Apple Promotes Educational Apps on App Store for World Autism Awareness Day

[MacRumors]

On the eighth annual celebration of World Autism Awareness Day, Apple has launched a new section of its App Store focused on apps designed specifically for autistic individuals (via 9to5Mac).

The sixteen apps on display range in variety from helping users feel comfortable in their surroundings thanks to contextual environment mapping via an iPhone or iPad's camera to a science-based kids' show "that works to help kids navigate the social and emotional world."

Most of the apps are between the normal free "Get" option to the $2.99 range, but a few break the $100 mark, thanks to their complexities and depth of features. Proloquo2Go [Direct Link], for example, provides users simple visual aid cards that, when tapped, construct grammatically correct sentences in one of over 35 different voices. The normally priced $219.99 app is now $109.99, a 50% discount thanks to today's promotion.

Navigate to the App Store's Education section to visit the apps within Apple's newly introduced Autism Awareness Month promotion.

Article Link: Apple Promotes Educational Apps on App Store for World Autism Awareness Day

 

[2457282]

I totally support Autism Awareness. These people with special needs, need a special kind of love and attention. To all those that provide it, I salute you. But of course to those with Autism that struggle everyday to live in the "normal" world, I salute your courage and perseverance.

 

[danielsutton]

[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


On the eighth annual celebration of World Autism Awareness Day, Apple has launched a new section of its App Store focused on apps designed specifically for autistic individuals (via 9to5Mac).

The sixteen apps on display range in variety from helping users feel comfortable in their surroundings thanks to contextual environment mapping via an iPhone or iPad's camera to a science-based kids' show "that works to help kids navigate the social and emotional world."

Image​

Most of the apps are between the normal free "Get" option to the $2.99 range, but a few break the $100 mark, thanks to their complexities and depth of features. Proloquo2Go [Direct Link], for example, provides users simple visual aid cards that, when tapped, construct grammatically correct sentences in one of over 35 different voices. The normally priced $219.99 app is now $109.99, a 50% discount thanks to today's promotion.

Navigate to the App Store's Education section to visit the apps within Apple's newly introduced Autism Awareness Month promotion.

Article Link: Apple Promotes Educational Apps on App Store for World Autism Awareness Day

Awareness is always a good thing, as it helps people to learn more about the important issues and build a base of support that serves to help everyone out. I do think, though, that these apps are very overpriced, and are taking advantage of people who simply need some extra kindness and caring in the world. All of these extra "services" may be better for the developers than for the people they are attempting to help.

 

[m4rc]

I do think, though, that these apps are very overpriced, and are taking advantage of people who simply need some extra kindness and caring in the world. All of these extra "services" may be better for the developers than for the people they are attempting to help.

Proloquo2go and Proloquo4text are about the best apps for communication, but their price is scarey. I know the market is small, but can't help feeling they would sell more if they were better priced. It's like sensory toys, the markup is ridiculous, just search eBay for sensory toys and you will see scavengers trying it on selling he cheapest stress busting toys as special sensory items at 10 times the usual price. Drill some holes in a board, attach some tubing for plastic balls to run through and different materials for tactile experiences and charge £500. Most parents simply go without and he kids won't benefit for the sensory experiences as they can't afford the ridiculous prices.

I'd love to work with a developer to code a communications app, I have it all planned out and know how it could be better than all the rest but it would just need to be sold at the right price. If only it wasn't so hard to learn to code from scratch, but too busy be a carer!

 

[aggiefather]

The cost is relative.

Awareness is always a good thing, as it helps people to learn more about the important issues and build a base of support that serves to help everyone out. I do think, though, that these apps are very overpriced, and are taking advantage of people who simply need some extra kindness and caring in the world. All of these extra "services" may be better for the developers than for the people they are attempting to help.

The cost of these apps is relatively inexpensive when compared with the cost of the previous generation of stand-alone devices available to aid individuals with disabilities, especially in the area of language development. While those earlier devices, often costing thousands of dollars, were the pioneers of their day, only institutional purchasers could afford them. Programming-wise, most of them were "one-trick ponies" that were difficult to maintain in the clinical setting (forget taking them home!) and were easily broken. Fast forward to today where an iPad (protected in a sturdy case) can be used in the clinic, in the classroom, at home and in the "real world" to help improve the lives of individuals with disabilities, including Autism. All things considered, a full-featured $200.00 app may be considered a reasonable expense.

 

[JAT]

This is ironic, considering every time I bring up autism I get a Time Out from MacRumors.

2 of my 3 kids are autistic.