Re-purposing iOS apps and Wii games for therapy?? #assistivetech #iTherapy

I thought I would share an interesting article published earlier today on PadGadget, Stroke Patients Rehabilitate with Fruit Ninja for iPad.  This article discusses how certain iPad and Wii games provide a new form of physical exercise required by recovering stroke patients.  iOS game apps like Fruit Ninja, which require a combination of gestures or movements help to improve fine motor skills.  Although such apps are designed for entertainment, it seems like there is an emerging trend of re-purposing such apps given their medical and/or therapeutic benefits.

Which iOS apps or Wii games have you re-purposed for use with your children or students?  I will share my list of re-purposed apps later in another post this week!

-  Jeremy


Share this

Do you know somebody else who would find this post interesting or useful? Please forward it to them. Did somebody forward this post to you? Visit Teaching All Students and subscribe to receive posts for free. If you need a tutorial please visit this post: RSS Readers.

#AppMondayTAS - Do As Me

It's been a long couple of weeks, between alternate assessments and report cards it's been crazy, but I'm back now and I think we'll have another #AppMondayTAS review!

I'm not exactly sure where I heard about this next app, but I love the concept and it's execution is done very well.  Do as Me is a simple app (as many of the good ones are) that allows you to draw or write on the screen, then kids can follow along and do the same thing.  In the teacher mode it allows you to erase the steps one at a time or trash the entire thing.  In the student mode you have to make it similar to what is on the screen before it goes on to the next letter or part of the drawing.  It will let you know if you go to far out of the lines.

Using the app on an iPod Touch is a little limiting, I can get about 4-5 letters on the screen, or small drawing.  I imagine the iPad version has much more of the screen available for writing, making it very effective for students with fine motor issues.  It would be nice for the app to have some more features - different color inks, maybe extra pages, different backgrounds (for students with visual issues) - overall I think the app is a solid app for working on writing skills.

App - Do As Me
Price - $0.99 (at time of posting)
Type - Universal (works on iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch)
Restrictions - Requires iOS 4.2 (will not work on 1st Generation iPhones or iPod Touches)
Skills Addressed - writing, fine motor

Patrick


Share this
Do you know somebody else who would find this post interesting or useful? Please forward it to them. Did somebody forward this post to you? Visit Teaching All Students and subscribe to receive posts for free. If you need a tutorial please visit this post: RSS Readers