ConversationBuilder™

What is ConversationBuilder™?

In the ConversationBuilder app, kids can practice social and conversation skills in the context of simulated social interactions.

The ConversationBuilder app is only available in the App Store for $19.99 and is rated for users 4 years of age and older.  This app does feature in-app purchases but there are no advertisements.

Starting with a image of a social setting and typical participants, users select from a multiple choice list of appropriate interactions and record themselves reading the sentence. 

Conversations can continue for up to eight exchanges, with your child selecting and recording responses, then watching how the participants react to their choices. Modeling the flow of conversation visually, with text and pictures, helps students learn when and how to effectively ask questions, make observations, or change the subject.

Possible conversation topics include conversation topics they are likely to encounter in age-appropriate social settings, such as entertainment, school, sports, and relationships.

Scenarios can be adjusted for variable numbers of participants and who initiates the exchange. Simulated conversations can be recorded and shared with parents or teachers for review and recommended improvements.

With over one hundred scripts and the option to customize scenarios to their developmental objectives, the ConversationBuilder app can be a productive tool for practicing social interactions in a controlled, comparatively stress-free way. It can also be beneficial for individuals on the autism spectrum.

Kids who can independently operate touchscreen electronic devices should be able to explore ConversationBuilder more or less on their own, while individuals with motor coordination disabilities or impaired vision may require a sighted companion or assistance with the controls. Non-verbal kids can still select conversational options on their own, recording responses with their preferred communication device if available.

Online reviews note a few issues with the ConversationBuilder app. It can be unclear which option is the “correct” choice in more complex social interactions, especially those involving sarcasm or hostile interactions, and the included scenarios could do with more racial and ethnically diverse participants.

ConversationBuilder has won multiple awards since its release, including: 

• Top Ten SN apps of all time - Technology Horizons in Education 
• Top Social Skills App of 2012 - Consonantly Speaking 
• 2012 Top 10 Speech Therapy App - Mom's with Apps 
• 2012 Top 10 Speech Therapy App - Let's Talk SLP 
• 2012 Top 10 Speech Therapy App - Peachy Speech 
• 2012 Top 10 Speech Therapy App - Speech2Me 
• 2nd best Educational App by Smart Apps For Kids

ConversationBuilder was developed by Mobile Education Store LLC as part of its Builder Series of educational apps. Their apps have won over 40 awards, and the developers themselves were named Educational Developer of the Year in 2011 and 2012.