Useful Tools: Life Skills Apps
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As parents of children with special needs, we are always looking for ways to use technology and apps to help our children in their daily lives. Here is a list of apps for the iPad and, in some cases, the Android platform that we find particularly useful when it comes to addressing life skills.
Story Creator
by Innovative Mobile Apps
Features we love about this free app are the ability to add text, audio, photos and video. The app also has a custom drawing tool built in as well as the option to have individual words highlighted. Great for creating social stories or sequencing events.
Price at time of review: FREE
Attainment’s Dollar & Cents
by Attainment Company
This is a helpful app for teaching and practicing functional math activities involving money. It is targeted to adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities, including autism. We like the realistic graphics and age-neutral content.
Price at time of review: $59.99
First Then Visual Schedule
by Good Karma Applications, Inc
Excellent visual schedule with options for adding text, audio, photos from camera roll or Google images. Create different schedules for school, home, play, work or any kind of environment. Each schedule can be emailed for sharing and print as a pdf. Interface is simple and can be used with adults.
Price at time of review: $9.99
Model Me Going Places 2
by Model Me Kids, LLC
This photo slideshow can be used with children of preschool age through early high school. The slideshow depicts children of early elementary age through middle school age demonstrating appropriate behavior in social situations. Each of the six social situations is narrated by a child, who speaks in the present tense, about what s/he is doing.
Price at time of review: FREE
Time Timer
by Time Timer LLC
This app is a great tool for anyone (especially visual learners) who could benefit from a visual representation of the abstract concept of increments of time.
Price at time of review: FREE
All About Me Storybook
by I Get It, LLC
This app has a nice interface with compartmentalized areas for storing personal information; helpful for those who are working on memorizing basic information. For those who are nonverbal, it can be a lifesaver by knowing how to share this information, such as an address or phone number if one gets lost in the community. It is “customizable” and you can add photos, audio and text.
Price at time of review: $0.99
Kids Flashcard Maker
by INKids
This is an app to create customized flashcards, but, it is unique in that you can back up the content using iCloud and email your flashcards to another user. It is helpful for teaching vocabulary, helping users learn the name of co-workers, classmates, or family members, place names, etc.
Price at time of review: $2.99
My Pictures Talk – Video Modeling Tool
by Grembe Inc.
This is a useful video modeling tool that does not come preloaded with social stories, but where you can create your own content for your user. Some ways caregivers and teachers helping with transition planning have used My Pictures Talk has been to sequence a photo/video album of sequencing, or what will happen next. It can help reduce anxiety by creating a picture or video slideshow of different activities, such as getting a haircut, doctor’s appointment, etc.
Price at time of review: $2.99
iDress for Weather
by Pebro Productions
One of BridgingApps’ favorite apps for self-help skills. It has a simple 2-page interface appropriate for children and adults. It helps translate visual information into appropriate action. It gives a visual image of the weather outside along with an image of clothing choices for that type of weather. Completely customizable to include user’s own photos of their clothing.
Price at time of review: $1.99
If you are interested in searching for more apps, creating your own list of apps and sharing them, please go to BridgingApps.org. BridgingApps, a program of Easter Seals Greater Houston, is a community of parents, therapists, doctors, and teachers who share information about using mobile devices (iPad, iPhone, and Android) with people who have special needs.
Sami Rahman and Cristen Reat are co-founders of BridgingApps.org. Both are parents who found success when using a mobile device with their child with special needs.
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This post originally appeared on our July/August 2013 Magazine
