Top image shows a screenshot of the Prologquo app AAC interface with sexually explicit symbols. Created using Proloquo2Go for sex education symbol instruction guide.
Based in the Netherlands, the company Assistiveware builds Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps designed for people with different communication needs.
With pre-existing icons related to genitalia and sexual health, in addition to the ability to custom-make your own text-to-speech icon buttons, these AAC apps have the potential to assist in teaching sex education.
First, Proloquo2Go is a communication app designed to help people who are nonverbal and is used by some people with autism or cerebral palsy to communicate more effectively. It also focuses on learning and development.
On the other hand, the newer Proloquo app is dedicated to communication that is also designed to teach receptive language. According to support at Assistiveware, Proloquo has more than three times the number of words pre-programmed than any other AAC program, including Proloquo2Go.
Both Proloquo2Go and the Proloquo app provide text-to-speech and symbol-based communication support for individuals with speech and language impairments.
Both AAC apps also offer sexually explicit symbols that can assist with teaching sex education or sharing intimacy with someone and discussing sexual health.
In addition, the apps allow users to create and customize their own virtual communication boards, using text, symbols, or both, to represent the words and phrases they want to communicate. The apps then read out the selected words or phrases using a computer-generated voice, allowing the user to communicate their thoughts and need more effectively.
Users can add their own words to either app if they are not already in the vocabulary library.
You can also use Proloquo2Go for sex education thanks to customization options that allow users to add sex education or explicit symbols. Starting with Proloquo2Go 7.7, symbols for genitalia, sexuality, and intimacy have been included in the symbol library. However, these symbols will not appear on any button in the vocabulary unless you manually add them.
For the purposes of this article, screenshots are of the Proloquo app, which offers a monthly subscription of about $10. The Proloquo2Go app costs a one-time fee of about $350. I created the so-called explicit symbols representing sex and anatomy in Proloquo using the same directions written for Proloquo2Go.
AAC technology for sex education and intimacy
Proloquo and Proloquo2Go are both a type of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology that can be used by disabled lovers and sex educators.
AAC refers to a range of tools and strategies that can be used to support individuals who have difficulty communicating verbally. These tools can include communication boards, picture or symbol-based systems, and speech-generating devices, among others.
Donnie TC Denome, MPH, is an autistic AAC user as well as a writer, designer, and sex educator. They use Proloquo2Go and Proloquo4Text daily. On their blog, they shared more of their experience using Proloquo2Go for sex education and intimacy. They also share information about other AAC options and their limited use for sexual health or intimacy scenarios.
By providing a way for individuals to communicate their thoughts and needs, AAC technologies like Proloquo2Go can help to improve their quality of life and enhance their ability to participate in daily activities.
If you need help learning and using Proloquo for sex education, the company AssistiveWare makes a companion app called Proloquo Coach to teach how it works. It can only be accessed with a valid Proloquo subscription
Last updated on March 31, 2023
