Children with an autism spectrum disorder can have a range of special needs, such as cultural or communication issues and restrictive or repetitive manners. While technology has held promise as a therapeutic tool always, the personalization and customization of the latest apps are helping children with autism learn to communicate, get better at and socialize routines in new ways.

Dan Smith, Ph.D., vice leader of innovative technology for Autism Speaks, a respected autism research and advocacy firm. Smith. He said that applications can present visual and auditory materials consistently and can be customized to fit an individual’s needs. Of course, that’s not to say all apps are advantageous and many don’t have sufficient evidence backing their performance.

The Autism Speaks site consists of a data source of hundreds of applications, so users can see what research, if any, is behind each app. Experts also explain that it is important to monitor a child’s use of an app. Mark Mautone, a particular education instructor, the 2015 NJ State “Teacher of the entire year,” and president of Integrated Technology for Persons with Developmental and Autism Disabilities.

Here are some of the top autism applications that are assisting kids on the range today. When it comes to teaching children with autism public skills, a study in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders discovered that virtual environments may help. The app Social Skill Builder uses real-life scenarios and interactive videos to help kids learn how to judge a social situation and determine what they ought to say or do in each one.

The video shows a scenario, pauses to quick the youngster to select a proper response, and then resumes the video to show the right one. The app includes nineteen modules ranging from proper greetings and saying “please” and “many thanks” to learning never to interrupt or how to properly apologize.

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Mautone also stated Book Creator, which customizes social stories for specific situations or configurations. Children can create a book customized with photos, videos, music text, and voice recordings. Using the intuitive user interface, children can use the pen tool to pull and annotate the book and can touch the screen to eventually read and reveal their work. And nothing at all beats real-time peer connections on FaceTime and Skype, said Mautone. Many programs have been proven to boost communication, both nonverbal and verbal, in children with autism. Smith said some apps may also help children who aren’t verbal generate basic elements of speech for the very first time.

Alpha Writer, based on the Montessori-based movable alphabet, helps children learn to read and write using phonics, phonograms, and a particular storyboard. One research in Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice discovered that children with autism spent more time on reading material when they utilized it through some type of computer than straight from a reserve.

14,000 pictures and symbols to help people understand how to form phrases. The app allows users to choose between 23 different grid sizes ranging from nine to 144 buttons on the screen, and allows the user to customize the vocabulary words included. This means the application is appropriate for both people learning to communicate and those who are more advanced. Since communication apps can widely vary, Mautone recommended that children are evaluated by an AAC specialist to determine which communication system best fits their needs. Children with autism often have delays with fine electric motor skills, small muscle motions like those made with their fingertips.

He directed to Balloon Maker, a straightforward app which allows children to carry their finger on the display to “fill” a balloon and then tap it to “pop” it. They can also tilt their device to watch the balloons float to one part or the other. Dexteria supports fine motor skills by prompting an individual to make certain movements, such as needing to “pinch” an object on a display screen, which helps strengthen the pincer grasp needed for skills which range from writing to self-feeding.

Structure and schedules can be particular important for a kid with autism. One research in the Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities discovered that video-based tutorials can help people with autism learn to individually complete certain skills, such as utilizing a washing cooking or machine. First/Then Visual Schedules allows parents to create a schedule that helps a child visualize their day with timers and check boxes that the child can tick off as they complete each event.