Celebrating OT Month | Apps created by OTs

Last week I celebrated the work of Occupational Therapists by highlighting some great OT blogs. Today I'd like to share some OTs that are making a difference through the development of apps.

Ready to Print | Ready to Print is a pre-writing app developed by Dianne Reid, OTR/L. I love that this app progresses through pre-writing skills in a specific order so kids can master the skills necessary for writing. Some of the activities included in this app are matching shapes, tracing paths, connecting dots, and pinching. Click here to read my original review of Ready to Print.

 

Shelby's Quest | Shelby's Quest is another pre-writing app that focuses on fine motor and visual perceptual skills. Created by Kami Bible, OTR/L, the activities in this app include following mazes, pinching, and tracing shapes. Click here to read my original review of Shelby's Quest.

Wet Dry Try | Okay, I don't know if this app was actually created by an occupational therapist, but since Handwriting Without Tears was created by an OT, I'm going to include this one on the list. This handwriting app follows the same format as the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum, specifically the Wet-Dry-Try approach using slate chalkboards.

 

Dexteria | It is my understanding that the Dexteria apps were created with the help of an occupational therapist (if anyone knows who that OT was, I'd love to give them credit). The original Dexteria app consists of three exercises to promote handwriting readiness: Tap It, Pinch It, Write It. Dexteria Junior is geared for younger kids and consists of three exercises to promote pre-writing skills: Squish the Squash, Trace & Erase, Pinch the Pepper. I personally use Dexteria Junior more than the original Dexteria, but both are great! Read my original review of Dexteria here and my original review of Dexteria Junior here.
Dexteria:

Dexteria Junior:

 

BrainWorks | This app is a bit different from the others in this list. BrainWorks was developed by Gwen Wild, OTR and is designed to help kids select appropriate activities for their sensory breaks to meet their current sensory needs. This is a really cool app that can help kids become more independent in self-regulation. Read my original review of BrainWorks here.

Abilipad | This app was created by Cheryl Bregman, MS, OTR/L to allow children to develop writing skills and communication using text to speech, word prediction, and customizable keyboards. I have not tried this app yet, but it gets glowing reviews, including from Carol over at OTs with Apps, whose opinion I always trust!


*iTunes links throughout are affiliate links.

Do you use any of these apps? Are there any apps created by OTs that you would add to this list? Please share in the comments below! 

App of the Week | Awesome Eats

Before I share why I love this week's app, I just want to tell you that Whole Foods did not compensate me in any way to write about this app or the Whole Kids Foundation. While I do regularly shop at Whole Foods, and as much as I love the store, I never would have expected them to have such a fun (and therapeutic!) app.

Take a look for yourself:

 

First off, this app has cute graphics showing kids making healthy choices.

The game is full of great visual motor challenges. It starts off with this one-simply swiping the food onto the correct conveyor belt.

Then it gets a bit more challenging, as you sort the food onto the correct conveyor belt.

Each level gets a bit more challenging. In this level, two different veggies go into the same bin.

Obstacles are added.

And the conveyor belts don't all move in the same direction.

What? Now there are birds trying to steal the food? This is okay by me, because it adds an extra visual motor challenge.

I initially thought this game would only be appropriate for young children (under age 5), but as I worked my way through the levels, even I found this game to be challenging! I would say this app is great for all ages, and might even be a bit too difficult for young children.

What I like about this app:

In addition to the great visual motor challenges that this game provides, what I really like is that this app introduces children to new foods.

In between levels, there are cartoons of kids making healthy food choices...

...and tips about healthy snacks (that might even encourage trying new foods or textures).

The pictures of the fruits and vegetables at the beginning of each challenge can also serve as a way to introduce new foods.

With selective eaters, it never hurts to have lots of exposure across different types of media (e.g. books, apps, songs, seeing and touching the foods at a store or farmer's market).

Side note:
This app made me wonder, what exactly is the Whole Kids Foundation? So I looked it up and discovered that it's a non-profit founded by Whole Foods and dedicated to helping kids eat better--and enjoy it! Their website is full of great resources, from Better Bites activities that teach kids about food to a book club with children's books about food to Fruit and Veggie Bingo. This is definitely a website I will be bookmarking and visiting frequently.

