Transition can be stressful, but taking adequate time to prepare and plan for transition can make for a much smoother process. For families and individuals with Down Syndrome it is important to start planning ahead.
To help you along, our BridgingApps team has put together an app list to help you look towards the future and assist with the skills needed to lead the most fulfilling and independent life as possible.
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Choiceworks
Choiceworks is an app for helping children complete daily routines and tasks, understanding and controlling feelings and to improve their patience. Caregivers, teachers, and therapists use this app with students diagnosed with autism (verbal and non-verbal), ADD, and other learning disabilities to keep them on task and motivated. The Choiceworks app is high quality, user friendly and students trialed enjoyed using it.
See the full Choiceworks app review.[/row_column]
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Notability
Notability is one of the original iPad handwriting apps. It continues to listen to feedback from its audience and frequently makes updates to meet the needs of the consumer.
This is a great app for older students, as there are more finger gestures for students to learn to use the app to its fullest potential. Users also need to have at least third grade reading skills to understand the user guide. The app has the ability to take notes using handwriting, keyboarding and audio. Another nice feature for older students is the ability to import PDF’s and annotate, write, type, highlight or add media to the PDF. Even though you have your iPad, this app has an auto-sync feature which allows your notes to be viewable on any mobile device.
See the full Notability app review.[/row_column]
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My Health, My Choice, My Responsibility
Here is a true Life Skills app for middle school through adulthood developed to be a cognitively accessibly learning tool. The app has 8 sessions: Take charge of your health, Develop a health plan, Health self-advocate, Get moving, Eat right, Be healthy at home, Feel Good about yourself and Stay on Track.
See the full My Health, My Choice, My Responsibility app review.[/row_column]
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iReward
iReward is a simple app that has motivational charts to reinforce positive behaviors in children or young teens. As early childhood special educators we have used this app with our students who have Autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, and other Developmental Delays. We often used this visual reward system to motivate the children to finish a task. It was also used as a “First/Then” motivator. For example, first you eat, then you play. Students would see pictures of both activities and it helped them to persevere through the task that was less enjoyable for them.
See the full iReward app review.
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Additional Resources
- App List for Young Children with Down Syndrome
- Apps for Middle and High School Students with Down Syndrome