9 Helpful Apps for Special Needs | ExpatWoman.com
 

9 Helpful Apps for Special Needs

We've reviewed and selected some of the most useful apps that are great when assisting children and adults who have special needs.

Posted on

18 October 2016

Last updated on 31 March 2019
9 Helpful Apps for Special Needs

When it comes to special needs and education, each person must be assessed on an individual basis to help determine exactly what will be both helpful and beneficial for them and their development. 

In a world so advanced in technology, it's no surprise then, that the latest technologies have become popular tools both in special education classrooms and at home, each helping with various aspects of life from self-care skills to academic subjects to assistance with speech or hearing impairments. You see, the best thing about using applications with people who have special needs is the variety of useful, bright and interactive games and learning platforms that capture their attention in a fun, new way. 

Apps for Special Needs and Education

 

So, if you are a parent or carer of a child or individual with special needs, or you are a teacher or teaching assistant in Dubai who works closely with kids who have special needs, we hope you find these recommended apps useful. 

1. See.Touch.Learn Pro
This application comes with 4,400 pictures, 2,200 exercises and full access to the Brain Parade Community that has 4,000 lessons developed by peers. There's also visual instructions for Autism and special needs. Users have the ability to customise and develop each interactive feature, and is a great tool to be used by a speech therapist, teacher or parent. 

2. Dragon Dictation
For individuals who find it difficult to write, this app is perfect. Users speak into the microphone on their smartphone, and their speech is converted to text. The accuracy is very impressive, even with difficult words and background noise. It can be used to dictate notes, send messages and emails, share a story and create an oral book report.


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3. Articulation Station
Created by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, this app helps children as well as adults to learn to speak and pronounce their sounds more clearly. With high quality images representing target words, practicing becomes a fun-filled activity. 

4. The Social Express
With engaging scenarios, this app helps to teach users, with Aspergers or other similar conditions, on how to think about and manage different social situations so they're prepared to develop meaningful, social relationships in all aspects of life.

5. Cause and Effect Sensory Sound Box
This is a developmental touch skills app, made for children with complex learning needs including Autism and visual impairments. Users are provided with with eighteen scenes, each with a continous sound that changes pitch or intensity when touched. The screen shows colourful, abstract animations appropriate for all age groups that compliment the sounds, too. 

6. Aipoly
Aipoly is an object and colour recogniser that helps users who are blind, visually impaired and colour blind to understand their surroundings. Simply point the phone at an object of interest and use the large toggle button to turn on the artificial intelligency. The app can recognise a wide variety of objects, and users can build up a library of objects.

SEE ALSO: Why an afterschool program is beneficial for your child

7. Autism Discovery Tool
Play and learn with this application, filled with sensory experiences, helpful tools and language all combined to help families, schools and communities to understanding behaviour and foster empathy. Suitable for all ages on the spectrum as well as for those that love and support them, this app sheds light on the sensory side of Autism. 

8. Yes/No
An educational tool designed to allow non-verbal individuals to communicate yes and no. With a clean and simple design, users can indicate their response with a tap of the screen to help answer questions and indicate their wants and needs more clearly. 

9. Sago Mini Doodlecast
This is a unique drawing app that records your voice as you draw. It captures every stroke, word and giggle as your children create their drawings. With drawing prompts and simple questions, the app is designed to inspire the user's imagination. Perfect as a fun, creative activity!

 
 

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