App Information: 
Name of App: Awesome Eats
Publisher: Whole Kids Foundation
Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Requires iOS 4.3 or later.
Price: free!


*Information was correct at the time of publication, but is subject to change, so please confirm prior to downloading. This post contains affiliate links.


Have you used this app? Do you know of any other apps that can be used to expose children to different kinds of food?

 

App of the Week | Rush Hour {+ Chocolate Fix}

Do you love the game Rush Hour? I know I do and my students do too! I like Rush Hour for developing a variety of skills, including planning, problem solving, visual motor, and visual perception.

Did you know that there is a Rush Hour app? It's essentially the same as the physical game, using a finger swipe to move the cars. Check it out:

The goal is to get the red car out of the little gate on the right side. The free version of the Rush Hour app contains 35 challenges, ranging from Beginner to Expert. The full version ($2.99) contains 2500 challenges. With the variety of levels, this app is great for all ages (including parents!).

Since I love ThinkFun products so much (my honest opinion, they don't pay me to say that!), I did a quick search to see if they have any other apps. Turns out they have an app called Chocolate Fix, which is also based on a board game of the same name. It's cute and requires Sudoku-like reasoning skills. And just like Rush Hour, there is a free version available!

Chocolate Fix is also great for developing problem solving, planning, visual motor, and visual perception skills. The free version of Chocolate Fix contains 30 challenges ranging from Easy to Expert and the paid version ($2.99) contains 400 challenges. This is another app that is great for all ages.

App Information:

Name of App: Rush Hour
Publisher: ThinkFun, Inc
Compatible with: requires iOS 3.0 or later; compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
Price: Free (lite version); $2.99 (full version)


Name of App: Chocolate Fix
Publisher: ThinkFun, Inc
Compatible with: requires iOS 3.0 or later; compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
Price: Free (lite version); $2.99 (full version)


*Information was correct at the time of publication, but is subject to change, so please confirm prior to downloading*
*This post contains affiliate links.

Have you used either of these apps? Do you have any favorite apps for working on problem solving skills?  

Dexteria Jr App Review {+ giveaway!!}

Dexteria Jr. is a pre-writing app from Binary Labs, the developers of the popular fine motor and writing app, Dexteria. Dexteria Jr is aimed at preschool age children and was developed in response to feedback that Dexteria can be too challenging for younger children.

Dexteria Jr consists of three games that target fine motor and visual motor skills.  

The first activity, Squish the Squash, encourages finger isolation to touch (and squish) each squash. As the levels progress, the squash begin to move around, and the higher levels require the squash to be double tapped.

In the second activity, Trace& Erase, a series of progressively more challenging mazes must be traced. This works on both finger isolation and visual motor control.

Below is a screenshot of diagonal lines. While this is great for finger isolation, you could also have the child use a stylus if you wanted to introduce tool use and start developing a pencil grasp.

After all of the lines have been traced, the child then uses an eraser to trace the lines again, this time erasing the lines. Another great visual motor control activity!

The third activity, Pinch the Pepper, works on developing a pincer grasp. This is very similar to the crabs in the "Pinch It" game in the original Dexteria. As the levels progress, the peppers move around more and even begin to change colors. If you pinch a pepper that is yellow, it will turn into even more peppers!

How I use Dexteria Jr in therapy:

• I like to use Dexteria Jr as a warm-up activity prior to completing other fine motor or visual motor activities.
• When playing Squish the Squash, I make sure the child is correctly isolating the index finger and not just hitting at the squash with multiple fingers or the whole hand.
• Like I mentioned above, Trace & Erase is a good time to use an iPad stylus, which allows me to introduce tool usage and to teach appropriate pencil grasp. This can be a great option for students who are less motivated by paper and pencil activities. 
• In all of the games, I encourage the use of the dominant hand (if a dominant hand has emerged), rather than switching hands or using both hands at once. This helps develop good habits for writing activities.
• With writing and pre-writing apps, I like to have the child transfer the skills learned to paper. This can be done using screenshots from the Trace & Erase game. For more information on how I use screenshots to create therapy activities, check out the multisensory activities I created using screenshots from the Shelby's Quest app.

