Autism: Here are the top 6 Android apps catering to autistic children

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech, and nonverbal communication. It is a spectrum, meaning each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges.

Roughly 1 in 36 children globally are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), prompting a flood of specialized products in app stores. Sadly, many apps are challenging to navigate, overwhelming, and plagued by loud, unsuitable ads, potentially leading to frustration for kids rather than the intended developmental support. ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. [Read article] and is nearly 4 times more common among boys than girls. 

For children suffering from the disorder, specialized tools and apps can play a vital role in supporting their learning and development. The Android platform offers various applications tailored to aid children on the autism spectrum in various aspects of their lives and daily engagements.

Here, we will explore a curated selection of top Android apps specifically designed to assist children with autism in their education and daily activities.

Top 6 apps for autistic children

Proloquo2Go is known for its assistive communication tools. It aids non-verbal individuals by displaying symbols or text to assist in communication. It can be customized to a child’s needs by personalizing vocabulary, adjusting the interface for easy navigation, incorporating relevant images and other visuals, and adapting the app’s settings to match the child’s communication style, ensuring a more tailored and effective communication experience.

Another app to consider is Choiceworks. This app focuses on assisting children in understanding and managing daily routines. It uses visual support to create schedules, task lists, and choice boards, aiding children in managing transitions and improving their understanding of time and tasks.

Starfall ABCs is another app that comes highly recommended. It uses interactive activities to teach children the alphabet, phonics, and reading skills, catering to the basic educational needs of autistic children.

Autism Therapy with MITA app was specifically developed to aid in cognitive training for children on the autism spectrum. Through a series of exercises, it focuses on enhancing attention, memory, and social cognition. The app adjusts tasks based on the child’s learning pace, ensuring a personalized learning experience.

For Autism Learning Games, Camp Discovery stands out for its collection of educational games tailored for children with autism. It focuses on enhancing cognitive skills and offering engaging activities designed to improve the child’s sorting, matching, and categorization abilities. Its nature ensures that the difficulty level aligns with the child’s progress, making it suitable for different skill levels in an autistic child.

Visual Schedule app helps children structure their activities by creating visual schedules. It assists in reinforcing routines, reducing anxiety, and aiding in transitions by providing a visual representation of tasks or events.

The above apps are available on the Google Play Store for download. Parents or caregivers should download and install them as the instructions on each app are easy to navigate.

Read More: How to make Android smartphones user-friendly for the elderly

Autism in children

Autistic children often exhibit a wide range of characteristics such as differences in social communication and interaction, unique interests or repetitive behaviours, sensory sensitivities, and varying strengths in cognitive abilities. Each child’s experience with autism is unique, leading to diverse needs and ways of interacting with the world. Early intervention and tailored support can significantly aid their development and quality of life.

Tailoring apps to suit individual needs can assist in skill development, communication enhancement, routine support, and providing engaging activities, making them valuable tools for supporting the learning and development of autistic children.

Read More: 5 steps to taking professional photos with your Smartphone