New learning app for differently-abled children

A picture-based mobile application will now be able to help speech impaired and differently-abled children in learning through augmentative and alternative communication.

The app named 'Vaakya' was launched by a school here.

The application is immensely helpful for persons who are speech impaired, affected by autism, cerebral palsy and various other mental and physical conditions, Director of Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan Vandana Sharma said.

She said that it is an augmentative and alternative communication tool and can also be used during rehabilitation.

The app creates a combination of custom images and phrases, which can be related to an individual user in order to effectively communicate, she said adding that it does not rely on internet connectivity and utilises the phone's own memory only.

The app will be available for free download from February 16, she said.

"With Vaakya, our mission is to give the specially-abled a tool to communicate efficiently and make them independent and self-reliant," Sharma said.

The school is run by the Ponty Chadha Foundation and is for the specially-abled children.