The iPad has proven to be an especially useful communication tool for young people with autism. It provides a way to express themselves through words and images; it can be used to teach them about everyday scenarios and give them more independence. It's also far less bulky than some communication devices of the past.
Jonathan Izak's 12-year-old autistic brother inspired him to develop the AutisMate app for iPad. His brother, Oriel, is mostly nonverbal and used to struggle to communicate, sometimes throwing tantrums when he was unable to get his point across, Izak tellsMashable.
At 7 years old, Oriel had to wear a heavy communication device around his neck, which further set him apart from other children at school. Now, Oriel carries an iPad and uses the app his brother developed to communicate and learn new behaviors like how to act in specific social situations.
With AutisMate, parents or caretakers take and upload photos of their child's bedroom, the kitchen, his or her school to the app. When the app launches, the iPad's GPS will know where the user is and allows them to tap pictures of their surrounding environment. The child can tap the refrigerator, for instance, to express that he or she is hungry.
Izak says these visual tools for communication don't become a permanent crutch but rather promote speech and communication.
It's not uncommon for children with autism to be nonverbal and need the iPad to communicate. AutismSpeaks.org says it's estimated that 25% of people with autism are completely nonverbal.
Izak explains that, for someone with autism, the unknowns in life can be scary, so to prepare that person for the world, apps like AutisMate show scenes of how to do everyday things like go to a restaurant or the doctor's office.
Parents, caretakers and doctors knowearly intervention with autism is a key factor to increasing their child's likelihood of communicating, which is probably why most autism apps focus on children. iPad apps to help children with autism develop their communication skills are part of a rapidly growing market and have proved to be effective tools. Check out some of the apps we found and others recommended to us. Let us know if you know of any other useful apps for people with autism.
AutisMate
AutisMate just released an updated version of their app which features interactive social stories that helps users improve their behavioral skills. For instance, the GPS of the iPad will determine whether the user is at school or at home. Pictures of the user's home and school should be taken and uploaded to the app, so the user can identify where they are and communicate their needs. AutisMate costs $50 on the App Store.
My PlayHome
My PlayHome is a fun app that takes users through an interactive house and teaches language concepts, and opposites like "wet" and "dry."
My First Words
Create flash cards to learn new words. You can even add your voice to the cards, plus each card features a large image. The app also has interactive word and picture games to help users identify objects. The app is free in the App Store.
AAC Speech Communicator
This free Android app is specifically made for people with speech disabilities. It features pictograms that users can select to create a sentence, which the app then reads aloud with proper fluctuations and tone.
All About Me
This is a fun, diary-like app that can be used for both typically developing children and children with developmental disabilities such as autism. The iOS app features 12 categories where they can write about who they are, what they like to do, who their friends are, etc. It costs $2.99 in the App Store.
Autism Language Learning
This iOS app uses real-life video to teach children expressive language concepts like verbs, singular pronouns, plural pronouns and mixed pronouns. It was developed by a speech-language pathologist for children with expressive language impairments. Users can record their own voice and play it back. It costs $27 in the App Store.
Fireworks
Izak said many children with autism are very stimulated by sights and sounds and love the interactivity of apps. Some teachers, parents and caretakers offer apps as rewards for completing assignments or other tasks. He said this Fireworks app is a big hit because you can tap the screen and watch fireworks explode. The Fireworks appfor iPhone features fireworks over a cityscape and costs .99 cents in the App Store. This free Android app is by a different developer but features the same touch-to-launch fireworks function that's so fun.
The iPad has proven to be an especially useful communication tool for young people with autism. It provides a way to express themselves through words and images; it can be used to teach them about everyday scenarios and give them more independence. It's also far less bulky than some communication devices of the past.
Jonathan Izak's 12-year-old autistic brother inspired him to develop the AutisMate app for iPad. His brother, Oriel, is mostly nonverbal and used to struggle to communicate, sometimes throwing tantrums when he was unable to get his point across, Izak tellsMashable.
At 7 years old, Oriel had to wear a heavy communication device around his neck, which further set him apart from other children at school. Now, Oriel carries an iPad and uses the app his brother developed to communicate and learn new behaviors like how to act in specific social situations.
With AutisMate, parents or caretakers take and upload photos of their child's bedroom, the kitchen, his or her school to the app. When the app launches, the iPad's GPS will know where the user is and allows them to tap pictures of their surrounding environment. The child can tap the refrigerator, for instance, to express that he or she is hungry.
Izak says these visual tools for communication don't become a permanent crutch but rather promote speech and communication.
