Seven Special Needs Apps in the Google Android Market

by Tzvi on Wed, March 9th, 2011 This Post is part six of the Special Needs iPad & App Series. Almost from the day the iPad was launched there was an immediate buzz about the special needs apps that were available in the iPad app store. Apple quickly realized that the iPad was perfectly suited to enhancing the lives of individuals with special needs and created a special education section of the app store. Websites and blogs sprung up dedicated to reviewing apps for Assistive Communication, Social Skills, Life Skills, Scheduling and more. With all the hype surrounding the iPhone & iPad I started to wonder: what if you are a Google geek and prefer the Android platform? Or what if you work for Google (which would mean iPhone & iPad use is prohibited) and you have a child with special needs? Are there any quality special needs apps for Android Phones or Tablets? After digging around online, here are seven Special Needs Android Apps in the Android Market Voice4u Price: $29.99 Link: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.voice4uaac.android.voice4u Voice4u, is a revolutionary picture based AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) application that helps individuals express their feeling, thought, actions and things they need. It is a perfect solution for learning and communication for individuals with autism. Voice4u includes over 150 Pre-loaded icons and lets you create your own icons and categories. TapToTalk Price: Subscription based- $99.95 per child per year Link: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.Assistyx.TapToTalk TapToTalk turns an Android device into an affordable AAC device. TapToTalk displays a set of pictures on the screen. When you tap a picture, TapToTalk plays a word or sentence and displays another screen of pictures. Each of those pictures can lead to another screen, and so on. For example, a picture representing Food can lead to a screen with pictures of Fruit, Vegetables, Sandwiches, Snacks and other foods. JABtalk Price: $9.99 Link: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.jabstone.jabtalk JABtalk is an android application that provides a fresh new approach to speech and communication technology. Speech therapists commonly refer to JABtalk as an easy to use and effective AAC device. By combining personalized voice and images with an extremely simple user interface, JABtalk delivers a speech solution that is both fun to use and easy to learn. Model Me Going Places Price: Free Link: https://market.android.com/details?id=org.cocos2dx.application Model Me Going Places™ is a great visual teaching tool for helping your child learn to navigate challenging locations in the community. Each location contains a photo slide show of children modeling appropriate behavior. Locations include: Hairdresser, Mall, Doctor, Playground, Grocery Store, Restaurant Behavior Tracker Pro Price: $29.99 Link: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mc.btpBehavior Tracker Pro dramatically increased the efficiency of an Autism treatment program. BTP is a behavioral data collection app that allows behavioral therapists, teachers or parents to track and graph behaviors. BTP improves your child’s ABA therapy by capturing behavioral data and translating into an easy to understand graphical format. AAC Speech Buddy Link:www.market.android.com/details?id=com.codedimensions.android.aacspeech Price: $27.99 AAC Speech Buddy create custom PECS Speech Sets. AAC Speech Buddy was created to quickly & easily create custom Speech Sets Online (aacspeech.com) which could be loaded on one or many AAC Speech Buddy Apps. AACSpeechBuddy allows users to quickly and easily create customized Speech Sets using their own photos or collected images, or using images from the AACSpeech.com image repository. iAugComm Price: $4.99 Link: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.ideal.iaugcomm Created by Apps4Android, an Android software development company dedicated to developing Android applications that enhance the quality-of-life, independence and educational success of individuals with disabilities. iAugComm turns your Android into a powerful, high-quality, low-cost AAC device, which can enable individuals who are non-verbal or whose speech is difficult to understand to communicate easily and effectively using a simple, icon-based interface. The Bottom Line If you are in the market for a tablet or smart phone and you plan on using special needs apps, then you definitely should stick to the iPad and iPhone. The Apple App store has a much bigger selection of special education apps to choose from and the Android Market doesn’t have any of the bestselling apps such as Proloquo2Go or iPrompts. Google is just now releasing optimized operating systems for tablet devices. It will be at least a year before the Android Market will be able to compete with the iPad App store.

From our Friends at Smart Apps for Kids

Four FREE Numbertown apps from Digital Storytime!

Carisa from Digital Storytime sent me a note that all four Numbertown series apps are now free! Get them quick because we're not sure how long they're free...

She recommends all four titles and you can get more info and download links from her review pages: Great Snail Race
The Harvest Festival
123 Shape Up Number Town, Learn to Count
A Very Busy Week

http://www.smartappsforkids.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/smartappsforkids

Smart Apps for Kids THANK YOU Free Christmas App

12/03/2011

Free Christmas Apps, Part Two: Cut the Rope Holiday Gift

Thanks to some research with my kids and great reader feedback, I'm going to post about some Christmas apps you can download for free!
(We've taken a quick look at all of these to ensure they're worth the download...)