What I like about Dexteria Jr:

• Fun graphics
• Easy to use
• Developmentally appropriate for preschoolers
• Developmentally appropriate progression of tracing skills in the Trace & Erase game
• In-app purchase for multiple user data collection is only $0.99

Best for Ages:

The developer states that this app is for children ages 2-6. I would recommend it for any child who is working on developing pre-writing skills, typically between the ages of 3 and 5.

Bottom line:

While no app can replace traditional fine motor play, this app is a great complementary activity for children developing their fine motor skills. Teachers, parents, and therapists will all find that this app targets developmentally appropriate fine motor and visual motor skills for preschoolers. Preschoolers will find the graphics fun and engaging!

App Information:

Name of App: Dexteria Jr
Publisher: Binary Labs
Compatible with: iPad, requires iOS 5.0 or later
Price: $2.99


Disclaimer: This app was received via a promo code provided by Binary Labs. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own. This post also contains affiliate links, App information was correct at the time of publication of this review, but is subject to change,especially compatibility and price, so please confirm prior to downloading.

Now for the giveaway!

For a chance to win a promo code for the Dexteria Jr app, please enter by using the Rafflecopter below. Leaving a blog comment only does not enter you in the giveaway. You must also sign in using the Rafflecopter. This makes it much easier for me to contact you if you are the winner. Good luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back to School Apps

The new school year is here! Today I'd like to share some apps that can help students as they head back to school. The following apps are geared toward older students who are using an iPad in the classroom or to complete homework assignments. What I love about these apps is that they are appropriate for students with special needs, especially students with learning disabilities or executive function challenges, but these apps are also used by many students without disabilities, making it easier for students with learning challenges to feel like they fit in with their peers.

Word Processing: 

Pages App | This is the go-to word processing app among the high school students at my school. Pages allows students to create and edit documents, including Microsoft Word documents. Some students use the onscreen keypad, while others prefer a wireless keyboard.

Notetaking:

Evernote | Evernote is a great (and free!) note taking app. Evernote is also great for organization, as it allows you to record voice notes, take photos, and create to-do lists. Everything can then be organized into folders and is completely searchable.


Notability | Notability is another great note taking app that has numerous features to help students take notes and stay organized, including a recording feature that links the audio recording of a lecture to the notes that the student is taking, which means you can tap a word in your notes and hear what was being said when that note was taken.


PaperPort Notes | Another note taking app, this one by the creators of Dragon Dictation, that allows the combining of documents, web content, audio, typed and handwritten notes.

Calculator:

MyScript Calculator | This free calculator app can complete math calculations that have been handwritten on the screen. This would be great for students who have difficulty punching the buttons on a calculator.

Graphic Organizers:

Inspiration Maps | I first learned about Inspiration Software working in an assistive technology lab as a grad student. I loved the program back then and I still love it today! This is a great graphic organization system that allows students to brainstorm, plan and organize thoughts, which can then be turned into an outline for writing. 


Kidspiration Maps | Kidspiration is a version of Inspiration for younger kids. This version is aimed at students in grades K-5. Again it uses visual organization to help develop writing skills.


MindNode | This app allows students to create mindmaps, which is a great tool for brainstorming and organizing. This may also be helpful for students who are planning out long-term assignments.

E-Readers/Text-to-Speech:

Read2Go | Use of the Read2Go app requires a Bookshare membership, which is free to students with certain qualifying disabilities (click here to learn more). This app gives students full control of choices such as font size and color, background and highlighting color, and text-to-speech preferences.


Learning Ally Audio | This e-reader app requires a membership to Learning Ally, a nonprofit that supports students with learning disabilities. It appears that a membership to Learning Ally has a membership fee associated with it. The app has many of the same features as the Read2Go app mentioned above.


Voice Dream Reader | Voice Dream Reader can read from PDF files, Word documents, PowerPoint, e-books, websites, and more. There is no membership required for the use of this text-to-speech app.

 

Word Prediction:

Abilipad | Abilipad is a customizable onscreen keyboard with word prediction and text-to-speech capabilities. The customizable keyboard includes features such as forming larger keys, assigning words or letters to keys, and changing the color of the keys.


Co:Writer | Co:Writer is another software that I've been familiar with for years and I am happy to see that there is an iPad version. Co:Writer is a word prediction app in which the predicted words can be read aloud with a simple swipe. Co:Writer also contains topic-specific dictionaries, spelling support, and grammar support. This is my favorite word prediction app.

