Child Safe App

What would you do if your child went missing?  There have been too many horrifying stories in recent times that would be any parent’s nightmare.  While a lot of the time if your child goes missing they often return without any incident but when they are actually missing, time can be critical and every second can count. 

A new application has recently been developed for use in Australia that can help to reduce the time taken to get information to police.  This has been adapted from a similar application used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has been developed in collaboration with the Australian Federal Police.  

The application allows you to store photographs and other information about your children on your mobile phone such that in the unfortunate circumstance where your child goes missing it can be sent immediately to police and other relevant authorities. 

Another great feature of the application is that it includes safety advice and checklists as well as emergency contact numbers. 

The application is free to download and suitable for use on both the iPhone and Android phone.  The application can be downloaded now from Google Play and iTunes.

For more information follow this link to the media release on the Australian Federal Police website.

Are parents placing too much hope on the iPad solution?

You know how much we love the apps that are becoming available on the iPad.  We have often shared our discoveries with you, knowing that the apps have been specifically designed to help children on the autism spectrum.

Recently some autism specialists and researchers have begun to think that we are placing too much hope in these apps.  They seem to think that we expect the apps to perform miracles for our children.  

Do you think that’s true?  I don’t agree.

Over at Autism Plugged In one writer said, "Technology isn't ‘an answer’ but it can sure help and sometimes in quite life changing ways."

He goes on to say, "The special needs Apps on iTunes and Android are interesting, fun, helpful and are usually developed by highly qualified professionals in relevant areas, but they are only ever going to be another tool to add to your kit bag.  It may even be that the App itself does nothing more than provide you with 10 minutes peace, but that in itself is invaluable."
Isn’t that more in line with the way you view your child’s use of the iPad and apps?

I love seeing results like those you’ll see in the video below.  I love seeing a child find the right tool for his needs.  I love the fact that a simple app holds so much promise.  But I don’t believe they are a "cure" for autism.

As parents of children on the spectrum we will always be looking for tools to make our children’s lives easier but we understand that they are only tools.

What is your opinion?  Do you see the iPad as a cure?



 

Free And Cheap Apps To Help With ASD

It is worthwhile having a look at some free and cheap apps currently available to download for your iPhone or iPad. These types of games are a great way for kids to learn, especially those that use technology. Many ASD children learn better from a technology based tool than they do from a teacher. Here is a brief summary of some of the apps that may be of interest – plus I have included one at the end for parents:

• Lexico Cognition: This game was developed and tested by qualified speech therapists and helps to develop language understanding, vocabulary building, cognitive, memory and auditory skills. There are several levels where questions are asked that need to be answered with the use of images and text. For children with reading difficulties all questions can be read out aloud if needed or the sound can be turned off.

• Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim: This game provides your child with a guide to water safety and uses Stewie to help with the story. This app allows the story to be read out and also features a memory game, sounds effects and a sing along song. There is plenty of interaction with the characters and objects that adds to the fun and enhances the learning about water safety.

• Licking Letters: This is a fun game that allows your child to find letters with Hoppy the Frog to spell out and read words. It includes lots of interaction with great sounds and animations that assist with the education and learning for your child.

This following app is ideal for parents and is worth trying if you are having trouble sleeping. You need to make sure you are looking after yourself and getting enough sleep.

• Yoga for Insomnia: This app guides you through a series of yoga poses that aims to increase your mind’s ability to calm itself and assist with getting a good night’s sleep. Settings can be changed from beginner to advanced so you can have a more effective session. Insomnia can be extremely taxing so being able to manage and address it becomes critical.

There is an ever increasing range of apps on offer through iTunes and other places now. Keep your eyes open for what you can see and please share your finds with us here.