Next up is Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift...if you haven't tried the Cut the Rope series, now is the perfect time. We've reviewed Cut the Rope: Experiments and the original Cut the Rope if you'd like more information. From iTunes:
A mysterious holiday package has arrived, and the creature inside has only one request…CANDY! Help get the candy to Om Nom, the adorable monster, in this free companion to the highly innovative and addictive puzzle game, Cut the Rope. Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift combines outstanding physics, devilishly tricky levels, and bright colorful visuals with a special winter feel.
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If you would like to purchase Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift, please use the links provided. Thanks for your support!
iPad/iPhone (FREE): U.S. Canada U.K. Australia
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Free Christmas Apps, Part One: Toca Hair Salon Christmas Gift

Link to the site:  http://www.smartappsforkids.com/

Link to Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/smartappsforkids

iPad Apps for Autism

      iPad Apps for Autism

• Model Me Going Places 2 – Social Stories – Free 
• Is That Gluten Free? – Nutrition – $7.99
• Sentence Builder for iPad – Language – $3.99
• TapToTalk – Language – Free
• Story Builder – Language – $3.99
• Understanding Autism – Educational – $2.99
• Proloquo2Go – Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) – $189.99
• Question Builder for iPad – Language – $3.99
• AutoVerbal Talking Soundbox – Language – $9.99
• iCommunicate for iPad – Language – $29.99
• MyTalk Tools Mobile – AAC – $39.99
• iDress for Weather – Life Skills – $1.99
• MyTalkTools Mobile Lite – AAC – Free
• TapSpeak Button for Ipad – Language – $9.99
• Grace – Picture Exchange for Non-Verbal People – Language – $37.99
• Alexicom AAC – AAC – Free
• AACSpeechBuddy – AAC – $44.99
• Visual Impact – Living Safely – Life Skills – $34.99
• Off We Go – Going to the Dentist – Social Stories – $4.99
• Off We Go – Going on a Plane – Social Stories – $4.99

Ohio Center for Autism & Low Incidence Resource

OCALI offers excellent resources in addition to the link of the 17 page booklet about Autism Apps I am going to provide you with the link for the Autism Internet Modules (AIM) it is also and excellent resource!!
This is the link for the booklet about apps http://www.ocali.org/up_archive_doc/Spectrum_Apps_ASD.pdf
This is the link for AIM http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/ 
Let me know what you think!!

This is a GREAT app

Model Me Going Places™
Model Me Going Places™ is a great visual teaching tool for helping your child learn to navigate challenging locations in the community. Each location contains a photo slide show of children modeling appropriate behavior. 6 locations: Hairdresser, Mall, Doctor, Playground, Grocery Store, and Restaurant.
www.modelmekids.com/iphone-app-autism.html

Check it out!!!

Hewlett-Packard to produce FREE autism apps

Tech Giant To Produce Free Autism Apps

By Michelle Diament September 20, 2011 Text Size A A

Hewlett-Packard is teaming up with a pair of autism organizations to develop apps to help people with the disorder handle everything from scheduling and communication to bullying.
At a “hackathon” scheduled for Oct. 11, the computer giant plans to bring together a slew of volunteer developers tasked with creating apps to address seven core areas of need for people within the autism community.
Some of the apps are expected to be designed for individuals with the disorder to use themselves. These might include apps featuring social stories, help with time management, assistive communication software or a tool to report bullying. Other applications will be designed to help parents and professionals track progress with behavior or other medical concerns.
Ideas for the apps were selected from over 250 suggestions submitted to Autism Speaks and the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, which partnered with HP on the “Hacking Autism” initiative.
Once complete, the apps will be provided to the public free of charge, according to officials at Autism Speaks.
Organizers said it’s not yet clear what platforms the apps will work on, though they hope to make the software available for smartphone and tablet users.

Spaceboard App

WOW, I won a Spaceboard App this weekend, I have been trying for a couple of months to win one!! YEAH thank you to Ron @ Smart Apps for Kids for having an open house this weekend!!  Here is the link to the Spaceboard website http://www.space-boards.com/Home_Page.html  and here is the link again to Smart Apps for Kids http://www.smartappsforkids.com/  be sure to tell them that Apps for Autism sent you!!

A4cwsn

This organization is absolutely FABULOUS, Gary James, the founder, is on a mission to see that kids with disabilities have access to iPads & iPods to enhance these childrens capabilities.  If you check out any site let it be this one. 
Here is a link to the Facebook page to:
https://www.facebook.com/a4cwsn?sk=info

Tell them that Apps for Autism sent you=)

Great Site for Apps

This is one Dad's quest to find educational Apps for ALL kids.  Ron does and incredible job of finding apps and having GREAT giveaways. This is the link to his site.
http://www.smartappsforkids.com/ 

This is the link to the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/smartappsforkids?sk=wall

Check out Smart Apps for Kids and tell them Apps for Autism sent you=)