Speech-to-Text:

Dragon Dictation | Dragon Dictation is a free speech-to-text app that was created to allow users to speak text messages and emails. Voice-to-text transcriptions in Dragon can be pasted into any application using the clipboard.

What are your favorite back to school apps?

*This post contains affiliate links.

Shelby's Quest App Review {+ giveaway!!}

Shelby's Quest is an engaging pre-writing app that was developed by occupational therapist, Kami Bible, OTR/L, to give children a fun way to practice fine motor and visual perceptual skills. In Shelby's Quest, the child helps guide Shelby the dog on a journey through the forest, while developing pre-writing skills.

Shelby's Quest consists of three different quests, with each one focusing on a different skill:

In the first quest, the child helps Skip the Salmon find his family. This quest develops visual motor skills by dragging Skip through the stream, while staying within the boundaries.

The second quest develops a pinching motion while helping Samantha the Squirrel place her acorns in the correct bins. This also helps develop basic sorting skills.

In the third quest, a stylus or finger can be used to trace shapes while helping Maurice the Moose find the trail.

*Each quest contains three levels, which get progressively more challenging.

In addition, you can easily collect data on multiple students.

How I use Shelby's Quest in therapy:

With handwriting and pre-writing apps, I like to focus on transferring the skills developed on the iPad to paper. With Shelby's Quest, I do this by printing out a screenshots of some of the quests, placing the sheets in page protectors, and then having the student complete the quest using a dry erase marker (or you can use my favorite, Crayola Dry Erase Crayons). 

I also use the screenshot printouts as a way to incorporate multisensory learning. Here I used colored sand, but you could use shaving cream, gel, rice, playdough, etc. 

**If you're going to use screenshots in this way, I would recommend printing them in color for better contrast and using a lighter colored sand.  
 

What I like about this app: 

• Fun and engaging
• Cute graphics
• Developmentally appropriate progression of pre-writing skills
• Good voice over directions
• Can track student progress, including multiple students
• Admin account is very easy to create 
• Easy to use  

 

Best for ages:

Children who are developing pre-writing skills, typically between 3-5 years of age, although it would be beneficial for children of any age who are working on developing pre-writing skills.
 

Bottom line:

This is a great app for parents, teachers, and therapists alike. Shelby the dog is cute and engaging for children, and the progression of skills is great for developing pre-writing skills in young children. These skills can then be transferred to functional pre-writing tasks on paper.

For a demo, see the video below:
 
 

App information:

Name of App: Shelby's Quest
Publisher: Doodle Therapy Apps
Compatible with: iPad. Requires iOS 5.1 or later.
Price: $4.99 available for purchase from the iTunes App Store.


App information was correct at the time of publication of this review, but is subject to change,especially compatibility and price, so please confirm prior to downloading.

How to enter the giveaway: For a chance to win a copy of Shelby's Quest, all you need to do is leave a comment below telling me how you would use the app. All comments must be received by 11:59 PM EST on February 28. A random number generator will be used to select the winner. The winner will be announced on March 1 and will have one week to respond to claim the prize. If you leave a way for me to contact you (email, Twitter handle, blog url) in your comment I will contact you directly. If the winner does not respond within one week, a new winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: This app was received via a promo code provided by the Shelby's Quest app developer. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own. This post also contains affiliate links,

Toothbrush Timer App

Visual timers can help with compliance and task completion, especially in children with autism. I just came across Toothbrush Timer, which is a basic visual timer app for a specific activity - tooth brushing!  

This app runs for two minutes, with 30 seconds for each quadrant of the mouth. It provides a visual cue for which quadrant of the mouth to brush and even breaks each quadrant into outside, top, and inside, as you can see in the screenshots below. That level of precision might be difficult for some children to understand, but I think it is still useful if the child just brushes each quadrant for the desired time.

After the 30 seconds are up, the app makes a beep and then the next quadrant is highlighted. When the timer runs out completely, there is an applause, which might serve as a motivator for some children.

App Information

Name of App: Toothbrush Timer
Publisher: Ryan Newsome
Compatible with: iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.2 or later.
Price: Free from the Apple iTunes App Store.

Information was correct at the time of publication of this review, but is subject to change, so please confirm prior to downloading.

Have you had success with this app? What other apps to you find helpful for completion of self-help tasks?