Have you ever wondered which apps are best for children with autism? We have, and we’re here to tell you.
The answer isn’t as simple as “all of them,” but it’s not as complicated as you might think either. In this article, we’ll talk about how to select the best app for your child and what makes that app so great.
How to Choose The Best Apps For Children With Autism
When choosing an app for a child with autism, consider these questions:
-Does the app focus on one skill or many skills?
-Is the app fun?
-Will it engage my child?
Best Apps For Children With Autism
good apps for autism
About 1 in 54 children worldwide has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), so it’s not surprising app stores are filled with products marketed specifically for them. However, I found many autism apps are difficult to use, overstimulating, or even riddled with loud and inappropriate ads. Using them could be extremely frustrating to your kids rather than provide the developmental support you’re looking for.
Since autism usually causes difficulties with speaking, socializing, processing emotions, coping with stimuli, and more, you need an app that takes into account all challenges. That’s why I compiled a list of 20 autism apps that aren’t just an educational resource — they’re also gentle and engaging for sensitive users! As these apps were created with young autistic users in mind, your kids won’t experience sensory overload when using them, no matter how old they are. That being said, it’s always a good idea to speak to your child’s doctor or qualified professional if you need a more serious intervention. Don’t forget to bookmark this page so you can come back and review my latest additions to this page in the future.
Best Apps for Kids With Autism in 2022 by Device Type
Best Autism Apps You Should Try on iPhones and iPads
Apps for Kids With Autism Worth Downloading on Android Devices
Top Apps for Kids on the Spectrum Available on Apple Store and Google Play
Best Autism Apps You Should Try on iPhones and iPads
Best Autism Apps You Should Try on iPhones and iPads
1. Autism & PDD Comparatives/Superlatives Lite — Helps Children Learn Grammar With Buddy Bear
Screenshot of the Autism & PDD Comperatives/Superlatives Lite
Comparatives and superlatives are integral parts of our language that let us compare things (like “big-bigger-biggest”). The concept behind them can be tricky to grasp, but Buddy Bear is there to help children on the spectrum learn these difficult grammatical structures. Based on popular storybooks, the app features 5 simple stories that show Buddy Bear in different situations, like petting dogs or seeing stars. I enjoyed watching the bear interact with various objects as the narrator calmly described what was happening. At the end of a scene, your child will be asked to answer a question by choosing one of the answers displayed on the screen. As each storyline explores different descriptive vocabulary, your child won’t get bored following Buddy’s adventures.
Download Autism & PDD Comparatives/Superlatives Lite on iOS
2. I Create… Social Skills Stories — Lets You Create Stories That Show Different Social Situations
Screenshots of the I Create… Social Skills Stories app
I Create… Social Skills Stories lets you build fully customizable storylines that teach your children how to build social skills. I could easily upload my own images and add text or even audio to design a story about my daily routine. The app also let me rearrange and hide existing story sequences which is perfect if your kid’s routine changes and you want to adjust your profile. Aside from looking at daily routines, you can use the app to explain to your children situations that could upset them, like going on holiday or moving. This may help put kids with autism at ease and let them understand changes before they happen.
Download I Create… Social Skills Stories on iOS
3. ABA Flash Cards & Games: Emotions — Enables Kids to Recognize Feelings By Matching Images
ABA Flash Cards & Games offers over 100 emotions displayed on 500+ flashcards and multiple games your child can play to identify feelings. Apart from learning how to differentiate between them, your kids will also learn how to respond when they feel overwhelmed with emotions. Though the choice of existing cards is quite large, you have the option to add custom ones and even record your own voice over them. As each child has unique learning needs, you can also adjust the speed of the 12 available game modes and even change the app interface to make it easier to use.
Download ABA Flash Cards & Games: Emotions on iOS
4. Proloquo2Go — Teaches Core Words to Help Kids With Autism Communicate
Screenshots of the Proloquo2Go app
Prologuo2Go is an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app that facilitates daily communication for children and young people with autism who struggle to talk. Developed in cooperation with specialists, the app’s innovative features aid kids on their communication journey, even if they begin as non-verbal users. The research carried out by the app developers suggests that people need only 200-400 words to communicate, so you’ll start with learning the core words using symbols. After learning these words, your child will be able to discover full sentences and expand their vocabulary to up to 10,000 words!
