Our apps allow you to create something WITH your child and not FOR your child, which is incredibly important to help develop their independence and confidence, as they become the ones in charge of their learning journey.
Special iApps was founded and developed by parents and we understand the unique challenges and momentous milestones of being a parent and raising children.
Real World Examples
Our apps are being used around the world in lots of ways within many homes to help children through school transitioning, home-school communication, adapting homework, explaining new phases in life, as well as creating social stories to capture special occasions and celebrations.
Home-school communication
Special Stories can provide your child’s teachers with a better understanding of their pupil's needs and requirements so they are better equipped to meet them. Create a visual diary or or communication passport to share with school. Likewise, ask you child’s teacher to create a social story of their day, allowing you an insight into their school life and how they are progressing.
Homework
Adapt homework into Special Words and Special Stories to provide adapt learning to a child's needs and abilities. Take photographs of things they need to learn about and create a word list with text and audio, or have your child’s teacher send you a word list they have created. We have a growing collection of free curriculum resources to download which can help support children's learning.
For children with Special Educational Needs, Special Stories is a tool for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP). Children can create their own story about their lives, family, likes, hobbies and aspirations. Speech therapists use the apps to support communication, encourage conversations and speech development. Educators to develop reading skills, build vocabulary. Children can use our apps and you can observe what they know despite poor speech, poor fine motor skills and poor handwriting skills. Through this observational assessment, you can then set appropriate targets and class work, and record their outcomes.
Birthdays
Birthdays should be an enjoyable time but for some, dealing with new situations can be incredibly overwhelming. Special Words and Special Stories allow you to prepare for events in advance. Creating social stories with your own photos, words and voice, children can slowly become familiarised with what is ahead of them. Creating personalised word lists can open up discussions further, allowing you to focus on key areas of any party, the cake, balloons, gifts and the many faces they will be sharing the day with.
Toilet Training
Special Stories and Special Words focus on communication, understanding and learning, three areas that are a big part of being able to toilet train with success. These apps are fantastic tools to help children to become familiar with the images and words associated with toilet training. You can use your own images to create a new profile in Special Words and use Special Stories to put together a little sequence of the stages for using the toilet: pants down, toilet time, wipe, pants up, wash hands, towel dry etc…