Autism Video Therapy? There's an app for that

New Autism Video Therapy Introduced via an App

Wilkes-Barre, PA, April 27, 2011 –(PR.com)– A new form of video self-modeling therapy for children with autism is being introduced by way of an app called Ther-Ad for Autism (Therapeutic Advertisements for Autism), helping to recognize April as National Autism Awareness Month.

The new app was developed by a team at Data Makes the Difference (www.datamtd.com) and mHealth researcher Dr. Michael Kelley, who has published articles (http://nms.sagepub.com/content/10/6/915.full.pdf+html) on using mobile phones for relapse prevention. Ther-Ad is designed to be an evidence-based therapy that will also improve the efficiency of applied behavioral analysis. It runs on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

Numerous research studies have shown that video self-modeling presented by a parent, teacher or behavior professional may help children with autism and related disorders to increase desired behaviors and to consequently decrease problem behaviors at the same time.

Ther-Ad works by allowing a student to watch motivating media, such as a movie, that is occasionally paused at an interval. A short self-modeling video is then presented to the student who watches the clip of himself engaging in a behavior that parents or instructors wish to encourage. After the video self-modeling clip finishes, the student is automatically reinforced by being returned to the motivating movie.

Video content is uploaded directly to Apple® iTunes, so that each student’s needs are tailored with appropriate motivating videos and individualized self-modeling clips.

“Modeling is one of the established treatments listed in the National Autism Center’s National Standards Project,” said Liz Maher, MEd, BCBA, and co-owner of Data Makes the Difference. “So it’s very exciting to be able to offer an app that uses this type of evidence-based practice.”

As a mHealth application, the development team believes the features of Ther-Ad will generate larger effects on autism, with a much broader range of clients, and do so efficiently, relative to other forms of video self-modeling therapies.

Initial testing to quantify the effectiveness of video self-modeling as a pivotal training approach is underway with John Loveland, clinical director of the Loveland Academy (www.lovelandacademyhawaii.com) in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mr. Loveland’s encouragement to pursue the concept for the app was vital in moving the development process forward since the idea’s inception one year ago with Dr. Kelley.

According to the Autism Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. There is no known single cause for autism, and its prevalence has risen to one of every 110 births in the United States.

Ther-Ad is available in the Apple iTunes store at http://itunes.apple.com/app/behaviortrackerpro/id319708933?mt=8 and regular upgrades are being planned to roll-out to users over the next year.

For more information, contact Steve Maher, at steve@datamtd.com, or Dr. Michael Kelley, at michael@datamtd.com. To purchase the app, visit www.behaviortrackerpro.com/products/therad/therad-for-apple.aspx. Follow Data Makes the Difference on Facebook at www.facebook.com/datamakesthedifference and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/datamtd.

About Data Makes the Difference, LLC
Data Makes the Difference, LLC, is a software development company that creates applications for the iPhone and most other mobile devices. Founded in 2009 by the husband-and-wife team of Steve and Liz Maher, the firm’s important work has already helped hundreds of children with autism live better lives. Nearly 2,000 behavior professionals are already using its first app, Behavior Tracker Pro, to capture, track and analyze behavioral data on an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, BlackBerry, Palm or Android device. Its second app, Skill Tracker Pro, was released last September. Its latest app, Ther-Ad, integrates video self-modeling. All apps are available on the Apple iTunes store at http://itunes.apple.com/app/behaviortrackerpro/id319708933?mt=8. Visit www.datamtd.com.

Contacts:
Steve Maher or Liz Maher
Co-Owners
Data Makes the Difference, LLC
570-332-2285
steve@behaviortrackerpro.com

Michael Kelley, D.Phil.
Scientific Director
Ther-Ad
808- 398-9941
michael@datamtd.com

iPads, iPods aid communication in Elgin special-needs classes | The Marion Star | marionstar.com

iPads, iPods aid communication in Elgin special-needs classes | The Marion Star | marionstar.com

LARUE -- Apple iPads and iPods are doing the talking in Elgin West Elementary School multi-handicapped classrooms.

The school used a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation to buy three iPads and an iPod. A second grant will let them purchase more.

Students who struggle with communicating verbally can use the equipment and a program called Proloquo2go to talk for them. They hit icons applicable to their surroundings that let them ask questions, such as if they can go to the bathroom or if they can get something to eat.

