How to calibrate a voice-activated app

When you use a voice-activated app during a speech therapy session, it's vital to make sure the app is calibrated. Otherwise it won't react to the user's voice or, on the contrary, will respond to any noise in the room which would make the exercise less effective. Let's talk about the right way of calibrating — using the example of Leaping Leo!

When calibrating any app, make sure it's not reacting to any noise when you're not talking. In Leaping Leo, the picture of the character stays on the bottom of the screen. To adjust the microphone sensitivity, move the orange circle with arrows towards "high" or "low":

When you make a short noise (say, shorter than a second), the character goes mid-way. This option is important, since in the game a kid should help Leo jump, sometimes very high and sometimes just mid-way.

Finally, make a long sound (longer than one second) and make sure the picture in circle goes all the way up! That's it, the calibration is over and now is the time to play!

When calibrating any voice-activated app, make sure to check the instruction provided by developer. We would suggest adjusting the scheme we described to each individual situation, if you feel it's necessary. For example, if you're working with a little patient who speaks too quietly and the goal is to encourage them to be louder, make the microphone sensitivity lower so that the kid would have to to speak up. If you know there's going to be some noise in the room that might interfere with a game (we all have been in the situation when construction workers start drilling when you are in the middle of something...) — make the mic sensitivity lower. However, don't do that if you're having a group of students at one session! Better teach them to respect that it's someone else's turn now and ask them to be quiet.

We hope this was helpful! If you have any questions about calibrating Outloud's apps, leave a comment below. If you haven't done so yet, download Leaping Leo from AppStore and help someone speak outloud: