By Little Words Editorial · Editorial standards · Updated August 10, 2026
What is the NovaChat and who makes it?
The NovaChat is a dedicated speech-generating device (SGD) from PRC-Saltillo, one of the longest-standing AAC companies in the US. It originated on the Saltillo side of the organization as a lightweight device for active communicators [2]. Your child taps symbols and the device speaks, exactly like an AAC app, but the hardware is purpose-built: rugged wrap, easy-grip handles, a tempered-glass screen protector, and a speaker built for real rooms rather than headphones [1].
Under the hood it runs on an Android platform, but it is not a general tablet. It ships as a communication device, which is exactly what makes it fundable as durable medical equipment [1]. If you are earlier in the journey and still sorting out what AAC even is, start at our AAC basics hub.
What sizes and hardware options exist?
PRC-Saltillo's product-family overview lists two screen sizes, eight and 10 inch [2]. Smaller favors portability and younger hands; larger favors visual access and bigger button targets. The right call depends on your child's vision, motor precision, and how the device travels, which is an evaluation question rather than a shopping one.
Access accessories are a real strength of the line: integrated keyguard and TouchGuide mounting points to reduce accidental activations, shock-absorbing wraps, screen protectors, and an InputStick accessory for computer access [1]. If your child needs eye gaze rather than touch, say so early; that usually points the evaluation toward different hardware entirely.
What vocabularies does a NovaChat run?
PRC-Saltillo lists four main vocabulary options for the NovaChat family [1]:
- WordPower: the widely used word-based vocabulary, the same family of page sets many SLPs know from TouchChat.
- MultiChat 15: a 15-button-per-page layout style aimed at emerging communicators.
- LAMP Words for Life: the motor-planning vocabulary; see our LAMP vs Proloquo comparison for how that approach differs.
- Communication Journey: Aphasia: designed for acquired language loss, mostly relevant to adults.
The vocabulary decision matters more than the hardware decision. It shapes how your child's motor memory builds, and switching later is costly. This is exactly what ASHA's feature-matching process in an AAC evaluation is for [3].
How much does a NovaChat cost, and how do families fund one?
Here is the honest answer most pages skip: PRC-Saltillo does not publish a list price on the NovaChat page [1]. Dedicated devices are quoted through a funding process, and the overwhelming majority are not cash purchases. Third-party sites sometimes float dollar figures; we could not verify them against the manufacturer, so we do not repeat them.
What is verifiable is the funding map. PRC-Saltillo states that speech-generating devices can be funded by Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and military insurance [1]. The practical route: an SLP runs an AAC evaluation, recommends the device and vocabulary, and a funding packet goes to the payer. The company's funding team exists to push that paperwork through.
The school route runs in parallel. Under IDEA regulation 300.105, schools must ensure assistive technology is made available if the IEP requires it, and the IEP team can require school-purchased devices to go home when the child needs them there to receive FAPE [4]. Our guides on getting the school to provide a device and AAC funding lay out both tracks step by step.
What about the warranty and support?
The NovaChat carries a five-year standard warranty, and PRC-Saltillo offers a Peace of Mind Warranty described in their words as unlimited repairs for devices and accessories, no matter how often or why [1]. That coverage is a core part of what the funded price buys. The company also runs structured training through its AAC Learning Journey resources, so parents and school teams are not left to figure the device out alone [1].
When is a NovaChat the right call, and when is an app better?
| Question | Points toward a NovaChat | Points toward an app on a tablet |
|---|---|---|
| Price and funding | You qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, commercial, or military insurance funding of an SGD | You are paying out of pocket and need to start this month: see Proloquo2Go or TouchChat |
| Access and eligibility | An SLP evaluation recommends a dedicated device; durability and keyguards matter | Touch access on a family iPad already works well in trials |
| Daily reality | AAC is the primary voice all day, across school, home, and outings | AAC use is emerging and you are still testing approaches with free tools |
| When NOT to choose it | Do not pursue a NovaChat before an AAC evaluation, and do not buy any device while the school's assistive technology process is mid-stream; sequence them instead. If budget is the constraint, start with free AAC apps while funding moves. | |
What are the honest limitations?