Intervention specialist Gretchen Tighe said she saw the usefulness of the devices while working with Coll McGowan, an autistic student. She was making cupcakes when he walked up to her, trying to communicate but unable to vocalize what he wanted.

"He said, 'I want cake, please,' with the device," Tighe said. "I handed him it and he was able to say, 'I want cake, please.'"

He can also use the device to tell her his name, favorite color, age and favorite television show.

Denise Converse-McGowan, Coll's mom, said she also has used an iPad at home.

"Instead of getting frustrated, he runs to this," she said.

Dr. Gary Brown's Autism Apps on Facebook

Dr. Gary Brown's Autism Apps

General Information	Our iOS apps help children with Autism (and other learning disorders) to learn things like their basic shapes and colors. The following apps are available: Autism Colors, Autism Shapes and Autism Letters
Mission	During his forty years of clinical experience, Dr. Gary Brown has tried to provide low-cost ABA resources for caregivers so they can do their own ABA.
Products	The following iOS apps: Autism Colors, Autism Shapes and Autism Letters

https://www.facebook.com/AutismApps

AutismClassroom App

AutismClassroom for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store

Welcome to AutismClassroom.com's Iphone App. The "AutismClass" app is the new application for educators and families who have children with autism in their lives. It was developed by the owner of AutismClassroom.com, who is an Autism Educational Specialist with over 15 years experience working with individuals with autism and who is the author of How to Set Up a Classroom for Students with Autism, How to Set Up a Work Area at Home for a Child with Autism, and Lesson Ideas & Activities for Young Children with Autism and Related Special Needs.

The app is intended to provide a wealth of easy to understand information that allows teachers, para-professionals, administrators, related service providers, parents, family members, babysitters, and in-home support providers, quick access to ideas for sparking meaningful lessons and activities for young children with autism. The app includes a brief Autism Classroom Checklist to give administrators, teachers and parents a starting point to evaluate a classroom that educates students with autism. Additionally, the behavior tabs help users to critically think about their current behavior interventions, while highlighting new strategies and solutions for challenging behaviors for children and teens with autism.

Some features on this app:
•Stay updated with blog postings from AutismClassroom.com
•Get fun and interactive activity ideas for joint attention, fine motor, social skills, communication and more
•Over 100 strategies for addressing over 15 different common challenging behaviors
•View an Autism Classroom Checklist to help evaluate an autism classroom
•Take your own personal notes about the Autism Classroom checklist within the App and email them to yourself and others to refer to later
•Purchase books for educators and families
•Download the complimentary Ebook about Functional Behavior Assessment and Writing Behavior Intervention Plans
•Perfect for teachers, para-professionals, administrators, related service providers, parents, family members, babysitters, and in-home support providers

The AutismClass app provides affordable information that is practical in nature and assists adults in creating environments that increase positive outcomes for children with autism. Try it today and tell a friend, co-worker or family member.

How devices like the iPad are helping special-needs children, hospital patients

How devices like the iPad are helping special-needs children, hospital patients

It’s an early Saturday afternoon at We Care Arts in Kettering, where a drop-in art class for children with autism is coming to an end. While most of the students put the finishing touches on dough sculptures they’ve been making, 10-year-old Makayla Yoakum is focused intently on the screen of an iPad propped on the table in front of her. She smiles as her finger gently traces circles on the iPad surface, expanding and contracting vivid color wheels.

When Makayla’s mom, Dee Yoakum, arrives to pick her up, she is surprised to see Makayla using the iPad so comfortably. “I didn’t know she knew how to use one,” Yoakum said.

While art instructor Diane Schwob Zubrick explains the many apps on an iPad that autistic children enjoy

Help Learn The Numbers – Dr. Gary Brown’s Autism/DTT App – On Sale | Upgrade OS X

Help Learn The Numbers – Dr. Gary Brown’s Autism/DTT App – On Sale | Upgrade OS X

Martin, Tennessee – Dr. Gary Brown today is pleased to announce the release of the Discrete Trial Training iOS app Autism/DTT Numbers. This app can help your child learn the numbers (0-99) and to learn to count (0-9), and it is the forth DTT app released in partnership with Bob Bradley. Dr. Gary Brown’s other apps include Autism Colors, Autism Shapes and Autism Letters.

