• iPads, iPods, and Speech-Language Therapy
     
    iPads, iPods, and the iOperating System (iOS) have been improving the lives of many by enabling us to use applications for a various daily activities. Per speech-language therapy, the iOS has enhanced the ways in which children can learn, enhance, and regulate their own speech and language goals. See below for a non-exhaustive list of useful applications categorized for their different uses. Note that applications are ever-changing and constantly being created. Below the categorized lists are useful websites where you can explore more education-related apps.
     
    Apps for Autism
    App NameDescription
    Whiteboard (and Whiteboard Lite)Paid and Free.Transforms a your device into a dry-erase board which enables you to easily and quickly communicate with your student via written communication
    Doodle BuddyFree. Same as Whiteboard with more options, including simple pen and paper games
    ASD Timer$2.99. Manipulative visual timer allowing with an easy to use format 
    Toy Story
    Free. A free interactive story app including coloring pages, games, movie interludes, and an interactive presentation
    StoryKitFree. Wonderful free application that allows you to create stories with your child using your own pictures, label the pictures, and create voice overlays.
    Opposite OceanFree. Practice leveled opposites via written questions in an interactive format. Provides reinforcement throughout.
    What's that SoundFree. Practice identification of everyday environmental sounds.
    Talking TomFree. An interactive feline repeats verbalizations of the user 
    Color SlappsFree. Color identification at various levels. Provides reinforcement.
    Word SlapPs (and Word SlapPs Lite)Free and $2.99. Word SlapPs is used to teach vocabulary words specific to your child’s world with images that you choose. Upload and save your images into customizable categories and pair them with your own recorded questions. Easy to use, Word SLapPs is designed by an SLP and modeled after Discrete Trial teaching.
    Pocket PondFree. Interactive fish pond. You can manipulate the fish, water, and plants.
    VirtuosoFree. A piano right on your device.
    Read Me StoriesFree. Can view/listen to stories, created for the application. New stories provided occasionally.
    First-Then SchedulePaid. Can make schedules using personal photographs and carry them with you electronically. Can also overlay recorded voice.
    ABA FlashcardsFree and Paid. Various categorized flashcards. Bright, colorful pictures. Provides visual and verbal stimuli. Also, has intermittent musical interludes.
    AutismXpressFree. Provides 16 emotions that your student can touch, hear, and view.
     
    Apps for Language
    App NameDescription
    ABC ReadingFree. For reading three letter words with different vowel sounds. Allows for sound segmentation, reading, and sound blending
    BlusterFree. By McGraw-Hill publishers. Amazing program designed to reinforce prefixes/suffixes, antonyms/synonyms, rhyming words, etc. at various grade levels in a game format. Amazing, fun, interactive.
    Dictionary.comFree. Transforms your device into a portable dictionary.
    Google EarthFree. Endless possibilities in reinforcing geographic and language based material.
    PocketPhonicslite
    Free. Enhances phonic abilities such as writing and letter to sound correspondence.
    StoryKitFree. Wonderful free application that allows you to create stories with your child using your own pictures, label the pictures, and create voice overlays.
    Opposite OceanFree. Practice leveled opposites via written questions in an interactive format. Provides reinforcement throughout.
    Mad Libs$3.99 and Free. Practice parts of speech with this fun, interactive app.
    BrainPopPaid and Free. Provides themed movies with comprehension tests. Very entertaining format for some difficult content. Visit the Site Here.
    Color SlappsFree. Color identification at various levels. Provides reinforcement.
    IdiomsFree and Paid. Illustrated description of idioms and where/how they originated.
    Read Me StoriesFree. Can view/listen to stories, created for the application. New stories provided occasionally.
    Who Am I?Free. Gives associations and descriptions written orthographically and asks the student to identify the secret animal.
    iBooksFree (Can buy books, many are free). Feel free to read with your child in this amazingly engaging and limitless app.
     
    Apps for Articulation
    App NameDescription
    Dragon DictationFree. Practice speech sound production by asking the device to dictate your verbalizations. Sometimes inconsistent, but really neat.
    Doodle BuddyFree. Play various pen and paper type games using this App.
    This DayFree. By Worldbook. Read what happened today in history using good speech sounds.
    Today in HistoryFree. Read what happened today in history using good speech sounds.
    Mad LibsPaid and Free. Practice parts of speech along with articulation at the word and reading levels.
     
