App store gift cards can make great stocking stuffers for children with ASD, as smartphones and tablets can serve as powerful tools for fostering mental and emotional growth in Autistic children. Whether you’re looking to nurture your child’s creativity, exercise communication skills or simply have a fun app to enjoy socially, we’ve got you covered. Read over our list below, then feel feel free to hit up the comment section and share you’re own suggestions.
1) Afterglow
Kids who enjoy Instagram and have an interest in photography or self-expression will love Afterglow. In addition to many of the basic filters that are found in similar apps, kids can crop, resize, and adjust their photos with real photography tools. ASD kids can use such photos as tools to express themselves, their feelings and the things they cherish, serving as a means to discover and interact with the world around them.
For children with ASD who have problems communicating, Touch Chat HD is a great on-the-go app for speech assistance. Using a myriad of visuals to convey everything from sports, feelings, animals, to weather, your child will be able to build sentences with the help of a visual aid. The app can even dictate the sentence back. Users can even update the app with more word packs through iTunes.
3) Star Walk
For ASD children who lack enthusiasm for science, Star Walk is a great app for exploring space, satellites, and planets — all through the use of the iPad camera. The app can be a great way for families to discover the universe around them together, gaining an understanding of the stars simply by pointing the camera skyward. Using Star Walk with a child with ASD engages them socially in a shared activity, while giving them a better understanding of just how big the larger world around them really is.
4) Choiceworks
It can be easy for children with ASD to become overwhelmed by decisions. By using Choiceworks, they’ll have constant access to a schedule, complete with choices and feelings to correspond with each decision. Choiceworks allows users to plan out each day choice by choice, helping to curb the tendency ASD kids have to become overwhelmed by a lack of structure. By providing a clear pattern of choices, the app can help ease difficult decision-making processes.
Kids with ASD that struggle with speech and reading will find Words on Wheels a great tool to aid with communication. Words on Wheels provides images that kids can use to express their needs and thoughts, as well as provide empty slots for them to add their own words in. The app allows users to customize an easy-to-use system for working out ideas and communicating with others. Whether in the classroom or at home, Word on Wheels‘ simple design makes it great for younger kids who may not be comfortable with the complexity of Touch Chat HD.
