7 Best Apps for Kids With Special Needs

List of apps that can help children with special needs

1. Proloquo2Go

Proloquo2Go is a popular app for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). If your child has difficulty communicating, this app is a great tool to help them speak and build language skills. There are over 14,000 symbols that children can use and text to speech voices to help aid communication.

2. DayCape

If your child likes routine and visual timetables, then DayCape is the app for you. It allows you to create your own visual timetables using images that you have uploaded or from its very own library. The app can be programmed to notify you when activities are about to begin or end and uses colour codes to show when activities are completed.

3. Super Stretch Yoga

All children can benefit physically and mentally from yoga. Super Stretch Yoga introduces yoga to children age 4+ and provides animations for your child to copy and deep breathing exercises to help them to relax. Yoga can help to build core strength and gross motor skills and is particularly helpful for children with gross motor difficulties or coordination disorders, such as dyspraxia.

This is a fantastic app designed alongside Occupational Therapists to help develop your child’s fine motor skills. There are separate hand and finger activities that help to develop different skills, such as pressing down and squashing with your finger, pinching using your pincer grip and tracing lines with your finger. All of the tasks are great fun and aim to improve finger and hand strength, control and dexterity.

5. Social Stories Creator and Library

If your child finds social stories helpful in order to navigate change and respond to everyday situations, then Social Stories Creator and Library is a really useful app. You can purchase stories and create your own personalised ones to share. Stories can be printed, which gives this tool added flexibility.

6. Dexteria Dots – Get in Touch with Math

If your child struggles with math, this app helps them to learn using visual cues such as colour and size. It is designed for children up to the age of 8 and teaches addition, subtraction and number sense.

7. CBeebies Playtime Island

CBeebies Playtime Island app has all of your favourite CBeebies characters like ‘Mr Tumble’ and ‘Go Jetters’ and includes lots of fun games with a focus on bonding, learning, discovery and self-expression. There are no annoying advertisements and in-app purchases to worry about and the games can be downloaded so that you can play them anywhere, any time.