Somehow I did select eye gaze as my access method, I'm realizing now. I guess I didn't toggle back to touch when we were working through. You are seeing some eye gaze pieces to this, like eye gaze and the partner window. If I actually had an eye tracker connected, there would be a few other pieces, like about calibration as well.
This is a smart dashboard, so whenever it recognizes eye gaze is available, it's going to pull in a few other places. That's why also why you're seeing this pause disabled button over here too, is because I have eye gaze as my access method. Let me see. Let me just change that really quickly. I'm just going to put it back to touch, and y'all will see the changes that happen. Okay. Just going to bump out and then come back. Okay, it still needs a second to cook, I guess. That's why things looked a little bit different there. Okay, we saw our keyboard, our dashboard. Let's talk about our navigation tools here. We've got a home button at the top of the page. We have this dashboard button here as well.
Depending on the grid size someone is using, they may not have this dashboard available in their toolbar, but they can always select it from the top. There's also a magnifying glass, which we can use to search the software for words. If we are not sure if a word is available or where it's at, we might want to use this to help us plan to add in additional language. For example, if I am supporting a high school student and they are about to start an anatomy class, and I've got the list of vocabulary that they'll use, I should check to make sure that they have access to all the vocabulary that they need for anatomy class so they can participate in class conversations and discussions, so they can complete their homework, right? To do that, let's just use this as an example.
I'll search for a button. Let's say I'm looking for the word heart. Okay, heart is in three places here in Core First. We have it related to shapes and cards, which is not going to work for anatomy class. I can also see we have the word heart in internal body parts. Okay, this sounds really promising. When I select this, it's going to show me how to navigate there. We can also use this for modeling too. Okay, we'll go in the Body and Health folder. Internal Body Parts is in the top row. Also, just while I'm here, I'm seeing I also have External Body Parts as well. Okay, here's my button for heart. [Presentation] [Video Narrator]. Okay, I love this because now I know that button's there. I didn't accidentally duplicate something.
Now I know that whenever I'm adding additional vocabulary for this anatomy class, I'll add it. I can add my internal body parts here, and then my external body parts here, because we already have places for them. It fits the philosophy of the page set. Okay, let's add a button here. Let's say that the next word on the list is ventricle. I went into edit mode. I'll select one of these blank buttons. Okay. I'm just going to type directly into that. Okay, so I have my label and my message as ventricle, and let's add a symbol. I selected my magnifying glass. There is a symbol for ventricle. I could also search the web too and pull in a web image of a ventricle if I felt like any of these were a better fit. I'll just select the PCS symbol. I'll select Done.
Now I have this new button for ventricle. Now, I'm thinking, okay, this is a new button. It's a new target. It's new language. Something that I could do to make it stand out, maybe I change the style and add a button border, right? To be like, [Presentation] [Video Narrator] Maybe I'll add a yellow border around it and increase the thickness. I just went into Style, and now I'm in Button Border. I'll change to medium thickness. Maybe I want to change the location of that button, so I just selected it and held onto it. Now I'm dragging and dropping it. Maybe it makes sense to have it near heart since they go together. When I'm done, I'll select Done, and I have my new button. [Presentation] [Video Narrator]. Also, thinking about customizations, let's go back to our QuickFires.
We saw some buttons that needed to be customized here, like this Name Is button. I'll go into Edit. I'll select that Name Is button here. I'm just going to update this. We named this user profile Hayden. I'm changing the label and the message. Then we could change the symbol. We need to change the symbol too, to represent Hayden. Maybe that means that I have a photo of Hayden in my photo library. I could pull that photo in. If Hayden's here with me and he's comfortable with me snapping a photo, I could use the camera on the device. There's front and back-facing cameras on all Tobii Dynavox devices. I could take the photo and add it right in.
Sometimes it's also fun, and I actually really love doing this, going through and searching symbols with the AAC user and letting them find a symbol that they think represents themselves. We might search different keywords. I just searched for boy. I could go through with Hayden and say, [Presentation] [Video Narrator] if we didn't have a photo or he wasn't comfortable using one. When I'm done with those edits, I'll select Done. [Presentation] [Video Narrator] . Still in QuickFires, these Yes or No buttons, I think Yes and No are such important buttons. This can be some of the first language that we teach too. We might want to make these buttons just stand out a little bit more. Maybe I want to change the size of them.
I'll select a button, and I can drag the button to the size I want it to be, and everything else just snaps into place around it. I could do the same thing with my No button. Now those buttons are easier to access. They're a bit bigger. They stand out. We already saw in Style how we can change the button border. Maybe with the Yes and No buttons, we change the background color. Maybe we use something like our stoplight color coding, like No is red and Yes is green, like green for go. I'm just going into Style, selecting Button Background. I'll select Done. Trying to think. Oh, let's actually, while we're also still here in QuickFires, let's talk about my phrases. This is the last thing that I have planned for us to talk about.
The rest of the time is Q&A. If you are seeing anything that, or there's something missing that you definitely want to talk about, go ahead and send me a message into Q&A so we can be sure to address it. My Phrases, this page is intentionally blank, and it is so we can add in phrases that are really specific to the AC user. This Copy To button makes this page so special because this is a way that the AC user can add their own buttons onto this page without having to go in edit mode, because edit mode is honestly not especially accessible. The AC user can add buttons onto this My Phrases page using this Copy To button in their access method. Now, we can also add phrases here too. Phrases that might be really specific to the AC user.
