AutisMate is another great app to add to your toolbox! Designed specifically to help children with autism that need help communicating, this revolutionary app is great “for children who need a picture type communication system or augmentative and alternative communication system (AAC)”.
Users can fully customize AutisMate with actual pictures/videos of the child’s environment to fit their individual needs, addressing behavior and social skills at the same time. The user can touch an item (photo/video/icon), and listen to a recording regarding that item. For example – a picture of a sink might say “I need to wash my hands.” Additionally this app has a feature that includes social stories – which assist with the user’s understanding of what is about to happen. Caregivers or parents can insert these social stories to aid the user in their individual transitional needs. For example, parents might use a bedtime social story to assist with the bedtime transition that includes sequential video clips of appropriate steps such as putting on PJ’s and brushing teeth.
Check out this great review from Advance for Occupational Therapy Practitioners that details the relevance and functional ratings of AutisMate for therapeutic use.
