Cause & Effect apps are great for younger children. Although some older students with multiple disabilities may need cause & effect activities, be sure to look for apps that are AGE appropriate.The following is a list of apps you may find helpful in working with younger children or those with multiple disabilities.
Free or Paid upgrade. Art of Glow by Natenai Ariyatrakool. Touch the screen to create glowing pictures. Adjust amount, size, life time, speed and blink as well as shape and color for customization.
$1.99. Baby Buttons. Colorful buttons make sounds when you touch them.
Balloon Pops. Each screen has 10 balloons of varying colors and sizes. Touch a balloon to pop it and get a satisfying “pop” sound. Option to have a audible count of # of balloons popped up to 10.
Free. Baby First Aquarium is a fun game app to simulate an aquarium! Background music plays while the user pops bubbles and TAP on the swimming fish to make them swim faster! Features vibrant colors and fun sounds.
$0.99. Beautiful Bubbles. (Joe Scrivens) Bubbles offers moving targets to touch and “pop.” Two modes: just for fun or challenge mode which keeps score for bubbles touched and missed.
$3.99. Bloom. (Brian Eno) Tap the screen to create pools of soft color accompanied by gentle music tones.
$0.99. Bubbles (Hog Bay Software) Run your finger(s) across the screen to produce bubbles that float and fall with the force of gravity.
Free or Paid upgrade. Color Splurge - Color and Recolor Effects. This app lets you select a photo from your photo albums or facebook to color. Image is presented in grayscale and color as added as you touch the picture.
Free. Draw Stars! Yellow and blue stars appear on screen at the touch of your fingers! Animation & Sound.
$2.99. Eda Play Elis was designed for the training of vision and fine motor skills. The user is encouraged to touch the screen to interact with the pictures and the character Ellie. Bright colors, high contrast and verbal prompts to interact make this a good choice to use with children with visual impairments.
Free on iTunes and GooglePlay! Eda Play Toby was designed for the training of vision and fine motor skills. It consists of two parts: a "watch" stage and an "touching" stage. It features simple shapes with high contrast that move and are visually interesting for younger children.
$2.99. Eda Play Pauli was designed for the training of vision and fine motor skills. The Pauli game is different from Toby in that the plot of the game is to experience a day in a life of a girl named Pauli. The user is encouraged to watch what is going on and touch the screen to make something happen.
Free. Fluidity is a beautiful interactive app that allows the user to control the fluid flow and colors by touching the screen. My students love the mesmerizing flow of colors that encourages visual attending and interaction.
Free and Paid versions. Forge of Neon 3D The student can create glowing shapes in 3D with this app. Colors, rate, and shapes can be adjusted!
$0.99. iLoveFireworks Fireworks appear on screen at the touch of your fingers.
$0.99. iSnow-Flake (Mark Keroles) Life like simulation of falling snow. Tap screen to see colorful snowflakes. High contrast.
$1.99. Magic Fingers is another great app and one of my new favorites! It features a solid black back for high contrast and allows the user to choose from a selection of patterns and plays background music.
Tap-n-See Now was the first app for iPad and iPhone created specifically for children with cortical visual impairment (CVI). The bright colors and fun pictures in this cause and effect app will also appeal to babies and young toddlers without CVI.
$3.99 Trope. Similar to Bloom but instead of pools of color streaks of color jet across the screen.
