10 Best Autism Apps for the iPad

Use of the iPad by individuals with autism is becoming more and more common and app makers are definitely taking notice. In fact, a recent search of the Apple App Store yielded hundreds of apps with the keyword "autism". Many of these apps are absolutely free so they're definitely worth taking a look at. After all, what is there to lose? Other apps are available at a cost, ranging from a couple of dollars to hundreds of dollars. So how do you determine which apps are worth the price tag? Well, LaptopMag recently compiled a list of the top 10 autism apps available on iTunes. They vary in price and function but have all received positive reviews from the autism community.


Proloquo2Go - $189

One common symptom of autism is a difficulty in speaking or an inability to speak. Proloquo2Go is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app that teaches children how to construct sentences using symbols and pictures. It also has text-to-speech, word prediction, and a customizable vocabulary and interface.

 TouchChat HD - $149

Similar to Proloquo2Go, TouchChat HD is another AAC app, which uses pictograms to help individuals construct sentences. TouchChat has seven English-speaking voices, and sentences can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, text message and email. TouchChat HD Lite ($9.99) lets users build sentences, but does not have audio playback.

First Then Visual Schedule HD - $199

Another issue facing children with autism is that they require a clear, set schedule to help prevent them from acting out as a result of something unexpected. First Then Visual Schedule HD lets you create a pictogram-based schedule, with a timer for each event, that the child can then check off as each task is completed. 

Autismate - $149

Autismate combines features of several apps into one. Parents can set up dynamic scenes, such as a kitchen, where a child can tap on the faucet, and see a video of the proper way to wash one's hands. There's also a visual scheduling feature, and a sentence construction section.

iCommunicate - $49

iCommunicate is a visual schedule planner that lets users record their own audio. The app incorporates text-to-speech with 20 voices including English, Canadian French, Italian, Norwegian, German, French, Spanish, and Swedish. Users can also share pictures and boards via email or iTunes file sharing

 EASe Personal Listening Therapy - $39

Some children with autism will respond to loud noises by acting out. EASe Personal Listening Therapy helps to address this issue by playing short bursts of sound, so a child becomes accustomed to that kind of stimulus. Parents and therapists can adjust the type of sound, duration, aggressiveness, and a number of other factors, depending on the child's responsiveness.

ABA Flash Cards - Free

ABA Flash Cards helps children recognize different emotions and nonverbal cues in others by using flash cards. In addition to the cards that come with the app, users can create their own, and can incorporate audio, too.

Kid In Story - $6.99

Kid In Story places the child as the main character in one of several stories, helping him or her to understand appropriate social behaviors. Using the iPad's camera, you can superimpose your child into the tale, and then use your voice to narrate the story. Eight templates cover topics from washing ones hands to a trip to San Francisco, and users can create their own stories, too.

Autism Tracker Pro - $9.99

Autism Tracker Pro uses a visual calendar so you can track and chart patterns over time, from mood to behavior to health to food. The app also lets you share calendars via email or Twitter, and, for $15, you can track an unlimited number of individuals.

TapToTalk - Free

A simpler version of an AAC app, TapToTalk has an album of images that children can use to construct sentences, which the app then speaks. While not as robust as other apps, it's good for those starting out, and want to get a feel for how these apps work. 

Free Autism Apps for Autism Awareness Month

Happy Autism Awareness Month, everyone!

 In a previous post, I detailed exactly how expensive it can become to stock an iPad with apps for our children and students with autism. This month, however, the folks over at Kindergarten.com are making it a little bit cheaper. In honor of Autism Awareness Month, Kindergarten.com is offering all of their updated apps for FREE! Apps are available for both the iPad and the iPhone/iPod.

Unfortunately, this broke college student doesn't own an iPad or iPhone/iPod so I was not able to download any of the apps myself. My roommate was able to put some of the apps on her iPhone and said that her students loved using them. Hopefully by next April I will finally be able to afford an iAnything so that I can get my hands on some of these apps. Until then, here's a sampling of what they're offering:

ABA Receptive Identification by Noun app helps children comprehend simple instructions and practice effective listening skills.  With over 300 unique, colorful, concrete images your child will be asked with mixed and varied phrases to identify common everyday objects and people. When your child responds appropriately they are highly reinforced with verbal praise and random visual praise.