Maybe every Tuesday they go bowling, and every time they go bowling, they say, "I need size five shoes." Well, instead of them saying that every single Tuesday, maybe we get a button here, so they just select one button. It might be that they go to the cafe in their neighborhood every Saturday morning, and they order a cinnamon roll with extra icing, right? We could get that button added here, and actually, let's go ahead and add that. I'll show you how the AAC kid user would do it. They would just need to add a message and make sure it's all in the message window. I'm just going to go through and grab a message here, okay? [Presentation] [Video Narrator] . Okay. I was looking for extra. No results for extra, so I'll use my keyboard. [Presentation] [Video Narrator] .
Let's see, I'm thinking about icing. No results. Maybe frosting. No results. Okay. As I'm going through icing and frosting, maybe we should consider where we might want to add buttons for that if they're necessary. [Presentation] [Video Narrator] . Okay, I've got my message in my message window. Now we'll go to QuickFires, then to My Phrases, and now I'll use Copy To button, and I'm going to add that button in somewhere. I can preview, where's a good place to put it? When I'm ready, I'll select Accept.[Presentation] [Video Narrator] . Now I have this button. I, as the AAC user in this instance, have added it. I did not need to go into edit mode. I could have done it with my access method.
Now, instead of every Saturday whenever I get to the coffee shop and need to order my cinnamon roll with the extra icing and need to go through and add that whole message, I can just select one button. Some other examples of things that we might want to add to phrases are things like, it might be as practical as, "This is an emergency. Call my mom. Her number is this." It might be like, if someone takes the bus home from school, it might be like, "My house has the black fence. Look for that." It could be someone's phone number. It could be something like, "Hey, I need suctioning," or, "I need you to check on this medical thing for me." Right? My Phrases can be really diverse, and they're meant to be because they are going to be so specific to that AC user.
The other place that you'll find by default that Copy To button is going to be in this Personal folder, and this Personal folder is a part of Word List, and there is this main list for personal and then also folders for family names, friends, favorite movies and TV, foods, and places. All of these are blank, and they have a Copy To button ready to go. For example, if I'm thinking about favorite foods, maybe I could have added something about a cinnamon roll with extra icing on there. Whenever I think about me personally, my favorite foods, my best friend Kate makes a curry, and I just call it Kate's curry. Maybe I add Kate's curry into my favorite foods here because it truly is, and it is something that's so specific to me. All right, y'all.
That's everything that I have planned for today. I know we covered a lot of stuff. Let me know what you're thinking. I'm going to check the Q&A and see where we're at. Can I show how to change the voice of the grid size? Yes, thank you so much for reminding me to do that. Okay, so, to change the voice and the grid size, we'll go into Edit mode, and we are going to, for the grid size, we'll go to Page Set, select Grid Size, and this is where we'll change the grid size. Now, it's not going to undo the edits that we made. It's not going to take away that button that we added in My Phrases. It's not going to take away the customizations, like the heart and the ventricle. It's probably going to shift around.
If we go into QuickFires right now, it's probably shifted those Yes or No buttons, just for full and total transparency, and we can actually look and see. Also, you're noticing the toolbar looks a little bit different. Okay. Yeah. Those Yes and No buttons, it just knocked them down to match that grid size there. For the voice, we go back into Edit mode. This time, we are going to go under User, and then we'll look in the Voice section. The speaking voice here, we can go back and preview and change the voices. We can also do things like change the voice rate and pitch. There's a place to add pronunciation exceptions. For example, two exceptions that I can think of that I encounter, the city that I live in is called Chattanooga.
Every time the software says that, it does not sound like Chattanooga at all. Another pronunciation exception that's actually really important to me is my name. I spell my name Ali, A-L-I. The software's going to pronounce it like Ollie. I could add a pronunciation exception to say...[Presentation] [Video Narrator] .
Now anywhere that my name occurs in the software, it's going to actually say it correctly. I find the pronunciation exceptions to be really helpful for things like people and places that are really specific. All right. What other questions do we have, y'all? Again, that's everything that I had planned. The rest of the time is yours today. If there's no questions and you got everything you needed, you're more than welcome to head out. Stick around with me, I've still got a few minutes, and I'd be very happy to go through and address anything that you might need. If you're headed out today, thank you for being here. I genuinely appreciate it. I felt a little off my groove at the beginning, if you couldn't tell. Thanks for being here for the newness of Zoom and the newness of this session.
I would love to support you. I'm open to any feedback that you have about today, and I would love to see you in more live learning sessions, come out and see me. They are my friends as well, I'm so lucky. But my friends and colleagues, Patrick and Lauren and I, we host live learning sessions pretty much every weekday, and we generally get so excited when y'all come out and learn with us. Come see us. You can head to tobiidynavox.com to find the live learning calendar, register for sessions. If you want to keep learning with me, my name is Ali. You'll find me in sessions about TD Snap, Core First, and TD Snap Express, along with a session about device funding and a few others here, there, and everywhere.
If you need me as well, send me an email at learning@tobiidynavox.com You can just say that you were in my session and you want to get in contact, and that email will be forwarded over to me. All right, y'all. I'm keeping an eye on the chat, not seeing anything. Any questions, any thoughts, anything that I can help with? Again, if you're headed out today, thank you so much for coming. All right. All right, y'all. I'm going to go ahead and shut the Zoom room down. It looks like things are quiet. Thank you again for being here today, and I hope to see you online again soon. Thanks for being here. Oh, Claire, there is not a survey today. Thank you for double-checking on that. Not today. I appreciate you asking.