Apps For Children With Special Needs

Assistive Technology

In today’s technology-driven society, assistive technology has the ability to simplify the educational process for not only atypical children but also neurotypical children. Several studies indicate that computer-based technology can play an especially important role in empowering children to excel both in the classroom as well as in the community.

There are lots of educational apps out there; and some of which have been purposely designed for parents, teachers, and therapists to assist special needs individuals. The following is a selection of such apps:

1) Learn with Rufus: Emotions

(Source: Amazon)

The app aims to help children learn the facial expressions that correspond to feelings and emotions including happy, sad, angry, afraid, disgusted, and surprised. Children will learn how to identify easier fully-formed emotions and more difficult subtle emotions. The game is highly customisable to meet the needs of children with varying skills, ability levels, and learning styles. This game was designed by Dr Holly Gastgeb, a clinical and developmental psychologist with over ten years of experience working with typically developing children and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Compatibility :

Apple, Android

Special Needs :

Autism, Learning Challenges & Developmental Delays

2) Montessori Numbers for Kids

(Source: Wired.com)

Montessori Numbers is designed to help build sound mathematical foundations in children aged 3-7 by using a concrete, visually significant material inspired from the Montessori methodology. Learn to understand quantities and numbers, learn the numerals and build numbers from 0 to 1000. Montessori Numbers offers a sequence of guided activities that gradually help children reinforce their skills. The app can be used with children aged 3-7. Each activity offers several levels of increasing complexity.

Compatibility :

Apple

Special Needs :

Autism, Learning Challenges & Developmental Delays

3) Proloquo2Go

(Source: Closingthegap.com)

Proloquo2Go is an award-winning symbol-based communication app that gives a voice to those who cannot speak. Over 200,000 people already use this AAC app as a powerful tool for expressing themselves and increasing their communication skills and language development. Its innovative features let users, parents, teachers and therapists quickly personalize the app. Proloquo2Go is an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) app used by people with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses. It is available in English, Spanish, French, and Dutch for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Apple Watch.

Compatibility :

Apple

Special Needs :

Autism, Down syndrome & Cerebral Palsy

4) iCan | Special Educational Fun

(Source: apple app store)

iCan | Special Educational Fun contains a plethora of educational videos and games that can help children with special learning differences improve their emotional, cognitive, self-care and academic skills. With the app, children can practise daily routines, understand literacy and numeracy, build independence and develop better social skills. iCan is applicable for both individual and group learning settings.

Compatibility :

Apple, Android

Special Needs :

Autism, Learning Challenges, Developmental Delays & Kids of All Abilities

5) Video Schedule Planner

(Source: goodkarmaapplications.com)

Visual Schedule Planner is completely customizable Audio-Visual Schedule/ Calendar specifically designed for individuals with who may benefit from the use of visual supports to ease transitions, anxiety or for those who may need a way to visually represent the “events” in their day. This is especially true for people with special needs such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, aquired brain injuries, learning challenges, auditory proccessing disorders and developmental delays.

Compatibility :

Apple

Special Needs :

Autism, Learning Challenges, Auditory Processing Disorders & Developmental Delays

6) The Sounding Out Machine – Assistive Reading Device

(Source: Itunes Apple)

The app helps children focus on challenging words in their texts, and then models how to sound out those words. Teachers love to sit next to students and listen to them read. They model how to chunk words, break them into syllables and use phonics skills to figure them out. But teachers don’t have enough time to sit with all their students as much as they would like. The Sounding Out Machine does for students what a teacher would do if I she were sitting next to them.

Compatibility :

Apple

Special Needs :

Autism, Learning Challenges & Developmental Delays

7) Super Why! ABC Adventures

(Source: Android Quality Index)

The Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner app is designed to provide children with practice with key literacy skills as identified by the National Reading Panel. Children will work with both upper and lower case letters to learn letter identification and order, encoding and decoding letter sounds, as well as letter writing. SUPER WHY ABC Adventures is part of PBS KIDS’ ongoing commitment to helping kids build the skills they need to succeed in school and in life. PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital media, as well as community-based programs.

Compatibility :

Apple, Android

Special Needs :

Autism, Learning Challenges, & Developmental Delays