ABA Receptive Identification by Class app was created using over 350 beautiful, concrete photos presented against a non-distracting white background.  Every image has been carefully selected for its familiarity, appeal to children and developmental value.  We have added a new expressive language Q&A component to this app.  The child is asked to receptively identify an item by class then asked to (intraverbally) name additional items within that same class.

ABA Alphabet Flash Card app will have your child navigating through the ABCs by pairing colorful images presented against a non-distracting white background while hearing and seeing their respective first letters. With language development in mind, we’ve included a simple Q&A at the bottom of each page encouraging children to think about other words that begin with each letter of the alphabet.

ABA Animal Flash Cards. Lions, tigers and bears, oh my! Even if you can’t visit the zoo in person, your child can learn that sharks are older than dinosaurs and that giraffes sleep standing up with kindergarten.com’s Animal Flash Cards. Your child will be captivated by our vivid images of over 100 animals. With early language development in mind, we’ve included a textual and audio description so your child may begin to develop and comprehend further language concepts.

Local Connections

When I first created this blog, I set up Google alerts for myself focused on the words "autism" and "iPad". This week I was thrilled to open my e-mail and see an article from a local Patch website featured. The Hatboro-Horsham Patch recently wrote an article highlighting Specialized iPad Services, a technology learning lab in Hatboro.

The mother of a son with autism, Karen Velocci opened the learning lab after realizing that there was a great need for technology education in the special needs community. She found that using the iPad was a great motivator for her own son and wanted to teach other parents and students how to harness new technology to allow individuals with autism to communicate.

One of Velocci's clients said that a scary experience with her own son led her to realize the true importance of technology-based communication.

One of Velocci's students, along with her 14-year-old non-verbal son Michael, Kuepper said the interactive approach has helped him to communicate better and learn more. 

"My son has seizures. He had a seizure one day," Kuepper said. "I thought we lost him."

When he woke three hours later, Kuepper said she asked him how he was feeling. He immediately grabbed his iPad, launched Proloquo2Go and went into the "feelings" category.

"He pushed, 'I'm scared,' " Kuepper said. 

The Specialized iPad Services learning lab is definitely a welcome addition to the local community, and I can only hope that parents and students in the area take advantage of their trainings.

The Cost of Communication

One does not have to be the parent or teacher of a child with autism to know that Apple's iPad is not cheap. In fact, for some families it can definitely break the bank. Families caring for children with autism already deal with the costs of specialized childcare, therapies, and adaptive equipment so asking them to shell out an additional $500 or more for an iPad might understandably be met with some resistance. For these kids, talk definitely isn't cheap. In fact, here's a breakdown of costs one might incur in order to get an iPad for their child:

iPad 16G -               $500
Sturdy Case -             $60
Proloquo2Go App - $190
_____________________
Total Cost:               $750

Spending $750 just for a basic iPad setup is not something that most parents can do at the drop of the hat. However, parents and teachers who don't have the available funds to get an iPad for their kids shouldn't give up hope immediately. In fact, there are several different approaches one can try in order to get the device for little or no money out of pocket. In a recent feature from the Autism Support Network, Dawn Sconfienza Gaita provides parents with 5 steps they can take to get their child's iPad costs covered by medical insurance.
She writes:

"1. Check your medical benefits for your “Durable Medical Coverage.”(Mine covered 50%, but since we had already met our out-of-pocket max, they covered at 100%) 

2. Phone your insurance company and ask, “Please assign me to a case manager that is experienced with special needs children.” 

3. After you are provided a case manager, explain that you need the iPad as an augmentative communication device INCLUDING the Proloquo2go App (or TouchChat, OneVoice, TapToTalk, etc.) Provide comparison costs to a more expensive system such as the Dynavox, and remind them that you are opting for a more cost-effective device. Focus on Proloquo2go (or your chosen Aug Comm app) and that it is being introduced by Speech Therapists and OT’s in public schools for special needs kids, as well as in private therapy… say nothing negative at all. If they have never heard of the Proloquo2go program, ask for their email address to send them a link and/or encourage them to visit the proloquo2go website. You could also provide links to the Youtube demonstrations provided by proloquo2go (or app demos provided on a4cwsn.com). Be sure to ask the case manager for all the necessary approval codes and coverage information so you are aware and comfortable with any out-of-pocket expenses you may incur. They may tell you “NO” at this point. If they do, ask them to email or fax you a letter of denial immediately. Local Developmental Disability Divisions/Boards and many private funding organizations will require a medical insurance denial to apply for funds, so getting this letter can be very helpful. Don’t get discouraged, there are still more ways to get funding! 

