Speech/Language? There's an App for That and More!: Sunny Articulation Phonology Test

WOW!!! The Sunny Articulation Phonology Test is a very comprehensive and impressive app that can be used for screening, evaluation, and baseline data. It was developed by a Speech/Language Pathologist. The first feature I liked was that it included a manual. The manual explains exactly how to use the app with instructions and screenshots. There is also information on interpretation of results and frequently asked questions.

The Test:

You begin by adding your student data just as you would for a regular protocol...it automatically calculates the student's age, which was a nice feature! It also stores the date, so if you administer the test fore pre- and post-therapy, you can easily pull up data. It is very easy to add student data and keep records for multiple students.
After you enter the basic information, tap "new" to begin assessment...you will be prompted to choose a "Full Evaluation" or "Screening".
All images are of good size and clarity and are presented on a white background. An auditory model can be provided for the student by tapping the picture. You can also record the student's production by tapping the small 'record' button in the top left corner (grey circle with red middle). The target word is printed phonetically on the top of the screen. You can flip the print (so the child is looking at the picture and the clinician can read the word) by touching the 2 arrows in the right corner. There is a 'home' button that returns you to the home screen. A super feature....if your session ends mid-screen, you can tap the home button. During the next session, simply select the student record and you will return to the last item that was being tested. Each target screen also has a 'notes' button where you can type any additional notes (voice quality, atypical patterns, etc). My FAVORITE feature....If the student misses a target sound (ex: /s/ initial), you can tap on the green phonetic symbol and it will be recorded as an error! Fantastic! Additionally, in the full evaluation mode, when you mark an item as an error, a menu will instantly pop up and you can select if the item was deleted, substituted, etc. If you selected substituted, another menu will pop up and you can select the substituted phoneme. Nice! This is later displayed in the results section.
The Screening has 30 total words, with 65 phonemes. This is a rather nice amount of target words for a screening!
The Full Assessment has 46 total words, with 103 phonemes.
After the assessment, simply tap "Result". You will be asked to select an overall intelligibility rating. This will return you to a data screen. Tap on the record with the date of administration that you would like to see. From there you can view the results based on: word position, manner, and voicing. You can also display the results based on the word list...correct targets appear in green and phonemes in error appear in red.
To print or email the results, select the desired record in the home screen. Next, tap the "+" sign. A menu will appear for: Review Notes, E-mail Results, Review Audio Recordings, and Print Results.

What do I Like?

Very professional appearance and comprehensive manual...you are provided clear and easy instructions on how to use the test/app.
The amount of stimulus targets for the screening and the full evaluation is quite impressive. The screening version has as many targets as some full evaluations, but still only takes a short amount of time to complete.
Students will be VERY motivated to take this test.
The pictures are clear, large, and presented on a white background (no visual distraction)
Each time you advance to the next target, various positive reinforcement in different voices is provided ("Great job!" "Super!" etc.)
Easy to score targets...simply tap the green phonemes if the target is missed.
Note-taking: You can easily take additional notes...there is no need for separate pen/paper.
Record option, and you can later listen to each recorded stimulus.
Results are displayed clearly and in different ways...this is my favorite...I can switch from result to result with the tap of a button.
You can print results (air print or send a copy to email and print from your computer)
You can email the results as well. A nice summary is automatically provided!
Lastly...I am a 'traveling therapist'...meaning I travel between locations. I will no longer have to worry about transporting additional evaluation materials and record forms. I always have my iPad with me, so if I am meeting with a teacher or the parent for consultation, I can quickly bring up results.

Overall, I think this a really super test and app...it is very user-friendly, is comprehensive, and it is a 'must-have' for SLP's!!! It is priced at $49.99, which compared to standard articulation tests, is very modestly priced. For initial qualification criteria however, a test with normative data via such as the GFTA-2, will still be necessary. What I really like is the feature to store data and have it easily available for IEP development and meetings. It will be a great tool for comparing results and measuring progress. I also found another review of this app that indicated it correlates well with the GFTA-2 (click here for the link).

Screenshots from the User's Manual
(**NOTE: click on the screenshots to enlarge them)