DTT is not a children’s game. It is a therapy based on years of scientific research. DTT is the primary teaching method used in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to teach numerous pre-academic and social skills to children with autism. This app can be used to help teach numbers and counting to children with autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD), or attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). The apps also can be used by any child who has trouble staying on task.

Finding the right therapy for a child with autism can be overwhelming. Only Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has years of scientific research proving its effectiveness and is recommended by The National Institute of Mental Health and the Surgeon General. But caregivers quickly learn that well-trained therapists in ABA are expensive and hard to find. During Dr. Brown’s forty years of clinical experience as a Licensed Psychologist, he has tried to provide low-cost ABA resources for caregivers so they can do their own ABA. ABA and DTT increases your child’s likelihood of being mainstreamed, increases happiness, and gives you hope.

Features:
* Clinically tested DTT training
* DTT instructions included
* Spoken audio and visual queues
* Stores a log of progress
* Learn the numbers 0-99
* Learn to count 0-9
* Simple practice mode
* Highly configurable

(Free this month) ABA Receptive Identification - By Function for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store

ABA Receptive Identification - By Function for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store

Autism app being developed in Norfolk | WAVY.com | Norfolk, Va.

Autism app being developed in Norfolk | WAVY.com | Norfolk, Va.

Enterprising Parents - Index to Parent-Created Apps

Enterprising Parents - Index to Parent-Created Apps

Special Education Apps Featured in App Store

Special Education Apps Featured in App Store

App called Proloquo2Go whets appetite of non-verbal child

App called Proloquo2Go whets appetite of non-verbal child

MONTREAL — Banana, orange or pudding? It's snack time and 6-year-old Connor has a choice to make.

But he is autistic and doesn't communicate verbally, so understanding his daily wants and needs has often been a struggle for his parents, Enzo and Carmie (who don't want to identify their son by using family names).

For about six months, the family tried a Picture Exchange Communication System, which involved placing laminated images on a Velcro strip to express requests or responses. But Carmie said its success depended on them to always have the right images on hand. "I had all these little pictures in a big box . and I'd have to change them . I got so fed up with it." Connor's own frustration at not being understood often led to tantrums.

"When I didn't know what he wanted, I felt helpless," Carmie says. "That was the hardest part."

They're now trying a communication tool that's considerably more user friendly. The family bought an iPad and an app called Proloquo2Go a few months ago, and it's helping them connect with Connor. They learned how to use the app from Andrea Prupas, whose company, Inov8 Educational Consulting, trains families of special-needs children, schools and other organizations in assistive technology tools.

Read it on Global News: App called Proloquo2Go whets appetite of non-verbal child

Head Tracking Allows Glasses Free 3D on iPad - Mac Rumors

Head Tracking Allows Glasses Free 3D on iPad - Mac Rumors



MacStories points to an interesting use of the iPad's front facing camera to provide a convincing 3D effect on the iPad. Jeremie Francone and Laurence Nigay from the Laboratory of Informatics of Grenoble put together this demo video showing how user tracking can be used:

We track the head of the user with the front facing camera in order to create a glasses-free monocular 3D display. Such spatially-aware mobile display enables to improve the possibilities of interaction. It does not use the accelerometers and relies only on the front camera.

See.Touch.Learn Autism App

See.Touch.Learn. - Brain Parade




See.Touch.Learn. - Brain Parade

Goodbye Picture Cards, Hello See.Touch.Learn.™

Anyone who is involved with Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or has a child with a learning disability is very familiar with picture cards. These cards are an integral part of an effective learning program and are used to help teach new words and concepts and foster self-expression. Brain Parade’s See.Touch.Learn™ app combines the effectiveness of picture cards with the power and interactivity of the iPad. Create custom exercises and lessons, automatically track performance, and carry your entire library collection with you at all times.

See.Touch.Learn. - Brain Parade

The See.Touch.Learn™ App

• Available as a FREE download from the Apple iTunes store
• Includes a starter set of stunning, high-quality images and lessons created by a certified behavior analyst.
• A selection of more than 20 card libraries on a wide range of subjects with more being added constantly
• A premium version of See.Touch.Learn™ with advanced features will also available for a nominal charge
• Foreign language versions available shortly, beginning with a Spanish version

See.Touch.Learn. - Brain Parade

Comics Are a Great Development Tool for Autistic Kids | GeekDad | Wired.com

Comics Are a Great Development Tool for Autistic Kids | GeekDad | Wired.com

Interestingly, I have had a lot of feedback from parents of children with autism sharing about just how valuable they have found comic books for their children. And, simultaneously Bill Zimmerman of makebeliefscomix.com (who we wrote about over a year ago) made contact to say that he has had many parents sharing with him the value they find in his site. He was able to share some of these from parents who eloquently explain the value of comics in supporting children with autism who learn visually, to build an understanding of emotions and to develop social stories which help children learn and prepare for activities and engagement.

