I get asked a lot what Therapy APPS we use with Conor on his Ipad. We have used various apps over the years but the ones he is using right now I will list and link below. I am always interested in hearing what APPS you find really help your child, so feel free to comment below with your recommendations.
In no particular order here are some of the APPS we have used over the years. Some of these APPS we no longer use but have found helpful at different times. I will try to explain how we use each APP listed.
The APPS listed below are the APPS that are on his “Talker” Ipad; that is his Speech Therapy Ipad that also houses his LAMP Words for Life APP. He also has a separate IPAD for leisure. We wanted to keep the two IPADS separate so he understood that the TALKER IPAD was not for playing with, it was strictly for Speech Therapy and for his talking.
I would encourage you to speak to your Speech Therapist/Speech Pathologist before investing in the any of the APPS as they will be able to advise you on what will work best for your child.
COMMUNICATION APPS WE USE TO HELP OUR AUTISTIC SON
The LAMP APP is based on the Unity® language system. The language system is used by thousands of people around the world to enable independent communication for children with disabilities. It was created to use with Language Acquisition through Motor Planning, meaning it would require very little customization and the child/adult would learn the language very quickly.
Conor at the moment is using it to request and to answer questions and to help him when we are reading during story time he gets to have his input about what he thinks is happening.
One thing I would say is that we are still encouraging him to speak as well as use the LAMP APP. He will say “HI” and if he wants at the same time he can use his APP to say “HI” also. I want him to know his own true voice still is important and we want him to speak as much as he is able for.
I have been asked a lot about Conor’s use of the APP and what I have found helpful in our using it and teaching him. I have a host of posts coming up that will help parents and teachers to access the LAMP APP, and help them to understand its workings. I will give examples of how we are using it and there will be some videos of Conor using it too that maybe helpful for parents to know about.
Grace App is an evidence-based picture exchange app designed to encourage and reward independent communication through the use of images. While created with and for people with autism, it can be used by anyone with a speech disability or delay. Grace App is designed to be owned and updated by the user, with minimum support from care-givers.
We used this initially with Conor and found it very helpful. I think at the point we were using it, he was ready for something different so we ended up using LAMP. I have heard from countless parents they have great success with the GRACE APP. It comes highly recommended by parents, so it is worth checking out and if you have any questions about it you can go to the GRACE APP Facebook page which you can find here.
I really liked this APP! It is a APP version of the Picture Exchange Communication System. It is just like using the PECS paper-based system and has a voice output that helps speak for your child. It is worth looking into. If you would like to find out more about the PECS APP contact PECS UK over on their Facebook page which you can find here.
I LOVE this APP! So easy to use and it shows you exactly how to make the correct signs. It is really helpful when I am working with Conor on his signs and I forget (I know BAD MOM!) how to make one of the signs so I pop onto the APP and it reminds me.
Developed by Waterford I.T. graduate Paul Hassett for Lámh, the App includes videos and descriptions of 26 Lámh signs. The App has been designed to accompany the Little Lámh Workshop for parents, which combines sign teaching with practical advice about supporting communication.
You can find out more about the APP through their FACEBOOK page which you can find here.
Lámh Time APP
This is an APP I haven’t got yet! It’s on my list more as a recommendation from other parents than from myself
Speech Therapy for Apraxia
This is one of a collection of 4 APPS created by the same company Blue Whale APPs Inc. We use this everyday and I attribute these APPS to helping both my boys learn to speak. It was through the use of this APP that one day in therapy Conor started to speak spontaneously while I was recorded the session!
You can watch that video of Conor saying his first words HERE while using the APP.
UrVoice
urVoice is an easy-to-use, highly customizable, affordable text-to-speech solution. You type it – urVoice speaks it or you can save it as a Quick Phrase to be used later (you can even include a picture).
Avail
Avail is an educational aid designed for children and adults to teach daily life skills, and understanding of day-to-day activities and events.
Children’s Countdown
Not too much to say about this app as its self-explanatory. It is a Visual Timer and it is free on IOS. We have used the same one for years.
Articulation Station
Each of the 22 sound programs target sounds in the initial, medial and final positions of words, sentences and stories. The majority of sounds (p,b,m,d,n,t,k,g,f,v,ch,j,z,sh,th) have 60 target words each. The l,r and s sound programs target blends as well. Additionally the r sound program has ALL the vocalic r’s!
This is an APP we had for many years but haven’t used in quite a while but is an excellent Speech Therapy APP.
These are just some of the APPS we have been using over the years. There were others that have been deleted or weren’t being used enough for whatever reason.
If you have any recommendations for APPS I would love to hear about them! Feel Free to comment below with your suggestions.
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