It has been nearly 3 years since the iPad was released to throngs of admiring fans. Individuals with special needs were one of the biggest beneficiaries of the iPad. Apps in the Apple App store helped with communication, social skills, behavioral issues and more.
Ever since, Google has struggled to catch up to the iPad and the thousands of apps available to individuals with special needs.
With the recent release of a new Google tablet (the Nexus 7), and the updated Google Play App Store you should soon see an increase in apps being developed for people with disabilities.
Until then check out these 14 special needs apps on Google Play.
With AAC Speech Buddy you can create custom PECS Speech Sets at AACSpeech.com and download them to your favorite Android device.
Rating: 4.5 Stars from 4 Reviews
Downloads: Between 100-500
Price: $27.99
Alexicom AAC lets you use your Android phone or tablet as an augmentative communication device. They offer over 1,200 pre-made pages and over 7,000 images in their public libraries.
Rating: 4.5 Stars from 21 Reviews
Downloads: Between 5,000-10,000
Price: Free
Gabby Tabs is a kid friendly, easy to use and personalize, augmentative alternative communication app that helps and encourages non-verbal children to communicate .
Rating: N/A
Downloads: Between 500-1,000
Price: Free (Pro version available)
JABtalk is a free speech communication application designed to help non-verbal children and adults communicate. Speech therapists commonly refer to JABtalk as an easy and effective augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device.
Rating: 4.5 Stars from 31 Reviews
Downloads: Between 5,000-10,000
Price: Free
AAC speech communicator is an easy to learn communication method for anyone with speech disabilities. The app forms grammatically correct sentences from a list of pictograms that are clicked and reads them (text-to-speech).
Rating: 4 Stars from 8 Reviews
Downloads: Between 1,000-5,000
Price: Free
TapToTalk turns an Android device into an affordable augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Tap a picture - TapToTalk speaks. Kids think it's fun.
Rating: 4 Stars from 50 Reviews
Downloads: Between 10,000-50,000
Price: Free
Voice4u is an simple application that consists numerous of fun and memorable images that can help assist and improve language.
Rating: 5 Stars from 4 Reviews
Downloads: Between 100-500
Price: $49.99
Quick Talk AAC is a mobile, simple, and flexible app to use. The app covers basic categories and gives individuals who can not communicate a way to tell others their wants and needs.
Rating: 5 Stars from 7 Reviews
Downloads: Between 100-500
Price: $14.99
Autism Xpress is designed to encourage people with autism to recognize and express their emotions through its fun and easy to use interface.
Category: Social Skills
Rating: 3.5 Stars from 68 Reviews
Downloads: Between 10,000-50,000
Price: Free (Pro version available)
Webteam Corporation offers a number of different apps designed and developed to serve children with autism. The apps teach skills such as learning to count, differentiating colors and much more.
Category: Social & Life Skills
Rating: n/a
Downloads: n/a
Prices: Free-$0.99
First-Then visual schedule is an affordable user-friendly mobile application designed for caregivers to provide positive behavior support through the use of "visual schedules".
Category: life Skills
Rating: 3 Stars from 4 Reviews
Downloads: Between 100-500
Price: $9.99
iPrompts, the original app for visual supports, is used by parents, special educators and therapists of those with autism and other developmental delays. iPromts offers visual schedules, countdown timers, choice prompts and more.
Category: Life Skills
Rating: n/a
Downloads: Between 10-50
Price: $9.99
iRewardChart makes it easy to reward your children for good behavior and keep them motivated. This app is beneficial for children with and without special needs.
Category: Behavioral
Rating: 4 Stars from 76 Reviews
Downloads: Between 1,000-5,000
Price: $3.99
Life Skills Winner teaches life and social skills in a interactive way with positive feedback through a mobile device.
Category: Life Skills
Rating: 4 Stars from 6 Reviews
Downloads: Between 1,000-5,000
Price: Free (pro version available)
More Special Needs Apps
Looking for more special needs apps? Check out theSpecial Needs App Review!
With over a thousand apps now available to help individuals with special needs it has become increasingly difficult to find and choose the right special needs app. The Friendship Circle App Review gives you the ability to find the perfect special needs app for your child.
Tzvi Schectman is the Family Coordinator for the Friendship Circle of Michigan and the Editor of the the Friendship Circle Blog. You can connect with Tzvi on LinkedIn and Google+