Why I Built Tala
My son Tom is seven and has autism with minimal speech. After three years of arguing with the Swedish healthcare system, we finally got a communication device. It was harder to set up than anything we'd used in years. Couldn't move between devices. Everything was counterintuitive and way too complicated. It felt like 1998.
Clinicians had even argued against giving him one at all — claiming it might hinder his speech. The research says the opposite.
I've spent 20 years building mobile experiences at Spotify, Lifesum & Bloglovin — and I kept asking myself why the neurodiverse community is so underserved, especially the kids who need the most support.
I'm also an artist, and when I looked at what was out there — cluttered grids, tiny stick figures, interfaces designed for clinicians rather than kids — I knew it could be done in a better way. So I built it.
What Tala Does
Tala helps kids like Tom communicate and navigate daily transitions — two things that go hand in hand for families like ours.
- Three languages from day one — Swedish for Tom, Spanish because my mom is from Peru and the Spanish-speaking community is massively underserved, English for the world
- $2.99/month vs $250–300 for existing tools — one subscription works across parents, grandparents, and other loved ones
- AI builds personalized boards in minutes, not weeks
- Playful, clear visuals designed for kids — not clinical spreadsheets
- Free for speech therapists and teachers, because I don't want any kid to ever go without support
Being able to communicate should not be restricted to having an iPad around, the budget for expensive tools, or having spent weeks setting up a board.
Get in Touch
This project was inspired by Tom, and built for families like ours. Please send your feedback to mattias@talaaac.com — I promise to read every message and will incorporate community feedback on an ongoing basis.