Two women sitting and talking with hand gestures, in a bright room with sunlight streaming in through large windows.

How to use Broca

Aphasia doesn’t just affect the person in recovery. For friends and family, caregivers, medical professionals, and Speech Language Pathologists, there’s a huge need for new ways to understand what our loved one is trying to communicate. Broca is meant to bridge that gap by helping two people have a conversation.

The magic of Broca depends on how you talk to it. For examples of how to best use Broca, check out the scenarios below.

Online chat or survey with questions about pacemaker procedures and recovery process.

At the doctor’s office

Imagine you’re at the cardiologist's office for an appointment before a scheduled pacemaker procedure. You would like to know what questions your partner with aphasia might have about the procedure and recovery.

You say

Do you have any questions about the pacemaker procedure you’re having?

Screenshot of a chat conversation discussing getting help for dad, mentioning Irene, with options for interview assistance, agency recommendation, and professional help.

Discussing overnight help

You want to know if your mom, who has severe expressive aphasia, thinks it’s a good idea to have her caretaker stay overnight occasionally, to help out your dad.

You say

What do you think about getting dad some overnight help?

A text message conversation discussing lunch options and a questionnaire with four options: preferences between patio or indoor seating, prior experience eating at OHSO, craving anything specific, and browsing menus to decide.

Making lunch plans

You’re taking your friend with aphasia out to lunch, and want to know if he has somewhere in mind. You could ask if he wants to go to a usual spot, or try somewhere new. Or you could ask what type of food he’s in the mood for. In this case, you ask for specific restaurant ideas nearby.

You say

Is there somewhere in Scottsdale, east of 40th street, that you want to go out for lunch?

A text message conversation about a haircut at a salon, with options for styling preferences.

At the hair salon

In this scenario, imagine you want to help a family member with aphasia have a conversation with her stylist about how she’d like her hair cut.

You say

Ok, we’re at the hair salon doing your hair. We’re going to do a cut and color today. How much length do you want to take off?

Chat conversation with options for makeup shopping and cleaning out closet, mentioning Jane Irdale, on a screen with a dark background.

Afternoon plans

In this scenario, you’d like to know what your mom, who has aphasia, would like to do this afternoon.

You say

What sounds fun this afternoon? We can look at pictures, clean out your closet, or shop for makeup online?

A few more tips:

  • Broca is designed for a conversation between 2 people. It works by listening to what you say.

  • Adding a bio helps Broca personalize the suggestions on the cards.

  • Sign in and tap “Start a conversation,” then select “Allow microphone” when prompted.

  • Broca is designed for an iPad. Hold the iPad horizontally. Swipe the cards to load more options.

  • Use the “Mute” button (the icon on the right, under the X) for side conversations. It's helpful to be able to mute your audio when you're talking to someone, otherwise the app captures your audio and the suggestions get sidetracked.

  • “Refresh all” or “Change the subject” using the buttons in the bottom left.

  • If the suggestions get off track, “Clear chat” or use the X in the upper righthand corner to exit the app and start over.

  • If the text on the cards is too long, too short, too boring, or not varied enough, tell it to change its responses. Experiment with it, and have fun!