iPads and smart phones are helping special needs kids do things their parents never thought they could do! With speech apps like Proloquo2Go our kids are able to put their thoughts into words, like “stomach hurts.” Other apps like Dexteria help kids strengthen their fine motor skills.
We’ve been using apps to help James for the last two months. Here are ten apps that have helped special needs kids and typical kids alike:
- iCommunicate for iPad– Allows parents to create visual schedules and flash cards to help their children communicate and understand.
- First Then Visual Schedule– We use “first ____, then ____” with James every day to help him transition between activities. This app allows parents to take and import pictures to kids know what is coming next.
- Model Me Going Places– Helps kids understand what to expect when they go new places like the doctor or mall.
- See. Touch. Learn.– Download libraries of flash cards to create your own slide show for language development.
- ABA Therapy Images– More flash card pictures to help language development.
- JellyCar3– A fun way to develop fine motor skills. My typical six year old’s favorite app!
- Starfall ABCs– Perfect for all kids to learn letter recognition and phonics.
- Dance Party Zoo– Helps kids practice balance and rhythm.
- Look in My Eyes: Steam Train– Helps kids learn to make better eye contact by playing games with trains.
- Smile at Me Zoo– Kids with autism have trouble with social skills like knowing what facial expressions mean. This app helps kids learn to respond to smiling with a smile!
We are so thankful for the help apps have given to develop James’s skills. Do you have any favorite apps I should add to the list?
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Thank you Sandra. These apps are fabulous! I always love hearing other moms share info about educational apps. Thank you so much for sharing your heart and experience with us 🙂
SO wish we could afford an ipad for our son with autism. We could REALLY use so many of these apps and more I’ve found online. So glad there are actual helps available!
We won ours online, Sarah! I’m hoping the new Amazon Kindle Fire (at $199) will offer the same apps and more families will be able to take advantage of these tools.
Oh, I love this post! So helpful. Thanks for sharing!
Those look like great resources!! Have you come across a GOOD speech-to-text app yet? We are desperately in need for a son who CANNOT get words from his brain to paper but can dictate till the cows come home. He’s too old for me to constantly take dictation. At 11, he can tell waaayyyy more than I care to type up for him. 🙂 Ideas?