It’s time for Part Three of Visual Schedule and Task Manager Apps! Remember apps of this type may be very helpful for children and adults with disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and intellectual disabilities. All of the apps discussed in this series are available for rent on an iPad through IPAT.
iPrompts
The iPrompts app, from Handhold Adaptive, is $49.99 and available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Nook. This app provides a customizable visual schedule with pics and audio, visual timer, and choice board.
Visual Schedules
With this app you can make a visual schedule checklist with audio output if desired. The pictures can be taken from the device camera right within the app, input from the device library, or taken off the web. The app also provides a small library of picture symbols to use. The schedule can be viewed in list form or swiped through one at a time, as in the picture on the above right. When you are done with a task, click the box and check it off.
- iPrompts Countdown Timer
Countdown Timer
This app also allows you to create timers on the fly for various activities. You can add a picture of the timed activity or the reward that they will get after the activity. The green in the big square disappears as the timer counts down. You can create many timers and have them ready to go.
- iPrompts Choices Board
Choice Board
iPrompts provides a way to make Choice boards of up to 6 pictures with recorded audio. When one picture is chosen, it plays the recorded audio and the other pictures turn Black/White.
Below is a video of how the app works.
What I like
- All of the available platforms. With the recent price lowering of the Kindle Fire, this could be a very low-cost option for someone.
- The ability of the visual schedule to change from a list format to viewing just one step at a time.
- On the Choice Board-the fact that the chosen picture stays in color and the other choices turn to black/white, might be beneficial for some people.
- User Guides and video tutorial are helpful.
- Being able to search from the web and add pictures right from the camera
What I Wish for the Future
- Ability to integrate the choice boards and timers into the daily schedule.
- Ability to add video into the daily schedule and the choice boards.
- The ability for the “check off” box to be re-sized.
- More flexibility in the countdown timer such as being able to change the style/color of timer and add audio or video if desired.
- User Guides for all platforms.
- The Up-to-date iPrompts app that we have includes a section called Video Prompts. It includes over 30 great pre-made videos of to teach appropriate behavior in various social situations-see pic below. There is a designated spot to add your own videos; however, the app currently does not allow one to add new videos even after following the directions in the video tutorial. The company has been emailed and this blog will be updated once a response has been received.
- iPrompts Video Prompts Screen