AutismXpress (FREE APP for iPhone, iTouch, iPad)

AutismXpress for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store

The ‘Autism Xpress’has been created to help promote greater awareness about autism spectrum disorders. It is designed to encourage people with autism to recognizes and express their emotions through its fun and easy to use interface.

YouTube - iPad Apps for Autism and Asperger's Syndrome from a Mom

YouTube - iPad Apps for Autism and Asperger's Syndrome from a Mom

Apps for Autism | Fox10tv.com

Apps for Autism | Fox10tv.com

Apps for Autism: fox10tv.com

The iPad has given us our family back

Family trades temper tantrums for iPad | Health Tech - CNET News

Therapeutic Advertisements for Autism (Ther-Ad) App

TherAd for Autism - Get the Autism App HERE.

New Autism Video Therapy Introduced Via an App

A new form of video self-modeling therapy for children with autism is being introduced by way of an app called Ther-Ad for Autism (Therapeutic Advertisements for Autism), helping to recognize April as National Autism Awareness Month.

A new form of video self-modeling therapy for children with autism is being introduced by way of an app called Ther-Ad for Autism (Therapeutic Advertisements for Autism), helping to recognize April as National Autism Awareness Month.

The new app was developed by a team at Data Makes the Difference and mHealth researcher Dr. Michael Kelley, who has published articles on using mobile phones for relapse prevention. Ther-Ad is designed to be an evidence-based therapy that will also improve the efficiency of applied behavioral analysis. It runs on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

Numerous research studies have shown that video self-modeling presented by a parent, teacher or behavior professional may help children with autism and related disorders to increase desired behaviors and to consequently decrease problem behaviors at the same time.

Ther-Ad works by allowing a student to watch motivating media, such as a movie, that is occasionally paused at an interval. A short self-modeling video is then presented to the student who watches the clip of himself engaging in a behavior that parents or instructors wish to encourage. After the video self-modeling clip finishes, the student is automatically reinforced by being returned to the motivating movie.

Video content is uploaded directly to Apple® iTunes, so that each student’s needs are tailored with appropriate motivating videos and individualized self-modeling clips.

“Modeling is one of the established treatments listed in the National Autism Center’s National Standards Project,” said Liz Maher, MEd, BCBA, and co-owner of Data Makes the Difference. “So it’s very exciting to be able to offer an app that uses this type of evidence-based practice.”

As a mHealth application, the development team believes the features of Ther-Ad will generate larger effects on autism, with a much broader range of clients, and do so efficiently, relative to other forms of video self-modeling therapies.

Initial testing to quantify the effectiveness of video self-modeling as a pivotal training approach is underway with John Loveland, clinical director of the Loveland Academy in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mr. Loveland’s encouragement to pursue the concept for the app was vital in moving the development process forward since the idea’s inception one year ago with Dr. Kelley.

According to the Autism Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. There is no known single cause for autism, and its prevalence has risen to one of every 110 births in the United States.

Ther-Ad is available in the Apple iTunes store, and regular upgrades are being planned to roll-out to users over the next year.

Source: PRWEB: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/04/prweb5229434.htm

TherAd for Autism - Get the Autism App HERE.

MY VOICE - Autism AAC App

New app helps those who can't speak to be heard

Around the world, there are millions who cannot speak, either because of brain injuries or conditions such as autism. Now, some students at the University of Toronto have come up with an app that merges a voice synthesizer with a GPS to give people the words they need, wherever they are.

The device is called MyVoice. It's an assistive communication device similar to the technology used by Stephen Hawking that helps users to speak. But unlike the unwieldy and expensive voice synthesizers of old, MyVoice can be downloaded onto iPhones, iPads and Android devices.

Read more at http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110406/myvoice-speech-app-110406/

MyVoice for iOS - PDAscent Inc

Now computers can sense your emotions

Now computers can sense your emotions