For the child who has so much to say but no way to say it. TinkySpeak puts communication in their hands — visual tiles, tap to speak, no training required. Build a board free in your browser, share it by QR, and it speaks on any device they already own.
Autism affects 1 in 36 children in the United States. An estimated 25-30% of autistic individuals are minimally verbal or nonverbal. Yet access to AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices remains out of reach for most families.
Every design decision was made with autistic users in mind. Visual-first. Predictable. Calm. No overwhelming animations or cluttered interfaces. Just clear, tappable communication.
Large, clear picture tiles with text labels underneath. No reading required. Each tile has a distinct emoji and color code based on the Fitzgerald Key system used by SLPs worldwide.
Calm color palette. No flashy animations or jarring sounds. Predictable layout that stays consistent. Designed to reduce cognitive overload, not add to it.
Parents and therapists can create custom communication boards tailored to the individual. Add tiles for specific interests, routines, places, and people using the free Board Builder tool.
No accounts. No data collection. No cloud sync. Build a board in your browser and it speaks offline once the board is open. Your child's communication is nobody else's business.
Not $300/year. Not $8,000 for a dedicated device. TinkySpeak is free — a browser-based builder with 2,600+ tiles, 159+ boards, and 65+ languages that runs on any device you already own.
Open the builder, build a board, start tapping. The interface is intuitive enough for a child to explore independently. No SLP appointment required to get started — just communication, right now.
This is exactly what your child sees on any device. Tap tiles to build a sentence, then press Speak. Every tap is one step closer to being understood.
Child covers ears, rocks back and forth. Teacher doesn't understand what's wrong. Meltdown escalates. Child is removed from assembly. Labeled as "disruptive."
Child taps: "I need a break" + "too loud." Teacher immediately understands. Child moves to quiet room. No meltdown. Dignity preserved.
Doctor asks "Where does it hurt?" Child can't respond. Parent guesses. Doctor guesses. Wrong treatment. Unnecessary follow-up. Child's pain unaddressed.
Child taps: "stomach" + "hurts a lot." Doctor gets clear information. Correct treatment. Child feels heard for the first time in a medical setting.
Parent orders for the child. Child gets something they don't want. Frustration. Tears. Family leaves early. "Maybe we shouldn't go out."
Child taps: "I want" + "chicken nuggets" + "juice." Waiter takes the order. Child beams. Family finishes dinner together. Independence.
Parent asks "How was school?" Silence. Parent tries yes/no questions. Limited information. Both feel disconnected. The day remains unknown.
Child navigates to their day board and taps: "school" + "happy" + "played" + "friend." Parent knows their child had a good day. Connection.
You've seen the frustration when they can't express what they need. The tears when they can't tell you what hurts. The look in their eyes that says "I understand everything — I just can't say it." TinkySpeak gives them the bridge.
No waitlists. No insurance battles. No appointments needed. No complicated setup. No purchase. Open the builder and start right away.
Free in your browser. No account, no purchase, nothing to install.
Start from 2,600+ tiles and 159+ boards, then share to any device by QR code.
Your child taps tiles and the board speaks. Communication, right now.
My son said "I love you, Mom" for the first time using TinkySpeak. He's seven. I've waited his entire life to hear those words. The tiles gave him the voice he always had inside.— Sarah M., parent of an autistic child
TinkySpeak supports the AAC hierarchy from aided language stimulation to independent communication. Built to support SETT-based AT decisions. No PHI for us to hold. Customizable to therapy goals.
Addresses Student, Environment, Task, and Tool considerations. Pre-loaded boards cover core vocabulary while custom boards support individualized goals. Works across settings — school, home, community.
No accounts, no cloud, no data harvesting. Communication data stays on the device, and when you share it's encrypted device-to-device — nothing reaches our servers. There's no PHI or student record for us to hold, which is exactly the privacy posture hospitals, clinics, and district IT policies require. No BAA needed — there's no data on our side to protect.
Use the free Board Builder to create custom boards matching IEP goals. Add vocabulary for specific therapy targets. Modify layouts for motor planning consistency. Export and share boards across devices.
Bilingual families don't need separate devices. Switch tile display language instantly. Spoken output in any supported language. Critical for culturally responsive therapy with multilingual families.
| Feature | TinkySpeak | Proloquo2Go | TouchChat | LAMP WFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | $250/year (app only) | $300 (app only) | $300 (app only) |
| Device required? | No — runs on any device you own | Yes — requires iPad ($330+) | Yes — requires iPad ($330+) | Yes — requires iPad ($330+) |
| Works offline? | Speaks offline once a board is open | Mostly (some features need internet) | Mostly | Mostly |
| Languages | 65+ languages built in | 18 languages | English only | English only |
| Setup time | 0 min — open and go | 1-3 hours with SLP | 1-3 hours with SLP | 2-4 hours with SLP |
| Data collection | None — zero data | Usage analytics collected | Usage analytics collected | Usage analytics collected |
| Account required? | No accounts ever | Apple ID + app account | Apple ID + app account | Apple ID + app account |
| Custom boards | Free Board Builder | Built-in editor | Built-in editor | Limited customization |
| Lose your device? | Re-open on any other device — free | Buy new device + re-license | Buy new device + re-license | Buy new device + re-license |
No. Research consistently shows that AAC does not prevent speech development — it actually supports it. Studies by Millar, Light, and Schlosser (2006) found that AAC use either maintained or increased natural speech production in the vast majority of cases. Think of AAC as a bridge, not a replacement. Many children who start with AAC go on to develop spoken language alongside it.
As early as possible. There are no prerequisite skills needed to begin using AAC. Research shows that early introduction (before age 3) leads to the best communication outcomes. However, it is never too late to start. Adults who have never had AAC also benefit greatly from gaining a communication tool.
No formal evaluation is needed to get started. TinkySpeak opens free in your browser and is ready to use right away. While we always recommend working with a speech-language pathologist for comprehensive AAC intervention, TinkySpeak can be used immediately while you wait for evaluations or services. Many families use it as a bridge until formal services begin.
Yes. TinkySpeak is designed specifically for individuals who are minimally verbal, nonspeaking, or have limited spoken language. The visual-first interface with large picture tiles requires no reading ability and no fine motor precision. Children can begin with single-tile communication and progress to multi-tile sentences at their own pace.
Yes. TinkySpeak includes a free Board Builder that lets you create custom communication boards. Add tiles for your child's specific interests, routines, foods, people, and places. Therapists can also create boards aligned with IEP goals. Share any board to another device by QR code — no account needed.
Nothing. TinkySpeak is a free, browser-based AAC board builder — no purchase, no subscription, no account. Traditional dedicated AAC devices cost $5,000–$15,000 and AAC apps run $100–$400 per year, which is exactly the barrier TinkySpeak removes. It runs on any device you already own.
Because TinkySpeak runs in the browser, you can simply open it on another device and re-share your board by QR code. There's no single piece of hardware to lose or replace. Communication shouldn't depend on one device surviving every day of use.
TinkySpeak is a communication tool, not entertainment. It's a board your child uses to speak — no YouTube, no games inside it. Screen time guidelines from the AAP specifically exclude assistive technology from screen time limits. On a device you control, you can keep the focus on communication.
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