Cape Couple Develop Practical Applications for iPhone
By Shemkus, Sarah; Cape Cod Times,Publication Date: August 18, 2009
Article describes novel applications developed for the iPhone to aid in communicating with children with communication disabilities such as those on the autism spectrum. Available from Grembe iPhone Apps, a company founded by parents of a child with a communication disability, iCommunicate is an application that enables the creation and storage of storyboards on an iPhone or iPod Touch. Storyboards, a series of drawings or printed pictures typically attached to pages with Velcro and carried in a binder, are often used with children who have trouble speaking or understanding verbal language to explain plans or ask questions. The application, while providing the same benefits as a traditional storyboard, is far more compact and discreet. Also available from the company is iReward, an application which tracks positive actions a child performs to earn a reward. The screen shows images of the desired award along with outlined stars, the number of which is set by the user. Both programs come with several hundred stock pictures representing common actions, objects and places. Users can also add their own pictures. Work is underway on making iCommunicate useful for teachers using the program with multiple children.
Published by: Dow Jones Local Media Group (Website:http://www.ottaway.com/)
Link to text: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090818/BIZ/908180301
