A quick blog post today as in ten minutes I’m off for Christmas – and I hope you will all be having a well-deserved rest at this time of year too!
Lots of people may be buying iPads, iPods, other tablets or games for their children this Christmas. I therefore wanted to make an attempt to point people towards some different resources which might help you choose apps or other software for your child. So below I’ve listed some useful websites for reference and also a few technologies which I like the look of – though of course you know your child best and nothing will suit everyone. I hope this is a help though and any comments via email are very welcome. If you’ve had success with a particular technology of any kind with your child – or for yourself as an adult – do let me know and I’d be happy to collect and pass on your advice in a future blog post.
Finally, apologies for the Apple bias in all this. Inevitably because I work with iPads this is what I am most familiar with, but I’m certainly not writing off other tablets or the Android platform more generally.
Useful websites:
Research Autism information about different therapeutic approaches
NAS online forum for discussion – including a few technology specific groups.
Technology for autism information site.
Edinburgh University group supporting and researching technology for assisted learning.
Website reviewing apps for autism.
Website reviewing new technologies for children
And if you’re really keen you can even buy this book about apps for autism: Apps for Autism, by Lois Jean Brady
And here are some specific technologies for autism which I admire. Some of these you can download for free, some are more expensive, some are prototypes, some are really only suitable for classrooms, but I hope you enjoy exploring them a bit, and they might lead you in a useful direction.
Available on iTunes: Once Upon a Potty, Choiceworks, Grace Picture Communication.
ECHOES
Somantics
ReacTickles
MindReading
Transporters
Emotion Trainer
COSPATIAL
and finally FindMe
