Aug 6, 2025 - 

Hi!  We're introducing a preview of our new Smart Buttons feature, available in version Build: 412.0 or greater.  

Smart Buttons automatically change to show the correct grammatical form based on the words already in your sentence bar. This provides clear visual feedback and helps model correct language.

We are incredibly excited about the potential of Smart Buttons and wanted to launch this preview on a few core words because we believe it will be immediately useful.

1. Pronoun Changes: Personal pronoun buttons will automatically change to the correct form when they follow a verb.

   • If your sentence bar says "SEE", the "I" button will automatically change to display "ME".

2. Verb Conjugation: The "BE" verb button will automatically conjugate to the correct present-tense form when it follows a noun.  Examples:

   • If your sentence bar says "YOU", the "BE" button will automatically change to display "ARE".

   • If your sentence bar says "SHE", the "BE" button will automatically change to display "IS".

   • If your sentence bar says "DOG", the "BE" button will automatically change to display "IS".

We hope to expand this feature to all VERB buttons after we collect feedback and see how this feature is received in the wild.  It doesn't stop there.  We have ideas for adjectives/adverbs, pluralizations, and more.  Before we roll this out, we need to carefully explore more complex use cases, like how it will work with our multilingual support, to ensure we get it right.

Want to join the discussion?  Please shoot us a message!  Your real-world insights are the most important part of our design process.  We love hearing from QVoicers and constructive feedback is our love language.

The Vision for Smart Buttons

For many AAC users, particularly those with cognitive challenges, constructing grammatically correct sentences is a significant hurdle. Standard AAC systems often require users to learn separate button locations for different forms of a word, disrupting motor planning and increasing cognitive load. 

The core problem is that traditional AAC buttons are static. There is a need for dynamic, context-aware buttons that can automatically adapt to grammatical context and provide opportunities for vocabulary expansion, all while preserving a user's established motor plan.

Key Goals & Benefits

• Reduces Cognitive Load: The primary goal is to make forming grammatically correct sentences easier. The Grammar Engine automatically handles things like verb conjugations ("YOU" + "BE" becomes "ARE") and plurals ("two" + "dog" becomes "dogs"), so the user doesn't have to search for different word forms.

• Preserves Motor Planning: All variations of a word are consolidated into one button. This means a user only needs to learn one location for a concept like "BE." As their language skills grow, they don't have to relearn a new layout, which is crucial for building speed and confidence.

• Saves Screen Space: By keeping all word forms and synonyms in a single button, Smart Buttons free up valuable space on the screen. This allows for a cleaner layout with more room for other important words.

• Enables Sentence Expansion: For users who can handle more language complexity, the Interactive Sentence Bar provides the tools for precise control. By tapping a word in their sentence, users can open a menu to choose from other grammatical forms, select synonyms, or add articles, allowing them to refine and expand their message.

** Help us build what matters! We focus on creating practical tools people actually use, so if you have feedback for this 'Smart Button' feature or any others, please shoot us a message!  We personally read every submission and promise you'll always hear back from a real human.