Traumatic Brain Injury Centers

Autism and I Phone

By Amy Price PhD

I Phone has come up with a really decent app for non verbal  people it is called Proloquo2go. This app is a bargain as similar technology is several thousand dollars and the IPhone has the ‘cool’ factor which would make other kids curious and increase socialization.

 I think it would be very useful for all of us who travel to places we don’t speak the language as it uses pictures and comes with verbal support. In my house my husband decides we should go to a  new country and then expects me to learn the language so he can get what he needs which is often something like a cell phone charger he left behind that is not even available in that country yet.

This is not so hard if the language has a similar alphabet but when the sign for the ladies room looks more like a drawing than a name it makes for an interesting journey!

Travel to places where I don’t speak the language well has given me understanding for non verbal people as it is very isolating to want to communicate but be stuck with language skills that even a resourceful three year old can top.

We sometimes work with people in resettlement and displaced person’s camps  and communication skills are a must. I have taken  palm pilots from the days of the  first model available  in with me to communicate with the children  I think this tool has a great future!

The I Phone Apps store has text2speech .99, which will read text aloud. I converse  helps communication by symbols 9.99 s and pictures can be added for assistive communication. Signing time ASL  4.99 teaches sign language with flash cards. Coin math 1.99 teaches how much coins are worth or for .99 you can learn or teach children  common features of word families.

The wonderful ideas below are from a Speech Pathologists’s Blog She uses these with higher functioning students on Iphone or I Touch. Visit this blog for practical ideas on how to help  people you know with language or developmental problems.

“Cute Math: adding and subtracting in entertaining animal and landscape scenes
Herod’s Lost Tomb: I Spy type of activities
Match: concentration activity with animal characters .PreSchool Adventure: activities for colors, body, matching, shapes, and sounds Word Magic: spelling game that involves choosing the missing letter BookShelf: eBook reader WordWhirl: using random letters to create multiple words”

There are lots of free apps too  like maze finger and lumosity, children and adults alike  love the touchscreen and  ease of use and the phone can be strapped to an arm to prevent loss.