Age Suitability Documentation

1. App Content Description

Overview

Chatter Labs Speech and Language Games is an educational application designed for children ages 3–12, including those with speech sound disorders, language delays, or learning differences. All content is professionally curated by licensed Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs). The app contains no advertising, unsafe links, or social features.

Content Types

• Text: Simple instructions, target words, sentences, and quizzes.
• Images: Child-friendly illustrations of everyday objects, actions, and environments. No violence or commercial branding.
• Audio: Pre-generated audio for each word, sentence, or quiz to support children who cannot read.
• Video: None.
• User-Generated Content:
  • No text uploads, photo uploads, or public sharing features.
  • Children may speak into the microphone for articulation games (subscription required for parental consent).

Learning Objectives

• Develop auditory discrimination using minimal pairs.
• Support vocabulary, sentence construction, and text comprehension.
• Provide guided phonological awareness games to support early literacy skills.
• Improve articulation for specific sounds (phonemes) or words.

All exercises follow evidence-based speech and language methodologies.

2. Screenshots and Examples

Representative Screenshots

Screenshots used in the App Store will include examples from each game and dataset:

• The Chatter Labs Games home page.
• Syllable Counting for phonological awareness.
• Feed the Monster for initial and final sound identification.
• Bubble Pop for articulation practice.
• Pirate Cat for articulation practice.
• Adult-gated settings, account, and resources.

Example Interactions

• Choosing between “cat” and “cap” after listening to an audio prompt.
• Seeing an image, hearing a word, and selecting the correct number of syllables.
• Identifying the first letter corresponding to the initial sound in a word.
• Articulating a target word to make the hero throw a blueberry at a target for visual correctness feedback.
• Articulating a target word to pop a bubble for correct pronunciation.

In-App Purchases

• Free tier: daily time-limited access to all content.
• Subscription: unlocks all content without time limits.
• All purchases are adult-gated and follow Apple’s confirmation process.

3. Safety and Privacy Measures

Data Protection

• Minimal data collection (settings and game session logs).
• No advertising.
• Encrypted on-device settings storage.
• Encrypted on-device game session storage (subscription only).
• Parental consent required (subscription) for articulation games where third-party audio processing is needed for gameplay.

Parental Controls

• Only adults can create accounts.
• Children cannot modify settings, access links, or make purchases.
• Child profiles only access assigned activities.
• Adults can set time limits for gameplay.

Content Filtering and Moderation

• All content is pre-created and curated by professionals.
• No open communication, messaging, or public profiles.
• No user-submitted text or images.

Compliance

Fully COPPA compliant:

• No behavioral tracking or advertising.
• Parental consent required (subscription) for storing children’s game session data.
• Parental consent (opt-in required, default opt-out) and acceptance of clear terms and conditions required (subscription) for processing voice recordings via third-party speech processing services, strictly limited to articulation games.
• No audio recordings are saved.
• Parents can review and revoke consent for their child’s data and access to articulation games.
• Transparent disclosures in the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

4. Educational Justification

Pedagogical Basis

Chatter Labs Games uses evidence-based speech and language game methodologies, including:

• Multimodal cueing
• Curated word lists and minimal-pair lists
• Phonetic placement
• Scaffolded repetition and positive reinforcement

Age Appropriateness

• Illustrations depict simple, concrete, everyday objects.
• Activities are short and predictable, supporting children with ADHD or anxiety.
• Visual supports help neurodiverse children stay engaged.

Design Ethics

Guiding Principle:
Research-based therapeutic gamification focused on intrinsic motivation and mastery. The app provides emotionally safe feedback loops that reduce anxiety while building communication skills through consistent, rewarding practice.

Key Design Goals

• Evidence-based progress tracking with meaningful milestones
• Accuracy-focused feedback (not speed)
• Occasional surprises for sustained engagement
• Child-led pacing to support diverse learning needs

The app avoids anxiety-inducing mechanics such as leaderboards, time pressure, or social comparison—aligned with inclusive and accessible design best practices.

Support for Children with Disabilities

• Simplified vocabulary and sentence structures.
• High-contrast auditory discrimination tasks.
• Reduced cognitive load through structured gameplay.
• Step-by-step guidance for motor planning and articulation.

5. Third-Party Content

External Links

• One parent/SLP-restricted link to the official Chatter Labs website.
• No open browsing or external media.

Ads

• No advertisements of any kind.

External Resources

• All content is original to Chatter Labs.
• No internet-sourced or user-generated content.

Inappropriate Content Prevention

• Closed ecosystem with no uploads or searches.
• All images are G-rated and manually reviewed.
• No exposure to uncontrolled external or public content.

6. Rating Justification

Chatter Labs Speech and Language Games is appropriate for ages 4+ because:

• No violence, fear, or disturbing imagery.
• No profanity or mature themes.
• No gambling or financial incentives.
• No social networking or communication features.
• No web access.
• All curated content is educational and child-friendly.