4. Find supporting documentation and case studies to include with your claim. Google articles on “iPads for children with special needs” or “benefits for children with [your child’s specific condition] and iPads,” etc. 

5. Copy your most recent speech evaluation and IEP if it indicates anything helpful. And, have every doctor, therapist, school personnel or anyone else write a letter supporting your child’s need for an “Augmentative Communication device such as the iPad with Proloquo2go."

 There are many parents out there who have successfully used this avenue to obtain an iPad with an augmentative communication application. Sometimes, though, insurance companies can give you the run-around and get tricky about what they will and will not cover. Don't give up! The bloggers over at WonderBaby have a list of great suggestions you can use to get that iPad for your kid. They include"

"-Ask your school district - If you feel that your child would greatly benefit from the use of an iPad in school, then these are the people who should be funding the purchase. Of course, the iPad would then be technically school property so you'll want to make sure that they will allow your child to use the iPad outside of the classroom, but that can usually be arranged (many schools send classroom laptops home with students and this would be a similar arrangement).

-Apply for a grant - There are many places that specialize in getting funds to children who need them

-Contact local charities - Local charities are often very happy to help children in their community. Contacting nearby charities can be difficult (first you have to figure out which organizations are in your area and then figure out how to contact them), but often they are more receptive than the big national organizations.

-Do some fundraising - You could begin simply by asking family members to give birthday and holiday gifts in the form of iTunes and Apple gift cards (remember, the Apple card can buy the iPad and the iTunes card can buy apps, but they don't transfer—in other words, you can't buy an iPad with an iTunes gift card)."

iPads may be expensive, but they can be a real investment in your child's future. After all, the functional independence that this kind of communication can provide might be just what your child needs to be successful in their everyday life. It might be a struggle, but there are definitely ways to cut costs and get that device covered partially or fully.

An Update on Carly

Earlier in the week I posted about Carly Fleischmann, someone who I consider to be a pioneer in the Autism-Technology movement. While searching for updates on Carly, I found an article from this past August that detailed a recent struggle Carly had when attempting to travel by plane. Carly was traveling to her home from Los Angeles. As is typical during air travel, Carly was asked to turn off her electronic device (in this case an iPad) during takeoff. The difference here is, Carly uses her iPad as her primary means of communication. By being asked to turn off the iPad, she was essentially asked to turn off her voice. Carly couldn't ask questions of the flight attendants, voice her concerns, or express any discomfort or health needs during that time. For Carly, it was extremely uncomfortable and made her very anxious.

I understand that there is a long-standing rule that says one must turn off electronic devices during take-off and landing. I have always questioned this and wondered how my iPod could really cause enough interference to take down a plane. Still, I have never had an issue taking some time to pause my music and focus on take-off/landing. I don't need the music, but Carly clearly needs the iPad. Without claiming to know anything about the operation of airplanes, I will say that I doubt that making an exception to Carly's circumstance would cause the airline any real harm.

I wonder how the flight attendants would have felt if they were told that they were forbidden to speak during a good portion of the plane ride because it might interfere with operations. It seems like a silly comparison, but this iPad acts as Carly's connection to the outside world. I haven't exactly formed a complete opinion on it yet, but I wanted to present this as some food for though.

You can read the full story here

Carly's Story

Today's post is, perhaps, where I should have started this blog. The first time I ever heard about using technology with individuals with autism was when I heard about Carly Fleischmann. In 2009, Carly was profiled on ABC's 20/20. For years, Carly's parents struggled to find a mode of communication that worked for her. Finally, they discovered that Carly could type. She used a laptop to communicate her needs and wants and showed her parents and teachers that she was not only smart, but funny and insightful. Though Carly did not use an iPad for communication at the time of this profile, I have read that she has since started using one because it is more portable and easier for her to control.

If you have a moment, take some time to meet Carly through her 20/20 profile or follow her on Twitter

Sharia's Story

Sharia was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. Her parents believed that she was simply a late talker, but soon found out that she had some real communication challenges ahead of her. This article tells the story of Sharia's introduction to the iPad and discusses its use as an augmentative communication device.



CNN - iPad gives voice to kids with autism