Compensatory Skills
Concept Development
Demonstrates awareness of objects
Demonstrate understanding of object permanence
Plays with toys – takes adv. of characteristics
Open container to locate noisemaker
Demonstrate interest in toys
Object identification
Match/Classify objects by shapes
Match/Classify objects by size
Time awareness and concepts
Spatial awareness
Quantity Concepts
Alternative Communication
Body responses & gestures for communication
Choice Board (object/tactile/picture)
Communication system (calendar boxes)
Sign language/tactile sign (deafblind)
Emergent Literacy
Explore pictures/objects from story
Explore & turn pages
Proper care of books
Awareness of environmental print/braille
Pretend to read/write print/braille
Access Print
Use low vision tools to access near print
Use low vision tools to access distance print
Use technology to access digital print
Use screen sharing to access print at distance
Access variety of print formats
Identify print size needed
Pre-Braille
Tactile discrimination of symbols
Identify spatial position of dots in braille cell
Identify the dot number in a braille cell
Track a line of dots from left to right
Track a row of dots
Identify beginning/end/breaks on a braille line
Tactually explore a braille page
Track braille sentences when read aloud by adult
Orients braille book correctly
Turn pages in a braille book one at a time
Locates the first braille line on a page
Locate the page number in a braille book
Use two hands to track braille
Use pointer finger as lead finger
Use pinky finger to detect the end of a line
Use light touch
Use two hands separately to track and return
Locate name in braille
Identify same/different braille shape
Identify the braille alphabet
Identify the literary braille numerals 0-10
Braille Code
Read/write the alphabet
Read/write whole-word alphabet contractions
Read/write whole and part word contractions
Read/write short form words
Read/write lower signs
Read/write part word signs
Read/write whole word signs
Read/write initial letter signs
Read/write final letter signs
Read and produce literary numbers
Read and produce braille indicators
Read and produce symbols and punctuation
Braille Reading Fluency
Read back personal writing and edit
Access a variety test & worksheet formats
Apply rules for contractions, punctuation, comp.
Use alternate braille codes (ex. Language, music, etc)
Braille Formatting
Locate beginnings of paragraphs
Writes paragraphs, indenting two spaces
Read/write lists
Locates and read transcriber’s notes, picture captions
Locates headings/subheadings in a text
Reads/write columned materials and tables
Read/write format for poetry and plays
Write outlines in correct (literary/textbook) format
Locate preliminary pages, special symbols page
Use table of contents, glossary and index
Locate/read words and definitions in dictionary
Use a multi-volume textbook
Braillewriter
Locate/name parts on a braillewriter
Make random braille dots
Insert/remove paper from braillewriter
Operate line advance/carriage return
Operate backspace
Use correct fingers on keys
Produce uniform dots using correct finger strength
Erase errors with a braille eraser
Use spacebar appropriately
Set margin stops on braille writer
Change margin for various format needs (ex. column)
Spatially arrange math problems
Proofread writing and make corrections
Slate & Stylus
Identify the dot numbers in cell on a slate
Load paper in the slate
Create legible, uniform dots
Skip space on a slate
Create letters, words, and numbers
Use slate & stylus to complete tasks
Proofread writing and make corrections
Tactile Graphics
Explore Tactile graphics
Locate/identify title, key and symbol
Identify meaning of various textures on globe/map
Interpret graphical information (e.g. graphs & charts)
nemeth code
Read/write numerals in Nemeth Code
Read/write signs of operation (+, -, x, /)
Read/write linear mathematical equations
Read/write horizontal mathematical equations
Read/write symbols of comparison (<,>, =)
Read/write symbols money using signs: $, ¢, .)
Read/write fractions
Read/write mixed numerals
Read/write temperatures using sign for degrees
Read/write percent
Read/write grouping symbols ( , ) , [ , ] , { , }
Read/write Nemeth punctuation (, -, : )
Read/write modifier signs for lines, arrows, rays, bars
Read/write shape indicator (circle, square, etc.)
Read/write signs/format for parallel & perpendicular
Read/write signs for angles
Read/write adv. symbols of comparison (i.e. ≠, = )
Read/write square roots
Read/write subscripts/superscripts
Read/write algebraic expressions
Read/write chemical equations
Read/write braille clock/watch
Write time
Measure to the nearest centimeter, ½”
Construct/draw measure geometric figures & label
Use braille/tactual tools to measure
Display data on tactual graph
Interpret data in various tables and graphs
Read/write standard/metric measurements
Read/write advanced Nemeth code symbols
Apply rules to complete grade level problems
Access Classes
Use of charts, graphs, maps
Measurement tools
Handwriting (legibility)
Develop a consistent signature
Use signature writing guide
Use of needed accommodations
Interpretation of Tactile graphics
Abacus
Identify all parts of the abacus
Demonstrate understanding of set, clear and count
Set numbers in the ones column
Set numbers in the tens column
Set and read whole numbers according to place value