My Autism Day

My Autism Day by Little App Helpers

This is a good choice for a parent wanting a comprehensive view of their child's daily life (multiple children can be tracked too!), with places to put food intake, medicines, goals and progress towards them, and more. There are 5 main modes (with puzzle piece icons) that you can easily swipe through and tap to view and add daily information: activities, behavior, school, eye contact, goals, health. Below this a calendar is displayed. I love having the calendar- but I'd LOVE to see this go one step further with a reminder system- then I could have my son's doctor's and therapy appointments in the app as well!

There is a Charts section you can view with tabs for Goals, Health, Behavior, and Eye Contact. Under the Goals section you can see your custom goals and see progress over the course of a week, a month, or whatever custom length of time you want to specify. Under the Health section you can view data you entered on appetite level, hours slept, and time to fall asleep. It doesn't seem like I can view my custom health information here, and I'm not sure why. I would like to view whether my son ate something that he was allergic to here, for example, and what his behavior notes for those days were. I CAN however do this elsewhere in the app- through the Analysis tab. This allows comparison of any of the following elements: mood, behavior, sensory, tantrum, nutrition, sleep, Rx, exclusive behavior, and/or eye contact.

Back to the Charts section- the Behavior tab allows you to look at auditory sensitivity, visual sensitivity, tactile sensitivity, proprioceptive seeking, vestibular seeking, happiness, stress, tantrum average length, and number of tantrums per day. The Eye Contact chart shows eye contact frequency per minute, eye contact average duration per minute, eye contact longest duration, or average duration vs. longest duration. You can also send reports through email and Hurray!- you can add events that happened in the past- so that means you can call Grandma to get filled in, and then add the necessary information to this app!

I would like the interface to be a little more integrated- I would like to tap directly on a note in a report for example, and be able to edit it there if I noticed an error, instead of having to go back in through the modes wheel to change it. Also, when entering data, I'd like the option for commonly entered items to automatically pop up as a suggestion. As it stands now, this is more time intensive than it has to be! This would be so helpful for items that my son eats often, the activities he engages in, or areas of motivation and interests (often anything military, or involving a computer game or iPad). There is also a Facebook feature that you can use if you want, but I have not yet used this feature. Nab this while it is cheap- $9.99. I already find this useful, but if this gets updated with more customizable features and the option to store commonly used terms, this will be golden!

My Autism Day has been updated! 

From App Store Description:

What's New in Version 1.2.1

Per popular demand, auto-complete option has been added for most of the fields in the app:
All nutrition fields will have auto-complete once the first letter is entered in the field.
The following fields will support auto-complete :

Activities - All Text Fields have been updated.
Daily Log/Behavior - Exclusive behavior section. The notes section will remain with free text.
Daily Log/School - All Text Fields have been update.
Health/Rx - All Text Fields have been updated
Health/Treatment - All Text Fields have been updated

Math Guardians by Jiayi Chong

Math Guardians by Jiayi Chong http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-guardians/id513132040?mt=8

AppsForHomeschooling.com had it right when they referred to this app an "adrenaline-pumping (...) battle-style math drill app. It was a huge hit with my kids too! The child chooses his character (the dinosaur is particularly beloved) and then battle with creatures set by the computer (different each stage), while jumping in the air to select numbers. When two numbers are selected a math equation is formed with the numbers, and the child must then pick the correct answer from 3 choices. There is also a practice mode also.  With points earned for correct math answers, you earn gems and trophies for different achievements and unlock different characters etc. NO in-app purchases, yay for that! The kids think it is awesome and they are learning!

I've deleted the javascript as Rafflecopter doesn't seem to be cooperating today! If you are interested in this giveaway, please comment in this thread instead, https://www.facebook.com/SpecialAppsSpecialKids/posts/293169830764371   COMPLETED

Academic Apps: Math Support

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Math never being my favorite subject, I really could have used apps like these when I was in school. Look at the wonderful math resources our children have today, if they are lucky enough to have an iPad or iOS device.

Reference Apps:

Count to 100! by Fuzzy Bees

A wonderful app tool for young learners or for those struggling with counting and basic mathematical relationships.  Light up the numbers in a number of ways- counting by 1s, or skip counting by 2s, 5s, 10s and 25s. There is also a tap anywhere mode which can be used as a visual tool to demonstrate many concepts such as more or less, before or after, between, and addition, subtraction. *FYI the app has a lock to keep the user from changing the settings, tap the settings button two times in a row to access *

Multiplication Table http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/multiplication-table/id457381162?mt=8 Many more wonderful math apps by the same developer: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/esa-helttula/id339440196
This is a terrific way to see multiplication represented visually! Keep this app open during math homework!

ModMath https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/modmath/id821892964?mt=8 A great math tool for #dyslexia #dysgraphia Work out your math homework in a neat manner, then mail it to the teacher or print it out! 


Game Apps:

Adding Apples HD http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adding-apples-hd/id464881662?mt=8 More math apps by the same developer here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/operatio/id381799147
The kids love playing with this fun calculator.

