TalkTime with Tucker is a voice-activated program that encourages children with speech impairments to vocalize. Talk or makes sounds into the microphone and Tucker moves and talks.

Unlike voice recognition programs which require precise and accurate speech input, this program accepts a broad range of sounds and/or speech to make Tucker come alive. Almost any input is followed by an appropriate response.

Objectives:

• To encourage children to practice a variety of vocalization skills and to experiment with the duration, pitch, and volume of their utterances

Suggested for:

• Children with language-learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, physical impairments, visual impairments, and autism

• Voice-activated animation routines
• Imaginative colorful scenes
• High quality speech output
• Accessibility with microphone, keyboard, or single switch

• Encourages expressive verbalization
• Fosters conversational turn-taking
• Promotes exploration of duration, pitch, and volume
• Builds imagination and confidence

Five activities accommodate a wide range of children at different functioning levels. During each adventure, Tucker encounters a variety of characters that do wondrous things when he talks to them.

On Stage
This activity trains cause and effect and turn-taking. As Master of Ceremonies at the Amazing Animal Show, Tucker commands a variety of animals to do silly tricks. Any sound a child makes causes an animal to perform an amusing stunt.

On the Farm
This activity encourages children to imitate animal sounds. As Tucker walks around the farm, each animal makes its sound and asks Tucker to repeat it. Then the animal gives him something special to put in his wheelbarrow.

A Walk in the Woods
This activity is designed to increase the length of a child's vocalizations. By talking into the microphone, children make things (such as a caterpillar, a bird's eggs, and tadpoles) change. The longer they vocalize, the more they'll see happen.

Fantasyland
This activity encourages children to experiment with the volume of their voices. As Tucker walks toward the castle, children can speak louder to make him fly. Along the way, mystical characters obstruct his path and ask children to say something to get by.

Let's Talk with Casey the Chameleon
This activity is designed to encourage natural communication exchanges. Casey the Chameleon asks Tucker a series of open-ended questions. After the child answers, Casey responds by transforming into the object he is talking about