The world's first one-screen AAC system with a phonetic keyboard using Phonemies® as Speech Sound Monsters®, for non-speaking children who aren't yet reading or spelling.

Designed for toddlers. Now being adapted for children who use eye-pointing with a communication partner.

Communication shouldn't have to wait until a child can read, spell or speak.

MySpeekie® is an innovative Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system that uses a phonetic keyboard featuring Phonemies®, our Speech Sound Monsters®, to make speech sounds accessible to children who cannot yet use conventional written language.

Rather than requiring children to recognise letters, spell words or navigate multiple screens, MySpeekie® offers an accessible way to communicate using speech sounds represented by familiar, visually distinctive characters.

Technology supports communication, not screen-based play.

One Screen. Speech Sounds. A Voice.

For a child who cannot yet communicate reliably through speech, being understood can be difficult.

They may know exactly what they want to say but have no reliable way to express it.

MySpeekie® was designed to reduce that barrier.

At the heart of MySpeekie® is a phonetic keyboard using Phonemies®, with Speech Sound Monsters® representing individual phonemes.

These visual representations make speech sounds accessible without requiring children to recognise letters or spell words.

Instead of navigating a conventional AAC system organised around written words and multiple screens, children can use a single-screen interface designed around the sounds of spoken language.

The aim is to support communication while developing children's awareness of the connections between speech sounds and meaning.

Meet the Speech Sound Monsters®

Our Phonemies® are visual representations of phonemes, the individual speech sounds that combine to form spoken words.

Each Speech Sound Monster® represents a particular speech sound.

They provide a consistent visual reference that children can recognise and use without needing to understand the alphabetic code.

By using Phonemies® on a phonetic keyboard, MySpeekie® offers a different starting point for communication: speech sounds rather than written words.

The monsters can also be represented as physical characters, creating opportunities to connect screen-based communication with real-world interaction, play and spoken language.

Designed for Toddlers. Accessible to More Children.

MySpeekie® was developed with the needs of very young children in mind, particularly those who are not yet reading or spelling.

It is intended to support children who:

• Are non-speaking or have limited spoken language.

• Experience speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

• Are autistic and benefit from alternative ways to communicate.

• Cannot yet recognise written words or use conventional spelling.

• Need accessible communication support before developing literacy skills.

• Benefit from visual representations of individual speech sounds.

MySpeekie® is not intended to replace speech, interaction or relationships. It provides another way for children to participate in them.

The objective is communication, not screen time.

Supporting Children Who Use Eye-Pointing

We are now adapting MySpeekie® for children who communicate through eye-pointing with a communication partner.

Some children cannot reliably point to or touch a screen but can deliberately direct their eyes towards a choice.

A communication partner can observe and interpret that choice, supporting the child to communicate without requiring direct touch.

This development aims to extend access to children whose physical abilities may otherwise limit their communication options.

The goal remains the same: making communication accessible without requiring speech, reading or spelling.

From Communication to Independent Word Mapping

MySpeekie® is part of our wider work to make the connections between speech, print and meaning accessible.

Our approach recognises that spoken language, phonemic awareness, reading and spelling are connected, but children do not all develop these abilities at the same pace or in the same way.

MySpeekie® provides access to communication through speech sounds represented by Phonemies®.

MyWordz® extends this work into bidirectional word mapping, allowing learners to explore the connections between speech sounds and graphemes in both directions:

Speech to print. Print to speech.

Powered by Ortho-GraphiX®, our bidirectional word-mapping algorithm, MyWordz® makes these connections visible and accessible at the point of need.

Together, these technologies support our wider ambition to make communication and literacy more accessible while promoting independence.

As much explicit instruction as they need, and no more.
 

Recognised by Innovate UK

MySpeekie® has been recognised through Innovate UK's Women in Innovation programme.

This recognition supports our work developing accessible communication technology, including extending MySpeekie® to children who use eye-pointing with a communication partner.

Our ambition is to remove unnecessary barriers between what a child wants to communicate and their ability to express it.

Read about Emma Hartnell-Baker and MySpeekie® through Innovate UK's Women in Innovation programme.

From Thought to Voice

Every child deserves opportunities to communicate, make choices, express preferences and be understood.

They shouldn't have to wait until they can speak, read or spell.

By combining a one-screen AAC interface with a phonetic keyboard and our Phonemies® Speech Sound Monsters®, MySpeekie® offers a different approach to early communication.

MySpeekie®

From Thought to Voice.

Show the Code. Don't Make Them Wait.