    Apps for Social Skills/Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC)
    App NameDescription
    SocSamplerFree. Video Modeling application for higher-level social skills. Not the best quality, but some good videos are found here.
    Model Me KidsFree. Some social stories about various activities. Relevant, quick, simple language providing visual and verbal stimuli.
    Tap Speak Button$14.99. Can record messages for a simple one-message communication aid. Good for non-verbal or minimally verbal students. 
    iReward, iReward LitePaid and $4.99. A portable and versatile reinforcement system.
     
    Apps for Educational and Non-Educational Games
    App NameDescription
    4 in a RowFree. Portable Connect-Four game, without the clean-up.
    Hidden PixPaid and Free. Find hidden targets in larger pictures. From the people of Highlights Magazine.
    Mancala FS5Free. Portable Mancala
    HangMan FreeFree. Enter words, play them in classic hangman style with a friend.
    MemMatchesFree. Memory, several different sets of cards and adjustable game play
    Chess FreeFree. Portable Chess
    CheckersFree. Portable Checkers
    Kids OrigamiFree. Provides instructions for several Origami projects
    Angry BirdsFree. Fun, definitely not educational - but addictively fun.
    TicTacFreeFree. Portable TicTacToe
    Sky BurgerFree. Collect burger ingredients falling from the sky to match the target sandwich.
    JirboSays and Simon SaysFree. Just like the old Simon game - match a model of colors and numbers.
    PreKSafariLiteFree and $.99. Go on safari to identify and find animals.
    Cake DIYFree. Create cakes, send as e-mail gifts.
    Make Me a Princess LiteFree. Reinforces clothing, dress up a mannequin.
    WarshipsFree. Portable Battleship.
    ChicktionaryFree. Make words with given letters. Chicken-themed.
    Stack The StatesPaid - 99 cents. App for United States information including questions regarding capitals, landmarks, bordering states, and abbreviations, with a fun physics component.
    Rocket MathFree and $1.99. In Rocket Math, you can build a personalized rocket, earning money for parts as you complete math problems. Once your rocket is complete, you can play additional mathematically themed games. Includes: Numbers, Fractions, Decimals, Counting, Telling Time, U.S. Money, Shapes (2D and 3D), Patterns, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Square Roots and many more!
     

    Reading-based Apps for practice of speech sounds and expansion of language skills:

    Have your child read stories aloud using their speech sounds. Some of the books provide read-alouds which can be used to practice listening and comprehension skills. The A-Z Reading Apps have great questions at the end for skill building in the area of comprehension. Robust vocabulary words are highlighted for special focus and discussion. You can also have your child retell/record their own voices with some of these stories for practice of speech sounds as well as language comprehension and organizational skills.

     

    iBooks

    Free (Can buy books, many are free). Feel free to read with your child in this amazingly engaging and limitless app.

    Read Me Stories

    Free. Can view/listen to stories, created for the application. New stories provided occasionally.

    Toy Story

    Free. A free interactive story app including coloring pages, games, movie interludes, and an interactive presentation

    Feelings – Dusty D. Dawg Has Feelings Too!

    Free. A fun exploration of feelings. A Lillian Vernon ebook.

    The Enormous Carrot

    Free. A great old tale with options for read aloud.

    Postman Plum

    Free. An interactive good rhyming read with a Halloween theme.

    The Ant and the Grasshopper

    Free. An interactive Aesop’s tale.

    Messi&Fifo A Forest Tale

    Free. A cute interactive story about a monkey mom and her two young chimps.

    What’s that Noise

    Free. A lively read along story with games, and a story dictionary by V.Reader.

    Wind & Sun

    Free. Read aloud with nice illustrations.

    A-Z Book Apps

    Read A-Z books for free – these leveled books increase in difficulty by the letter before the title. They provide nice comprehension questions and vocabulary targets. Students can read aloud using their speech sounds and then retell from colorful pictures.

    A- Maria Counts Aa – Farm Animals

    B – Bananas C – The Woodsy Band Jam

    D – Falling E – Making Pizza

    F – Three Pigs G – A Seed Grows

    H – Math Mix Up I – Dinosaurs

    J – Rosa Parks K – Zebra Stripes

    L – Planet Earth M – Make Lemonade

    N – Totem Poles O- Wolf’s Story

    P - Pumpkins

    App Links
    There are several sites and blogs to find some good applications. The following websites are NOT these sites. View below for comprehensive websites that also provide ratings for most apps.

    Do you have an App or website you'd like to share? Please E-mail Me Here.
Last Modified on April 5, 2012