The funded route is slower than a store purchase: evaluation, paperwork, payer review, and delivery all take time. The device is locked to its communication job, which is the point, but it means no consumer apps and a second device in the bag for everything else. And because pricing is not public, comparison shopping in the usual sense is not possible; your leverage comes from the evaluation and the payer process, not from a coupon.
None of that argues against the NovaChat. It argues for starting the process earlier than feels natural, and for keeping communication going with interim tools while it runs. ASHA is clear that there are no prerequisites for AAC intervention, so nobody has to wait for hardware to start communicating [3].
What this page can and cannot tell you
This page gives you the manufacturer-verified facts as of August 10, 2026: sizes, vocabularies, warranty terms, and the funding rails PRC-Saltillo itself names. It cannot tell you whether your child needs a dedicated device, an app, or both over time. That is a feature-matching decision made in an AAC evaluation with an SLP [3]. Home practice and parent tools supplement that professional process; they never replace it. If communication is a concern today, request the evaluation now.
How Little Words fits alongside a NovaChat
Little Words is not an AAC device and is not in the NovaChat's lane. It is a voice-first practice companion, built by a dad, where kids ages 2 to 8 play and talk with Buddy, with support through age 10. For families whose child uses a dedicated device, Little Words is sometimes the low-pressure spoken-practice layer between therapy sessions, alongside the device, never instead of it.
Questions parents ask about the NovaChat
Who makes the NovaChat and what is it?
The NovaChat is a dedicated speech-generating device from PRC-Saltillo, developed on the Saltillo side of the company as a lightweight device for active communicators. It runs on an Android platform but works as a locked-down communication device, not a general tablet.
What sizes does the NovaChat come in?
Two screen sizes, eight and 10 inch, per PRC-Saltillo's own product-family overview. Size choice usually follows your child's vision, motor access, and portability needs, which an SLP works through during the evaluation.
How much does a NovaChat cost?
PRC-Saltillo does not publish list prices on the NovaChat page. Dedicated speech-generating devices are normally quoted through a funding process rather than sold off a shelf, and most families do not pay cash. Treat any third-party price you see online as unverified.
Does Medicaid or insurance cover the NovaChat?
PRC-Saltillo states that speech-generating devices can be funded by Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and military insurance. The route runs through an SLP evaluation and a funding packet, and the company's funding team supports the paperwork.
What vocabularies can a NovaChat run?
PRC-Saltillo lists WordPower, MultiChat 15, LAMP Words for Life, and Communication Journey: Aphasia for the NovaChat family. Your SLP picks the vocabulary during feature matching, and that choice matters more than the hardware.
What warranty does the NovaChat have?
A five-year standard warranty. PRC-Saltillo also offers a Peace of Mind Warranty described as unlimited repairs for devices and accessories, no matter how often or why. Consumer tablets do not come with anything like that.
Should we get a NovaChat or just put an app on an iPad?
Different tools for different situations. An app on an iPad is cheaper and faster to start if you pay out of pocket. A NovaChat is durable medical equipment: funded through insurance rails, built rugged, with a five-year warranty and a locked-down focus on communication. If AAC will be your child's primary voice all day, ask your SLP about a dedicated-device evaluation.
Sources
How this page was checked: we re-verified every product fact against PRC-Saltillo's own pages on August 10, 2026, and linked every clinical statement to its source below. Third-party price rumors we could not verify were left out.
- PRC-Saltillo: NovaChat: Android platform, tempered-glass screen protector, five-year standard warranty, Peace of Mind Warranty wording, WordPower, MultiChat 15, LAMP Words for Life, Communication Journey: Aphasia, keyguards and InputStick, SGD funding by Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and military insurance, AAC Learning Journey training. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- PRC-Saltillo blog: the NovaChat product family: available in two screen sizes, eight and 10 inch; lightweight device for active communicators. Published February 24, 2025; accessed August 10, 2026.
- ASHA Practice Portal: Augmentative and Alternative Communication: no prerequisites for AAC, feature matching in AAC assessment. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- IDEA regulation 34 CFR 300.105: Assistive technology: schools must make AT available when the IEP requires it; case-by-case home use. Accessed August 10, 2026.