Download Proloquo2Go on iOS
5. QuestionIt — Explains How Different WH-Questions Work With Color-Coded Cards
Screenshot of the QuestionIt app
While many children often find “What? Where? Why? Who?” questions difficult to understand, they can be even trickier to learn for kids with autism. That’s because to ask these questions, you must first grasp their context which requires social and pragmatic understanding. QuestionIt focuses on teaching children language concepts through sorting and matching questions with a correct answer. Using familiar words and illustrations, QuestionIt provides color clues to make it easier for young users to match the right pictures. Your child will be rewarded for correct answers with on-screen fireworks. As kids progress, you can also fade the color cues to fit required learning needs.
QuestionIt also features a built-in data manager that saves your child’s scores and generates report cards you receive by email. You can then use them as a guide to adjust the settings within the app appropriately to your child’s improvements.
Download QuestionIt on iOS
6. Daniel Tiger Grr-ific Feelings — Develops Emotional Intelligence With Games and Songs
Screenshot of the Daniel Tiger Grr-ific Feelings app
Aside from teaching little viewers how feelings work in a hit TV show, Daniel Tiger can also help your children on their mobile devices. The PBS app provides an engaging learning environment that highlights different emotions. Your child will use Daniel’s Trolley Game to drive the iconic red trolley and play multiple mini-games with Daniel and his neighbors. The games not only help identify feelings but also introduce kids to coping tools, like calming breathing exercises. My favorite part was the sing-along mode where children can perform “grr-ific” songs to assimilate new knowledge in a fun way. The songs are so catchy I found myself humming them days later!
Download Daniel Tiger Grr-ific Feelings on iOS or Android
Apps for Kids With Autism Worth Downloading on Android Devices
Apps for Kids With Autism Worth Downloading on Android Devices
7. I’m On It Focus Timer for ADHD & ASD — Minimizes Distractions to Keep Children Focused
Screenshots of I’m On It Focus Timer app
While it doesn’t provide any games, I’m On It is a timer app that will help keep your child focused for a set period of time. But it’s not just any simple timer — created specifically for children with learning difficulties, the app can be set to send regular reminders to minimize distractions. Even as a neurotypical adult, I found the app super useful as I could break my timer into shorter chunks to allow for breaks to keep me on track for long tasks.
To make it more entertaining, I’m On It gamified the experience letting you “level up” when you complete timers without getting distracted. The levels describe the reminder intervals which you can adjust according to your child’s needs from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. Once your child masters a level, they can move up and the reminders will appear less frequently. This creates a fun challenge by making a mundane task a competitive experience young users can benefit from long-term.
Download I’m On It Focus Timer for ADHD & ASD on Android
8. Autism Read & Write Pro — Uses Everyday Objects to Introduce Kids to the Basics of Literacy
Screenshot of the Autism Read & Write Pro app
Autism Read & Write Pro is an app created to help autistic kids grasp the basics of reading and writing. Available lessons vary in complexity, so you’ll find the app useful even if your kids are more advanced. Each lesson provides writing and reading exercises that include items children come across every day at home, school, and other places. This helps them link their new skills to their offline routines which facilitates continuous learning and discovery even when they don’t use the app. I particularly liked that I could also adjust the settings manually to fully match my desired learning speed and make the most of the lessons.
Download Autism Read & Write Pro on Android
9. MouseTrial — Features a Friendly Mouse to Walk Kids Through Various Learning Concepts
Screenshot of the MouseTrial app
Based on the Discrete Trial Training, MouseTrial is perfect for children with learning difficulties as it provides an encouraging learning environment. The slow-paced game modes and simple sounds facilitate a gentle introduction to new topics ranging from food and household objects to numbers and the alphabet. I found myself fully enjoying every game — and there are 48 to choose from! The games are led by a fun cartoon mouse that keeps your kids engaged with over 300 stimulating questions and animations. This is perfect for increasing your children’s concentration and recognition skills without them realizing they’re learning in the first place.
Download Mouse Trial on Android
10. LetMeTalk: Free AAC Talker — Enables Communication Through Symbols and Voice Support
Screenshots of the LetMeTalk: Free AAC Talker app
LetMeTalk is a straightforward communication tool that helps kids on the spectrum express themselves with the use of symbols. The app comes with over 9,000 images in its library to help teach your child with a large vocabulary — so they’ll always be able to express themselves freely. I could also enable voice support which read every image I selected out loud which is great for users who can’t speak but understand how language works. The app features an offline mode so I was even able to use it in offline environments, like the park, shops, and school. Better yet, LetMeTalk supports multiple languages, such as French, Spanish, German, and Russian, so you’re not restricted to English-only phrases!
Conclusion
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