Dress App http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dressapp/id469821062?mt=8
Math concepts have never been this fun! Get budding fashionistas to develop patterns with fashionable clothing items. Also see NxtApp 4 Kids by the same developer: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nxtapp-4-kids/id441101974?mt=8

Freddy Fraction http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/freddy-fraction/id320728417?mt=8 Many more(FREE) academic game apps by the same developer here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/games-lab-at-ru/id320616512
Freddy the alien has to look at clues with decimal equivalents to the path of fractions that lead to his spaceship. This is a FREE app, which means it can easily be used in a school setting!

Fractions. Smart Pirate http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fractions.-smart-pirate/id486684960?mt=8 More fun academic apps from the same developer here : http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/virtualnye-prostranstva-llc/id486684963
Practice Fractions, Equivalent, Addition and Comparing! Wonderful graphics with easy, medium and hard levels of play. My four year old and my eight year old both enjoy this!


Math Guardians http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-guardians/id513132040?mt=8   (iPad) or http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-guardians-mini/id524271000?mt=8 (iPhone)

AppsForHomeschooling.com had it right when they referred to this app an "adrenaline-pumping (...) battle-style math drill app. It was a huge hit with my kids too! The child chooses his character (the dinosaur is particularly beloved) and then battle with creatures set by the computer (different each stage), while jumping in the air to select numbers. When two numbers are selected a math equation is formed with the numbers, and the child must then pick the correct answer from 3 choices. There is also a practice mode also. With points earned for correct math answers, you earn gems and trophies for different achievements and unlock different characters etc. NO in-app purchases, yay for that! The kids think it is awesome and they are learning!

Update: Math Guardians now includes data tracking which allows parents/teachers to access scoring and progress information for multiple children!

Epic Math  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/epic-math/id414419801?mt=8
Complete math tasks and earn tokens to spend in the virtual toy shop... my son loves the magic tricks! 

Math Evolve Lite http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-evolve-lite/id482763850?mt=8 a Full version is available also.
A fun shooting game that requires math! Even your most reluctant math user can get into this!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kids-puzzle-play-mathematics/id491263100?mt=8
The kids like practicing math by matching these simple pairs of puzzle pieces together to correct the math equation. Topics covered are Addition, Multiplication, Fractions, Subtraction, Division. There is also a Quiz Mode with mixed topics.


Story Apps:
Jack and the Beanstalk a Mathematical Adventure - HD
Kid and school-friendly app with no ads, social media links etc.  Work out math problems integrated into the story of Jack and the Beanstalk; the math changes each time the app is used to keep things fresh.

Giveaway for Noun Mayhem Level 1

Giveaway for Noun Mayhem HD. The codes are for Level 1, for readers at about the age level of a typical 7 year old reader. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/noun-mayhem-hd-level-1/id506995646?mt=8

So Much 2 Say Giveaway, Round 2!

Close2Home Apps has very generously donated another code for their AAC App, So Much 2 Say!

So Much 2 Say is on sale for the entire month of April (in honor of Autism Awareness Month) for $14.99 (normally $24.99)

Here is some more information on So Much 2 Say: http://www.appolicious.com/education/apps/754339-so-much-2-say-picture-communication-close-2-home-apps-llc/developer_notes

App Review: Match the Pairs Junior Edition

The kids really enjoy this matching game. In reality it is a suite of matching games- there are 3 different types of matching activities (reading, riddles, math concepts) for three different age groups (4+, 6+ 8+). Each type of activity has four lessons to choose from, so that's 12 activities per age group. Activities range from matching the correct colors (4+), to an activity called The Magnifier, which requires the user to match a close up of an image with a whole image (6+), to filling gaps (8+).

Each activity has a timer feature and the child must beat the clock.

The music and graphics are charming, the game play is educationally sound, and it is a hit with the kids. I also found the sound effects during play helpful to the child- when a correct match is made the cards will make a soft shuffling as they are flipped over. If a match is incorrect a sound is played that can only be described as a record being scratched- it is actually a bit jarring to my ears, but it does clearly indicate the pairing is incorrect. (See Wish List).
I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but I love the accessibility features built into this app- the pictures can be paired using a dragging motion or any kind of touch, for example, the side of a fist, multiple fingers etc. For those with motor difficulties, this is much appreciated.

Wish List
(I always have one)
I would love to have a toggle to allow music, but shut off some of the other audio features- or better yet a slider bar to control volume. I really love the soft shuffling of the cards as they are paired up, but the audio cue for the incorrect pairing would be more tolerable to my ears at a slightly lower volume.
I would also like to control what language and sound effects are used at the end of a round. I don't mind the sound of clapping and kids shouting "Yay!", nor the visuals such as "First Place" that appear when the user has completed a round successfully. However, when a round is not completed before the time runs out, the user hears kids saying "Aw", along with a frowny face/written message "Oh no! Try again!". I'd actually prefer to not display the frowny face, and instead just say "Try again".

Quick Giveaway for Sign To Talk

If you are familiar with Kaufman products for Apraxia, you will love this app! These are the same quality, and portable! The app allows you to track data and set up different profiles for multiple students as well!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sign-to-talk/id492295687?mt=8

This app is one of three from Northern Speech Services- Sign To Talk, Normal Swallow, and Dysphagia.


This will be a quick giveaway- codes expire April 1st, and I want these to get to you in time. I will contact you through Facebook- please check your "Other" messages box.