Technology is very much a part of most things we do today, including speech therapy. Since iPads have been on the market, they have become increasingly popular amongst speech pathologists and some client populations, including children with autism. I myself have found iPads to be invaluable – they have a way of holding a child’s attention which sometimes cards or games can’t do. Today I want to post up a list of some of my favourite iPad Apps that I use on a regular basis. Hope you find it helpful!
Following Directions
• Splingo – this App is a personal favourite of a number of children I see
Auditory Memory
• Milobook – I get the children to listen to the story, then repeat back as much of it as they can.
Wh- Questions
• Wh Questions – Developed by Smartyears, this App covers all basic wh – questions
Articulation
• ArtikPix
• Articulation Scenes – created by Smarty Ears.
• Milobook – Great for conversational speech. Have children tell you the story in their own words, while you give them feedback about their speech.
Vocabulary
• Peekaboo HD – I like using this App for toddlers or late talkers. It can be helpful to teach animals and their sounds, and also to teach them to wait
• Verbs with Milo
• Things that go Together
Emotions
• Emotion Detective – This is one of those Apps children either love it, or they don’t. It has a number of helpful parts in teaching emotions and social skills.
• The Social Express
• How would you feel if…
• Emotion Expressions – This App shows a lady’s face expressing a number of emotions. It’s good for discussions for primary school aged children. First have the child guess how she is feeling , they ask questions such as, “What happened to make her feel this way?”, “How can you tell she is feeling this way?” (Encourage them to look at her mouth/eyes/eye brows); “Have you felt this way before?”; “When did you feel this way?”; “What can she do if she feels.. (e.g. sad)”, etc.
Social Skills
• Conversation Builder – developed by Mobile Education.
• Practicing Pragmatics – made by Super Duper Publications.
• What would you do at school if… – made by Super Duper Education.
Inferencing
• Understanding Inferences – developed by Super Duper Publications.
• What are they asking? – developed by Super Duper Publications.
• What are they thinking? – developed by Super Duper Publications.
• Is that Silly? – A personal favourite of mine. Also helpful in learning to explain.
Sentence Structure
• Rainbow Sentences – Made by Mobile Education.
• Language Builder – Created by Mobile Education. Great for making sentences with the basic structure “He/She is….”
• iPractice Verbs – made by smarty ears. This App helps teach past, present and future tense.
Autism
• Choiceworks – this App allows you to make up visual schedules for each day, can be used to teach children what to do when experiencing certain emotions (e.g. “When I am angry, I can take a deep breath OR count to 5, then listen to music”) and has a timer that helps children to wait and reminds them what to do while they’re waiting (e.g. play with blocks) – the timer can be handy to use while you’re cooking dinner!