TapSpeak Button is a simple ‘button’ that speaks for you. Considering that fact, it’s named quite appropriately, no? It’s a communication app that’s aimed mainly at those who are more severe, such as someone who is non-verbal and has limited motor skills. Keeping that in mind, TapSpeak does it’s job perfectly. You can record multiple messages. One touch of the big round button plays the message you choose.

You can make the button 1 of 4 colors, red, blue, green, or yellow. After you record your messages these are the steps you’d take to use TapSpeak Button. 1- You select the message you want. 2- The screen flips and all you see is a black background with a single big round circle. 3- Touch that circle (the button) and your message plays. 4- Touch the circle again to repeat your message or press the little ‘Messages’ button to return to your messages to select another one. One at a time you can play your messages. That’s it!

TapSpeak Button fills a void left by all the other communication apps. It makes sure there’s an AAC app for those with limited motor skills. And there’s a version for both the iPhone/iPod Touch as well as the iPad. For those who require a larger button the iPad version should work marvelously. Little else remains on the screen when the button is there, and that’s perfect. The button dominates the real estate making it easy to hit the target. You can even set it so the button makes a clicking sound as it’s pressed.

It’s hard to knock this iPhone app. I guess the buttons could look more like real buttons? But how much does that affect the usefulness of TapSpeak? It’d be nice if I could decide how many buttons to display on the screen. Perhaps I’d like to have two buttons on the screen at the same time instead of just one. It’d be nice if you could assign a certain color to a certain button instead of the color affecting all buttons. How ’bout an argyle button to match my socks? Yes, some of these requests for additional customizations are ridiculous. I could knock it for being so simple, but it’s designed to be simple for a reason. This app does it’s job with no real downfalls to mention and it addresses the needs of the more severe population.

By-the-way, the iPad version adds lots of features that the iPhone/iTouch version doesn’t have! Some of those features include the DynaVox/Mayer-Johnson PCS icon library, external switch support, the ability to use your own images as buttons, and a lot more.