Browse Assistive Technology

Grid Pad Go

Est. $1,500–$3,500

The Grid Pad Go is a portable, tough communication device that runs Smartbox's Grid software, so a person can speak with symbols or text and have the device say it aloud. It has a tactile handle and strap, can be mounted to a wheelchair, and is drop tested to 1 meter with extra screen protection. For people who can't tap a screen easily, it has two switch ports, oversized buttons, and an optional keyguard (a plate that guides the finger to the right spot). Grid also gives access to apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, and it supports a range of voices as well as a personalized voice. The page lists it for people whose speech is affected by conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, early MND/ALS, stroke, or aphasia.

Grid for iPad from Smartbox

Est. $99–$349

Grid for iPad is an AAC app, which means it helps someone who can't rely on speech to communicate by speaking for them from the iPad. It's built as a full communication platform, with ready-made resources for both symbol-based and text-based communication, so it can fit someone who builds messages from pictures as well as someone who types. You get a library of resources included. It runs on an iPad, so you'll need one, and picking a vocabulary layout and setting it up for the person's needs goes more smoothly with input from a speech-language pathologist.

Communication Boards

Est. $80–$400

These are large printed symbol boards that you mount on a wall or fence so people can point to pictures to communicate, in places like school playgrounds, libraries, hospitals, and swimming pools. There are 10 designs based on Super Core grid sets, in two sizes (1189 x 420mm or 1682 x 594mm) and two materials: rigid Dibond that you screw or nail up, or PVC banners with eyelet loops that you secure with cable ties. Both work indoors or outdoors, and you can have up to 8 cells customized with nouns, equipment, or key places for your location. The listing says the boards are sold only in the UK and Ireland and priced by quote, so check ordering options before planning around them.

Talk Pad

Est. $1,500–$4,000

The Talk Pad is a dedicated communication device that speaks for someone who can't rely on natural speech. It comes in an 8-inch or 10-inch size and can be provided with Grid AAC software, which lets a person build messages from symbols and text. You can select by touch, add a keyguard (a overlay with holes) for more precise taps, or connect up to two switches. It's built to go places, with a tactile handle, a carry strap, wheelchair mounting, large blue power and volume buttons, a 1m drop-test rating, and IP22 protection. Because the right size, access method, and vocabulary setup vary a lot from person to person, it helps to have a speech-language pathologist or AAC specialist involved.

Look eye gaze software

Est. $99–$499

Look is a family of software packages from Smartbox that lets someone practice using eye gaze, where a camera tracks where you look and your eyes control the screen. The activities cover hitting targets, dwelling (holding your gaze on something to select it), following moving objects, and moving a cursor across and up and down the screen. The packages include Look to Learn, which builds access and choice-making skills for younger users, and Look to Read, a set of accessible books with learning activities. Free trials are available, and this is software only, so you need a compatible eye tracker to use it.

Grid Pad

Est. $5,000–$12,000

The Grid Pad is a dedicated communication device that speaks for someone who can't rely on natural speech. It runs Smartbox's Grid AAC software and comes in a 13 inch or 16 inch screen. It works with many ways of access, including eye gaze, and a rugged eye gaze module is available to turn it into a dedicated eye gaze device. A bright 6.5 inch second screen faces the listener, and built-in environment control lets the user operate other devices around the home. A dual Rehadapt/Daessy mounting plate and a durable body make it practical for use on the go, such as on a wheelchair. This is a full, high-end system, so expect the right setup to be tailored to the person who will use it.

Grid

Est. $200–$600

Grid is communication software for Windows and iPad that gives people a voice when speaking is hard. Symbol-based vocabularies support people who communicate with pictures, and text tools with word prediction help people who type. Grid also includes sets for controlling a Windows computer and for running home technology such as a TV, lights and kitchen appliances. It can be customized to fit how a person communicates and accesses a device, and it offers many voices in many languages, including options to upload a recording or use a personalized AI voice. This is software, so you'll need a compatible Windows computer or iPad to run it, and getting the vocabulary and access method right is where an AAC professional helps most.

Grid for Schools

Grid for Schools is a school-wide AAC package that pairs Grid communication software with training, resources, and specialist support. Students can communicate with symbols or text, using predictive text, sentence completion, and natural-sounding voices, and they can access it by touch, pointer, switch, or eye gaze. It includes ready-made and customizable grid sets for school subjects, a five-step training plan, and guidance on implementation and goal setting. This is a whole-school program rather than a single device, so plan on working with the Smartbox team and your school's specialists to roll it out.

Grid 3 from Smartbox

Price on request: ask the vendor

Grid 3 is AAC software, meaning it gives a person a way to speak and write with symbols or text on a screen. It can be used by touch, switch, a pointing device, or eye gaze, so it fits people with very different physical access needs. It starts with ready-made symbol grid sets and grows into text tools with on-screen keyboards and word prediction, so it can follow someone from early cause-and-effect play to advanced writing. It also covers more than talking: it includes 25 animated learning activities, built-in apps like email, SMS, YouTube, and Facebook, full computer control, and control of lights, doors, and TVs. That last feature needs compatible environmental control hardware. Grid pages can be edited and updated remotely, which helps a therapist or family member support the user without taking the device away.