Apps
Distance learning is a challenge for many autistic kids. Fortunately, there are many apps available to provide extra support. Options include math and language games, social skills practice, time management solutions, calming techniques, and more. Here are 25 apps for autistic kids to enhance distance learning and be a positive addition to instruction.
Game Apps for Autistic Kids:
1. Otsimo
This is an educational game app that focuses on core skills such as emotions, numbers, letters, and colors. It also creates detailed report cards to show progress and performance.
2. Autism Nonverbal Therapy Game
Give your students a chance to use their creative skills while learning shapes, visual perceptions skills, fine motor skills and hand eye coordination.
3. Dino Puzzle Kid Dinosaur Games
With the Dino Puzzle app, your students can create their own puzzles, read stories, and play academic games.
4. ABC Games – Over 25 Alphabet Letter and Phonics
Using this app, children can learn letters in a fun and simple way. It features interactive games and features to teach both lowercase and uppercase letters.
Social Skills Apps for Kids with Autism:
5. Autism Emotion
A simple app that teaches emotions through music and photos. This is an easy way to teach kids social skills.
6. AutiSpark
This app, which is research-based, teaches kids emotions, sorting, sounds, words, and even more! Try out this app to work on essential skills with your students.
7. Peppy Pals Social Skills
Peppy Pals is a fun learning app that teaches social and emotional skills. Watch as your students learn about self-esteem, emotions, and calming strategies through games, videos, and books.
8. Sesame Street and Autism
This free app is an amazing tool to teach children with autism life skills. It features videos, stories, and interactive cards specially designed for preschool-aged children.
9. iTouchiLearn Feelings for Preschool Kids
This app teaches kids all about feelings and emotions. To help kids with autism it uses social cues and gives them tools to express their feeling and emotions.
10. Autism 5-Point Scale EP
This app teaches kids with autism how to communicate in emergency situations. Using a 5-point scale, kids learn how to communicate about emergencies using non-verbal cues.
11. Social Norms
Social Norms contains already written social stories for kids to teach them social rules and appropriate behaviors.
12. Special Stories
This app lets you create your own social stories for kids while breaking down learning into smaller steps.
Speech and Language Apps for Kids with Autism:
13. Autism iHelp – Play
This free app promotes vocabulary and supports language interventions. Check this out to focus on expressive vocabulary with kids just learning to speak.
14. Speech Blubs: Language Therapy
With over 1,500 activities, this app is great to work on new sounds and words, as well as practicing speaking in various situations.
15. Language Therapy for Kids- MITA
This language therapy app was developed by clinical data. It includes language and cognitive exercises for many skill levels.
Math Apps for Kids with Autism:
16. Build It Up- ADHD & Autism
Build It Up is an app that teaches visual perception and fine motor skills. Additionally, it works on math concepts like size and order.
17. Lake Hope: Learning Numbers
If you are looking for a creative way to teach numbers, check out this free app. It will help with identifying numbers in writing and when heard.
Calming Strategies and Learning Breaks Apps:
18. Moving Meditations
These videos are a great way to teach calming strategies and to release stress. Taking a break and getting some movement in can be a great way to promote self-regulation. Check out more movement and mindfulness apps for the classroom here!
19. Kids To-Do List
This free app is used to create a to-do list for kids. Having a visual reminder of each task will help students follow a routine.
20. Fidget Box
Remember those fidget spinners from a few years ago? Now, children can have a fidget toy on their own device to keep them calm and focused.
21. Stop, Breathe, & Think Kids
This free app gives kids meditation and mindfulness activities to develop calming skills, learning to breathe, and resolving conflicts.
22. Meditation for Kids
Help kids learn to meditate through visuals and music. This fun app will help them to improve their focus and concentration.
23. GoNoodle
Take a break from learning and do a dance or try out some yoga. GoNoodle has hundreds of imaginative videos to keep kids engaged.
24. Brili Routines- Visual Timer
With Brili Routines kids can have a clear routine to follow every day. Using motivational rewards, it will help students stay focused and learning all day.
25. Heat Pad – Relaxing Surface
Check out this app to help kids with sensory needs. Heat Pad reacts to fingertips and is relaxing and entertaining for kids.
Distance learning for autistic kids can be a struggle, but these apps can be a great place to find some new creative ways to make it easier.
