Rio Grande Valley Local Meeting Gets Interactive

Feb meeting 2013 2At last week’s BridgingApps meeting in McAllen, speech language pathologist Betsy Furler led the meeting by introducing the website to newcomers. Parents, therapists and teachers from Easter Seals, McAllen ISD, Brownsville ISD and beyond came together to learn and share information about iPads and how they are using them in different environments. Betsy showed participants how to find apps at bridgingapps.org using the custom-built app search tool Insignio. She also highlighted numerous app lists that users can access when searching for apps for developing particular skills, such as fine motor, communication, early learning, etc.

Betsy demonstrated a number of apps on the iPad. A favorite of the evening was the new app called Kid in Story by LocoMotiveLabs. Kid in Story offers a simple and fun new way to make custom storybooks on the iPad, including social stories. You can also write your own story to go with your images, or modify one of the included stories to fit your needs. Locomotive Labs designs exceptional assistive and play-based learning applications to empower kids with special needs to be independent learners.Feb meeting 2013 1

Many participants were interested in appropriate apps for young children just learning how to navigate an iPad. Suggested apps were Baby Rattle Toy, Sound Touch and Peekaboo Barn, all great cause and effect apps with exceptional graphics. For parents of young children the group discussed the importance of protecting the iPad by choosing the right case, such as Big Grips, Gumdrop or the new case GoNow by the Attainment company. Articles about all of these cases and others can be found on the bridgingapps website under Getting Started/Hardware.

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 21st from 5:30-7:30 p.m. From 5:30-6:00 p.m. the focus will be on new users and getting oriented to the iPad and from 6-7 p.m. the regular meeting will take place.

Location of Meeting:

Easter Seals Office in the Tavarez Medical Center
801 South Main Street, McAllen TX 78501

For more information please contact Roschel Servantes at 956-631-9171

 

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