It's not uncommon for children with autism to be nonverbal and need the iPad to communicate. AutismSpeaks.org says it's estimated that 25% of people with autism are completely nonverbal.
Izak explains that, for someone with autism, the unknowns in life can be scary, so to prepare that person for the world, apps like AutisMate show scenes of how to do everyday things like go to a restaurant or the doctor's office.
Parents, caretakers and doctors knowearly intervention with autism is a key factor to increasing their child's likelihood of communicating, which is probably why most autism apps focus on children. iPad apps to help children with autism develop their communication skills are part of a rapidly growing market and have proved to be effective tools. Check out some of the apps we found and others recommended to us. Let us know if you know of any other useful apps for people with autism.
AutisMate
AutisMate just released an updated version of their app which features interactive social stories that helps users improve their behavioral skills. For instance, the GPS of the iPad will determine whether the user is at school or at home. Pictures of the user's home and school should be taken and uploaded to the app, so the user can identify where they are and communicate their needs. AutisMate costs $50 on the App Store.
My PlayHome
My PlayHome is a fun app that takes users through an interactive house and teaches language concepts, and opposites like "wet" and "dry."
My First Words
Create flash cards to learn new words. You can even add your voice to the cards, plus each card features a large image. The app also has interactive word and picture games to help users identify objects. The app is free in the App Store.
AAC Speech Communicator
This free Android app is specifically made for people with speech disabilities. It features pictograms that users can select to create a sentence, which the app then reads aloud with proper fluctuations and tone.
All About Me
This is a fun, diary-like app that can be used for both typically developing children and children with developmental disabilities such as autism. The iOS app features 12 categories where they can write about who they are, what they like to do, who their friends are, etc. It costs $2.99 in the App Store.
Autism Language Learning
This iOS app uses real-life video to teach children expressive language concepts like verbs, singular pronouns, plural pronouns and mixed pronouns. It was developed by a speech-language pathologist for children with expressive language impairments. Users can record their own voice and play it back. It costs $27 in the App Store.
Fireworks
Izak said many children with autism are very stimulated by sights and sounds and love the interactivity of apps. Some teachers, parents and caretakers offer apps as rewards for completing assignments or other tasks. He said this Fireworks app is a big hit because you can tap the screen and watch fireworks explode. The Fireworks appfor iPhone features fireworks over a cityscape and costs .99 cents in the App Store. This free Android app is by a different developer but features the same touch-to-launch fireworks function that's so fun.
Tom is a talking cat who responds to touch and repeats everything users say in a funny voice.
For World Autism Awareness Day, users can download a free "Autism Speaks" blue hat and shirt for the character. Physical T-shirts are also available from their global webstore.
Named number one on ShareCare's Top 10 Social HealthMakers in Autism, Ariane Zurcher is an author, jewelry designer andHuffington Post contributor who documents her daughter’s journey with autism.
Stories2Learn is useful for students with autism or Asperger's syndrom. By creating personalized stories that demonstrate visual cues, the app helps teach social messages.
Users can add their own audio and dialogue for each photo.
As writer and editor of Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, Shannon Des Roches Rosa gives an online platform for people with autism, professionals and parents to share their experiences.
The site accepts submissions and also provides resources for autism news.
Verbally is another Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app for the iPad. Users can tap on words to have the device speak and help carry on a conversation.
Parents and educators can use six social narratives designed to help individuals improve their social ability.
The stories target key areas such as attention, non-verbal communication, greetings and turn taking. Users can also modify narratives by adding different photos, text and audio.
After her son Jeremy, who has an autism spectrum disorder, graduated high school and entered college, Chantal Sicile-Kira founded the Autism College blog to educate others about the disorder and give parenting tips.
The site offers interactive courses for parents new to the world of autism as well as for parents and educators of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. It also offers lectures and parent coaching.
April 2 marks World Autism Awareness Day, continuing into Autism Awareness Month. Research shows that early intervention and technologies can significantly help children with autism, helping to enhance communication and social skills.
iPads are essential tools for such therapy with apps and online resources encouraging independence, allowing kids to express their desires and better connect with others. One in 50 school-aged children in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, a 72% increase from 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
iOS devices and other digital tools have significantly impacted developmental interactions in children with autism, says Joanne Lara, founder and president of Autism Movement Therapy. Most kids are automatically drawn to the computer, but those with autism often take to the devices because of the focus provided — they may not be as confused by where to look, as compared with other environments.
"Children with autism can communicate in amazing ways through iPads, they say amazing things that otherwise we'd have no way of knowing their thought process," Lara tells Mashable. "It gives those with limited communication skills a platform to let us know not just his wants and needs, but who he is."
