Communication disorders are the most common childhood disabilities. At clinics and schools, many children with communication impairments (CwCI) have the support of speech therapists, as well as peer interaction with other children with similar disabilities. However, at home, the only support many children have is their parents and their opportunity for meaningful play is limited. Connected learning acknowledges the complex and interconnected character of the spaces in which children develop communication skills and recognizes the diverse settings in which learning happens. To bridge the disconnection between home and school-clinic, we designed Super Word, a voice game that allows children to participate in vocabulary exercises at home. This quiz game utilizes receptive language elicitation tasks developed from conventional language assessments (e.g., oral definition, synonyms) and novel sound stimuli to engage children in voice-based therapy exercises. Using the Amazon Echo smart home speaker, this game can be enabled in connected settings like school or the therapist’s clinic. In this demo, we will present the initial design of the game prototype and discuss the evaluation plan to examine differences in the game performance between typically developing children and CwCI. By creating a product that supports learning across time and location, we aim to better serve children, parents, and therapists and promote long-term therapy success.
