Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me find iPad apps for my cousin
Dear Aunt TUAW,
My cousin recently had emergency brain surgery. She's 10 years old, but she can't speak, and she doesn't have very good motor control. She is expected to recover fully, but in the meantime, she can't really do much.
She got an iPad from another relative, and I'm in charge of finding apps for her new toy. Do you or your nieces or nephews have any suggestions? She can read and write, and laugh at funny things still, but she might not be able to draw lines in Spy Mouse or react quickly like in Doodle Jump. Any suggestions would help!
Your loving nephew,
James
Dear James,
Auntie is sure lots and lots of her nieces and nephews are going to jump in in the comments with some terrific suggestions. To get things started, she turned to iOS developer Steven Troughton-Smith, who has worked on a language assistance project for the autistic. He has promised to get you set up with an ad-hoc version of Grace, which normally sells for €29.99 (about $40). Please contact Auntie through the normal TUAW tip form, and we'll put you in touch with him.
(Speaking of the tip form, it's sheer luck that Auntie found your comment. Please nephews and nieces, use the tip form to contact Auntie -- don't leave questions or requests in post comments.)
Grace is an app that allows people to build sentences from a vocabulary of cards; over 120 are preloaded. Troughton-Smith noted that you can add photos to the app with the camera or from the photo library to create your own items of vocabulary. "It's easy to use and fast, as we spent a lot of time making sure that the UI wouldn't frustrate kids who needed to use it to communicate."
You can read more about Grace here.
TUAW reader mdw also had some suggestions for your cousin. He writes, "Have a look at the hacking autism site. Although it is for children with autism, you'll find for example that BlockCad is freeware for children with limited motor skills. You might also find AAC apps useful."
We all wish your cousin a speedy recovery and hope that she continues to regain health over time. Got more suggestions for James? Leave them in the comments!
Hugs,
Auntie T.