Augmentative and Alternative Communication apps like Proloquo2Golet users tap symbols or icons to produce speech. Others, like Social Skills, help children learn to express emotions and understand what others are feeling.
Personalized tools aren't the only valuable resources. In time for World Autism Awareness Day, interactive Q&A platform ShareCare released its top 10 autism bloggers who lead online conversations with shared advice, tips and and support for the disorder.
We've gathered recommended apps and resources for Autism Awareness Month. Check out the gallery above and let us know if you know of any other useful apps or tools.
In this May 16, 2013 photo, Cristian Vazquez covers his ears during class at the Dora Alonso school in Havana, Cuba. Six-year-old Vazquez was diagnosed with autism in 2008 and began attending this special school that caters to the education of children with autism.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) describes a complex group of brain development disorders characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication and behavior. Often diagnosed at a young age, approximately one in 68 American children is on the autism spectrum. It's a figure 10 times higher than 40 years ago, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Because ASD can vary widely, it's frequently misunderstood, and attitudes toward autism can be misguided. In addition to the many resources geared toward neurotypical people, such associal networks for parents and organizations like Autism Speaks, many autistic individuals and even game developers have created virtual simulations that render common experiences for people with autism — hypersensitivity to sights and sounds among them.
"Increased sensitivity and decreased sensitivity both are common in ASD," Dr. Paul Wang, head of medical research at Autism Speaks, tells Mashable. "In fact, one of the changes in the DSM-5 criteria for ASD is recognition of these issues as a core part of autism."
Wang says these sensory challenges can be very impairing, turning a normally comfortable environment into a struggle for individuals with ASD. The severity of discomfort can range widely: Anything from the cuffs of one's short-sleeve shirt to loud noises to perceptions many of us experience without thinking twice can cause distress.
"It is hard to appreciate what it is like to be in the shoes of someone with ASD," Wang says. "To the extent that these simulations can illustrate how noxious sensory stimulation can be for individuals with ASD, they may help the general population to better understand the difficulty of living with ASD."
Noted autism activist and animal science expert Temple Grandin famously said, "I am different, not less." During Autism Awareness Month, the following simulations help to further that understanding.
Note: Those with epilepsy or who are prone to seizures should not watch these videos. Viewers should also be prepared for increased volumes, which are intended to simulate the intense auditory stimulation associated with ASD.
1. Playground
During Vancouver's Hacking Health weekend hackathon in 2013, Taylan Kadayifcioglu and his team created Auti-sim, an unsettling first-person game that allows the player to experience hypersensitivity. Auti-sim features layered, deafening shrieks from faceless children and fuzzy visuals, causing the player to retreat in order to see and hear clearly.
Kadayifcioglu was inspired by other sensory simulations he found on YouTube.
VIDEO: YOUTUBE,
2. Watching a Movie
YouTube user WeirdGirlCyndi, an autistic adult who was "sick of so-called 'experts' trying to explain what they think an autistic person is going through," created this simulation in order to set the record straight.
She takes a scene from 1986'sTransformers and distorts the sound and picture to simulate sensory overload. "Eventually I won't be able to process the movie at all," she writes in the video. "I'll see it, but I won't remember it."
VIDEO: YOUTUBE,
3. Shopping at Walmart
This simulation is an excerpt from the user's 56-minute documentary, Inside Autism. She takes the viewer on a trip to Walmart, and simulates sensory overload on what she calls a "bad day." The camera becomes pixelated and the noise level increases drastically.
VIDEO: YOUTUBE,
4. Walking Down the Street
In this simulation, you'll see the contrast between walking on a sidewalk as a neurotypical person and as an autistic person. Similar to the previous video, sounds become amplified and jumbled, while the lighting gets much brighter.
VIDEO: YOUTUBE,
5. Sitting in a Coffee Shop
This video is based on an excerpt fromCarly's Voice: Breaking Through Autism, written by a 17-year-old girl living with non-verbal autism. The simulation shows how even getting a cup of coffee with family can be difficult and anxiety-producing.
VIDEO: YOUTUBE,
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Travel companies that have already announced additional app functionality for the Apple Watch include major airlines and hotels, as well as general booking sites, travel guide companies and transit apps.
If you are getting your Apple Watch on Friday (or in the coming months), here are the apps that want to change how you travel.
Providing directions is a key feature of the watch, but Apple Maps will do more than that: Hotel reviews from TripAdvisor and Booking.com are baked into the mapping app.
