Speak AAC is a browser-based augmentative and alternative communication platform designed for children and adults with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, stroke, ALS, and other communication differences. The core app is free for families, forever. Clinic and institution tiers provide provider dashboards, multi-patient management, and HIPAA-compliant data handling. Speak runs on any device — no app store, no proprietary hardware, no specialist required to set up.
- Live at speakaac.org — accessible to anyone right now
- 3,000+ Mulberry symbols — CC BY-SA 4.0 licensed, globally accessible
- 17 diagnosis profiles — auto-configures layout per child
- AI sentence builder — turns symbol taps into full sentences (Claude API)
- Private safety channel — silent alert to trusted adult, cannot be disabled without PIN
- Provider dashboard — session history, communication logs
- PWA installable — home screen icon, no app store required
- Supabase auth + database — secure cloud sync for paid tiers
- Stripe payments + webhooks — live and verified
- GitHub CI/CD pipeline — continuous deployment via Netlify
- Onboarding wizard — under 2 minutes per child
- English + Spanish — bilingual interface
- Privacy Policy — HIPAA-updated, patient rights included, live on site
- BAA template — drafted per 45 CFR § 164.504(e), all 12 required provisions
- HIPAA research — full compliance guide written, CFR-cited
- Row-level security — Supabase RLS isolates clinic data per account
- TLS in transit — all data encrypted via Netlify HTTPS
- Vendor BAAs — Supabase, Netlify, Anthropic — in progress
- MFA on provider logins — in development
- Audit logging — PHI access log table — in development
- Session timeouts — 30-min inactivity on dashboard
- Internal risk analysis — planned (HIPAA required)
- Clinic dashboard cloud sync — patients table + Supabase backend
- SMS emergency alerts — Twilio integration
Speak AAC is registered in SAM.gov and eligible for SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) funding through NIDILRR — the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. Phase I: $150,000 · Phase II: up to $1,000,000. The September 5, 2026 deadline is the target submission. SBIR applications are significantly strengthened by letters of support from licensed clinical partners and by pilot usage data from real patients. Early clinic partners are positioned as co-development contributors in the application narrative.
- Pilot deployment — free Clinic tier access during pilot period
- SLP/provider feedback — inform dashboard and workflow design
- Usage data collection — de-identified, used for SBIR application
- Letter of support — for SBIR Phase I application (Sept 2026)
- Case study — anonymous, used in clinical validation narrative
- BAA execution — before any patient data enters the system