There are now a number of apps available for people with Autism and their carers. Some have been or are being developed specifically by those who have Autism and those who care for them. We’ve put together a list of some of the best ones.
All apps are available on Google Play or the App store unless otherwise stated.
Olivia Clark, mother to son Joel, ten, who has Autism, says two apps have really helped them. They use Molehill Mountain, which is an app that helps Autistic people process and track anxieties, and Rooster, a pocket money app which Olivia uses as a reward system to motivate Joel to practise good behaviour and complete positive activities such as reading a chapter of a book and tidying his room.
He receives rewards in the form of money and that acts as an incentive for him. Though the app is intended for all children to give them ways to earn and keep records of their pocket money it’s useful for parents who have children with Autism.
“These apps help because they make emotions, tasks, goals and rewards very visual. In Molehill Mountain, my son can record a number of worries he has and ‘pop’ them as bubbles that float across the screen. This helps him with his anxieties,” explains Olivia.
She adds: “With Rooster Money he sees how much pocket money he is earning and what tasks he needs to do to earn them. He can easily go off track without reminders so it really helps. For instance, if we don’t remind him to go to the toilet he forgets and even if we remind him he isn’t motivated because it’s not relevant to his interests. But if he can see in the app he is going to get a reward for going, and he suddenly remembers to go!”
New app for Autism
Nadine La Reine, 44, has a son Oliver, 17, who has Autism. She is raising money for a developer to build a go-to app for everyone with Autism and their carers. Called MyRevilo this app will put communication at its heart. “MyRevilo will be programmed by the parent as every child with Autism is unique so the app has to be. It will have lots of functions that are a massive benefit to daily life helping maintain balance, calm and sense of harmony often lost purely due to communication difficulties.”
“I want MyRevilo to be the go-to app for every family with Autism. And it may help other families who have someone with disabilities, if they are or have become non-verbal.”
Letting the child with Autism put their favourite colour on the app is one of the little details Nadine feels is important. “Autistic children can be very rigid in their likes and dislikes so letting them choose the colour and put their name on helps ensure they will use it.”
How the Motability Scheme can help
If your child has a disability, you might be eligible to join the Motability Scheme on their behalf and get the benefits of a new car every three years, with insurance for up to three named drivers and much more. Find out more information about how the Scheme works.
Apps
Here are some of the apps people with Autism and their carers have recommended:
Molehill Mountain
This app is designed to help people with Autism understand and self manage anxiety. You can use Molehill Mountain to explore the causes and symptoms of anxiety, track worries and situations that trigger anxiety and get evidence-based daily tips to understand more about it.
Rooster Money
Rooster Money is a pocket money manager, piggy bank, reward chart and chores app designed to help families teach children about money and create goals for earning more pocket money.
Miracle Modus
Miracle Modus features hypnotic rainbows and soft bells. The developer has Autism and developed this app in order to help to mitigate sensory overload.
Lifeworks
Richard Briand, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, uses Lifeworks to meet people who can give information and assistance. Lifeworks helps people improve their wellbeing and mental health.
TapToTalk
TapToTalk is an app that helps people who cannot talk communicate, just by tapping. Tap the word and it will play on your speakers.
Endless Reader
Endless Reader is the follow up to Endless Alphabet in which children learn their ABC and the alphabet. Endless Reader takes this a stage further going from letters to words. It introduces “sight words” which are most commonly used in school, library, and children’s books. Recognising what these words look like helps children boost their reading fluency.
Proloquo2Go
People who can’t speak still have plenty to say! Proloquo2Go is a daily communication tool to build language. A few taps are all it takes to start talking to the world.
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