CityMapper is focused on public transit, providing the fastest routes to your destination based on Google Maps data. Once you arrive, the watch will tap your wrist to make sure you know you've reached your destination.
The app notes your location, providing step-by-step instructions for catching the nearest bus or train. For options with published schedules, the app lists the next three arrivals.
The travel resource's watch app includes traveler reviews, ratings and photos of hotels, restaurants and attractions, cramming as much travel information as possible onto your wrist.
By swiping, users can view nearby points of interest based on location and time of day. For example, if you swipe rround lunchtime, you may see the highest-rated restaurant in the vicinity.
"It's all about location," Adam Medros, TripAdvisor's senior vice president of global product, told Mashable. "You're talking about increasingly knowing exactly where a user is, and even starting to know more context about time of day, weather, things like that that will help us make smarter and smarter recommendations based on what the user has already told us."
Medros said the goal with watch recommendations is to unobtrusively recommend to travelers the information they want, when they want it.
"It's a very personal device," he said. "There's potential for it to give me bits of information and bits of advice, to point me in a direction or to recognize things like it's 11 a.m. on a Wednesday, it might [know] I'm looking for coffee."
Priceline.com's app will show four popular nearby hotel options for same-day booking, offering discounts from published rates. The deals link to the iPhone app, which can be used to complete the reservation.
IMAGE: PRICELINE
The app also provides a view of existing itineraries, including flight, hotel and rental car details. If you need directions to one of the items on your itinerary, the app will link to Apple Maps.
The focus is on travel coming up in the next two days.
“Travelers with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are a large and growing percentage of priceline.com’s customer base, particularly among last minute travelers,” Priceline.com's chief product officer, John Caine, said in a statement. The app "makes it that much easier and faster for travelers to access significant savings on the go.”
Expedia's app includes upcoming trip itineraries, with both flight and hotel information. Flight info includes gates, terminals and departure and arrival times.
For hotels, you can get check-in and check-out times, ratings, locations, addresses and phone numbers."
The Orbitz app takes advantage of the "Glances" feature on the watch, putting itinerary information a swipe or two away, beginning 24 hours before the start of the trip.
Orbitz Rewards members will also be able to view their balance from the watch.
Notifications from the watch can include day-of travel updates on flight delays, gate changes and cancellations, as well as details like the number of the baggage claim carousel at the arrival airport. Notifications can also include deals and promotions.
The Booking Now app enables booking directly from the Apple Watch, letting you choose from nearby hotels matched to your personal preferences (based on the site's previously collected data).
You can book your selected hotel, manage "key aspects" of your reservation, and check the room number and length of stay using the watch.
The app will be the "first and only travel app to enable users to book a stay directly from their watch, and in just one touch," according to Booking.com.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts lets you walk straight through the lobby, head to your room and unlock the door — without ever talking to a hotel clerk or even removing anything from your wallet.
The app will also provide you with directions to your hotel, check in, allow you to see reservation details and view your Starpoints balance.
Popular last-minute booking app HotelTonight will offer its hand-picked selection of hotels on the watch. Booking on the smartphone app was easy; booking on the Apple Watch is easier.
IMAGE: HOTELTONIGHT
In addition to same-day booking, HotelTonight also offers a look at prices for the next week.
The Hotels.com app will provide details about upcoming itineraries on the watch (including directions). It also books deals for hotels in your current location.
Airlines
Many airlines are making their apps compatible with the Apple Watch, so you can get notifications about your upcoming itineraries and any problems or delays. Some airlines, like American, are also adding a check-in feature to the watch.
The airlines that will have apps on the watch include:
As soon as the Uber app is opened on the Apple Watch, you'll see an estimate for how long it will take for a car to reach you. From there, you can request the car and track its location on the map as it heads your way.
Hailo will also have an Apple Watch app, which will allow for calling a car and show how long it will take to reach you.
Bonus apps
Since wearables come with us everywhere, almost anything on the watch could be considered a "travel" app. Here are some other apps that aren't necessarily travel-focused, but will help travelers get where they're going — and enjoy the journey.
The translator app from InterContinental Hotels Group, provides on-demand translation "virtually anywhere in the world."
"By speaking directly into the watch, or selecting from a range of pre-loaded common phrases, travelers will be able to translate from English into 13 different languages, in real-time," IHG said in a statement. "Translations will appear instantly on the screen of the device in the chosen language, giving users the chance to read the word or phrase, with the help of phonetic spelling."
BONUS: Apple Watch Commercial Reveals Time Travel Feature
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
