Beverley and Colin Dean founded Special iApps more than 5 years ago. They founded the nonprofit social enterprise because they couldn’t find any apps to teach their son, William, who has Down syndrome. “We found that most apps had too much going on in the background, weren’t configurable or easily personalized, and didn’t cater for William’s limited finger skills.” The company offers several types of apps, but today’s blog will highlight their six Touch Apps.
As I’ve stated many times before, it’s hard to shuffle through the hundreds of apps available to find what works best for your child. If you’re wondering why you should consider Special iApps for your child, here are a few features that set them apart from several others:
- Uncluttered, simple
- No in-app purchases or advertisements
- Easily configured and personalized to suit your child’s needs.
- The company says: “Our apps enable errorless learning, in small steps, without distractions.”
Touch Apps:
6 Cause and Effect Apps
Special iApps features Touch Apps, a series of cause and effect apps which teach a variety of subjects. Each app in the collection uses a visual-based approach for children who are beginning to learn words, numbers, colors, shapes, emotions, and more.
1. Touch Words:
Touch Words is specifically designed for children with Down syndrome, autism, other individuals who may have difficulty learning to talk and read.
Features:
- Cause and effect: touch the picture to see and hear the word
- Includes 28 illustrations, with correlating written and spoken words
- Ability to choose lower or uppercase letters
- No ads, in-app purchases or external links
- Doesn’t require internet connection
- For switch users: the app offers built-in support for simple switch control using most Bluetooth and USB switches.
2. Touch Numbers:
Touch Numbers is specifically designed for individuals who have difficulty learning to talk and count (e.g. those with autism, Down syndrome, and more). It offers a visual-based approach to help children learn about numbers.
Features:
- Cause and effect: touch the picture to see and hear the number
- Includes numbers from 0-20, with clearly-spoken audio in 11 different languages
- No ads, in-app purchases, or external links
- Doesn’t require internet connection
- For switch users: the app offers built-in support for simple switch control using most Bluetooth and USB switches.
3. Touch Colors:
Touch Colors is an ideal app to help children learn the basics of colors. It is designed to be used alongside the other apps in the Touch series (e.g. Touch Words, Touch Numbers, etc.)
Features:
- Cause and effect: touch the color to see and hear the word
- Includes 12 colors, with matching written and spoken words in 9 languages
- No ads, in-app purchases or external links
- Doesn’t require internet connection
- Support for simple switch control
4. Touch Animals:
For early learners who are just learning to talk, read, recognize shapes, animals, etc., Touch Animals features the visual-based approach to help them learn.
Features:
- Cause and effect: touch the picture of the animal to hear and see the word
- Includes 12 drawings of animals, with matching written and spoken words
- Ability to use lower or uppercase letters
- No in-app purchases, external links, or ads
- No internet connection required
- Includes text and clearly spoken words in 23 languages
- Offers simple switch support
5. Touch Shapes:
Touch Shapes is a great app to start learning about different shapes. It is specifically designed for children who may have difficulty learning to talk and read, such as those with autism, Down syndrome, and more.
Features:
- Cause and effect: touch the shape to see and hear the name of the shape
- Covers 12 different shapes with matching written and spoken words in 9 languages
- Contains no ads, in-app purchases, or external links
- No internet connection required
- Bluetooth and USB-switch compatible
6. Touch Emotions:
Touch Emotions is designed for children who have difficulty interpreting different facial expressions, such as autism, Down syndrome, and more. The app is designed to help these individuals better understand emotions and react appropriately in social situations.
Features:
- The app also promotes:
- Word recognition
- Independent learning
- Language acquisition
- Fine motor skills
- Cause and effect understanding
- Consists of specifically “designed images of eight faces, with matching written and spoken words with a choice of lower or uppercase letters.”
- Available in 9 different languages
- No ads, in-app purchases, or external links
- Doesn’t require internet connection
