Grid for iPad App Resources

Grid for iPad App Resourcesđź”—

For a basic overview of the app and how to customize your Grid, check out the articles/links below!

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  1. Select Get Started
  2. Input your information
    • (please note that it is ideal to connect this account to the user or parent as they will need access to this in the future)
  3. Connect to Dropbox if possible
    • (A Dropbox basic account is free to create and will help you back up the vocabulary in the future)
  4. Choose a picture (optional)
  5. Choose your main language
    • (you can change this or add another language once set up is finished)
  6. Choose a voice
    • You can listen to voice options by clicking on the blue play button before you select
  7. Chat history (toggle on or off)
    • If on, this will create a history of your typing and store information
  8. Use online AI tools (toggle on/ off)
  9. Share usage data – decide if you’d like to share feedback with Grid developers

*Please note that this account does not automatically back up your information (follow directions for back up below)

*Note that if you already have an account, you can sign in by selecting Sign in at the bottom left

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There are different vocabulary sets that you can choose from for your Grid App.

Here are a few options that you can choose from:

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You can add additional grid sets for Grid for iPad. This is helpful if you’d like a different type of communication or a different language.

  1. On the grid explorer page, select the three dots in the top right  
  2. Select Add grid set  
  3. Select the category of grid set (symbol communication grid sets, text communication grid sets, etc.)  
  4. Select the grid set and hit Add, it will now appear in the grid explorer

You may also rename these grid sets by following these steps:

  1. Select the three dots to open the settings menu
  2. Select Arrange grid sets
  3. Tap on the grid set you’d like to rename
  4. Type in your new name
  5. Select Done

Watch a video on How to Add a New Grid Set and for additional ways to organize your Grid Explorer

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  1. Open the grid set and navigate to the page to be edited  
  2. Select the three dots in the top right
  3. Select Edit grids 
  4. Select the button to be edited  
  5. A menu will pop up with different options. 
    • For a button that will speak, select Write and speak 
    • If you’d like for it to play a recording select Play a recording
    • If you’d like for it to switch grids, select Jump to another grid
  6. Type the button label in the text area of the button  
  7. It will populate with an image. If you’d like to change the image, select the image, then hit Find image to add a new image. Now, you’ll see a few options to pick from:
    • Select Symbols to browse options
      Select Photo library to pull pictures from the photos app
    • Select Web search to search the internet
    • Select Camera to pull up the camera and take a photo 
  8. Select Done
  9. Select Finish Editing

Check out this video to learn more about editing and customizing buttons

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If you choose to hide buttons in a vocabulary, it is important to have a plan to provide access to more vocabulary! Here are instructions to hide buttons in Grid for iPad:  

To hide one button at a time:  

  1. Go into the grid set you wish to edit and select the three dots in the top right 
  2. Select Edit grids 
  3. Select the button to be hidden  
  4. Select Edit cell 
  5. Select Style 
  6. Scroll to and select Cell accessibility 
  7. Select Hidden
  8. Select Done
  9. Select Finish editing 

How to hide multiple icons at a time:  

  1. Go into the grid set you wish to edit and select the three dots in the top right 
  2. Select Edit grids
  3. Go to Select in top orange banner  
  4. Select the cells that you want to hide  
  5. Select the paintbrush in the top right to pull up the style menu  
  6. Scroll to and select Cell accessibility 
  7. Select Hidden
  8. Select Done
  9. Select Finish editing 

Watch a video on hiding a cell or button

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It’s important to back up your Grid for iPad so you don’t lose any of your customizations.

Check out this article for the full instructions!

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  1. Select the three dots in the upper right
  2. Select Settings
  3. Select Speech
  4. Select Speaking voice
  5. Choose from available voices
    • You can listen to these voices by selecting the blue play button
  6. To change the speed, pitch, and volume of the voice, go back to Speaking Voice and select Configure
  7. Use the sliders to change the speed (right for faster, left for slower) pitch (right for higher, left for lower) and volume (right for louder, left for quieter).
    • You can test how the voice sounds by selecting Speak at the bottom
  8. Select Done

Click here for a detail video of this feature

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It can be helpful to hide access to settings and edit mode in apps to prevent unwanted changes. Below are a few options to help manage unwanted changes to the app or device

To hide access to settings/editing from within the app:  

  1. Open iPad settings and select Apps on the left hand side  
  2. Select Grid on the right hand side 
  3. Toggle off Display options in menu bar 
  4. When in Grid for iPad, the three dots in the top right corner will disappear

If you would also like to restrict access to just this app, you can lock the device with guided access.

In Guided Access, if you’d like to lock out parts of the screen:  

  1. Triple click home button or power button to end guided access 
  2. On screen that says ‘start’ and ‘resume’, circle areas of the screen that will be locked
  3. A gray area should appear around these areas when guided access is turned on  

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How to access grid sets in other languages:  

  1. On the Grid Explorer page, select the three dots in the top right  
  2. Select Add grid set  
  3. Select English (United States) in the bottom of the pop up  
  4. Select the needed language and then browse the available grid sets in that language  

How to create a button to toggle between two languages:
  

  1. Both grid sets must first be added to the Grid Explorer 
    • On the grid explorer page, select the three dots in the top right  
    • Select Add grid set  
    • Select the category of grid set (symbol communication grid sets, text communication grid sets, etc.)  
    • Select the grid set and hit Add, it will now appear in the grid explorer
  2. Navigate to the page you want the button to the other grid set to be
  3. Select three dots in the top right
  4. Select Edit grid  
  5. Choose a blank button to edit 
  6. Select show more
  7. Select magnifying glass in top right search actions for ‘change grid set’ and select it  
  8. Under ‘commands’ on the right side of the screen, select Select in blue and choose the name of the grid set to link to  
  9. Select the text area on the button to edit the button label and image 
  10. Select Done
  11. Select Finish editing

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Remote Editing can be used to remotely access a Grid for iPad user from a Windows device and make changes to their grid sets

Watch a video on how to remote access Grid for iPad

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How to access interactive grid sets:  
Grid for iPad offers interactive and educational grid sets. These include activities such as visual scenes, animated activities, and books.  Here’s how to access them:

  1. Go to the grid explorer page
  2. Select the three dots in the top right
  3. Select Add grid set
  4. Select Interactive learning grid sets or Education grid sets

Chat Switcher:  
Chat Switcher is a multi-tasking option that makes it easy to switch between conversations in Grid using a single click.

NOTE: The Fast Talker used in the video is not available on Grid for iPad but the Chat switcher function can be added to any grid set in Grid for iPad 

How to Access AI Fix Feature:
The AI-powered Fix tool helps corrects text and grammar mistakes with one click.

If you need assistance customizing AAC settings for your client’s specific needs, our AbleCARE SLP Empowerment team is here to help! Feel free to reach out for support with programming your speech apps to suit your client’s abilities best. 

Email: [email protected] 
Phone: 651-294-3101 
Schedule a Meeting

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