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Tell Me About It! is a universal app specifically designed for children with speech and language delays or those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The app is based on the Applied Behavioral Analysis approach and the developers have tried, as much as is possible with an app, to mimic an actual one-on-one instructional session with a therapist.
There are many reasons that this is an ideal app for use at home or in a classroom; one in particular is that it allows for up to 10 users. In the Teacher’s Console, teachers or parents have the ability to customize settings for each user individually; settings such as display labels for the photos, options for the reinforcement schedule, the level the child should work on and which token character the child is rewarded with. The Reinforcement Schedule option is used for determining how many targets the child must answer correctly before receiving a token. Seven different tokens, or random, can be chosen for each child.
The app provides 15 categories of language targets; such as body parts, household items, clothing and food; and six levels of difficulty, which progressively become more difficult; level 1 is labeling and level 6 is shared feature, function, and category. In level 1, the child may be asked which object is white, when presented with three objects; level 6, the child may be asked to touch two (of the three) items that have a bun or have fur.
A child’s report card provides tracking data for each child, with the option to e-mail the results. Both, the report card in the app and the e-mail, are easy to read at a glance.
During the game mode, the teacher or parent can quickly access the reports or settings by using a unique two-finger swiping method. The developers should consider something similar for protecting the buttons throughout the entire app. The buttons do not take the child out of the app, but they do allow access to areas you may not want the child; such as the settings or choosing the next level.
The About section provides a fantastic amount of help, information about ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) and includes references to the developer’s favorite and whom they consider their most reliable references.
The overall design is fantastic! The background for the game mode is white, without any clutter on the screen to confuse the child. There are only the objects for them to choose from and their reward tokens. The narration is crisp and clear, easy to understand, no background music. The narration repeats as needed if the child has not touched the screen. After the child has achieved their goal (as defined in the settings), the child is rewarded with a celebration. Appropriate music, sounds, and adorable graphics are used in the celebration. The celebrations are a great way to reward the child and encourage them to continue on.
During the game play, for example, a child is presented with three objects. They are directed to touch a specific object, such as a scarf. If they touch the correct object, they receive a token. If they touch incorrectly, the correct image flashes and the narrator repeats the object. The child is then given the opportunity to try that object again later.
Bottom line
If you are looking for an app to help a child that has speech or language delays, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, consider Tell Me About It! It is very well designed and I would consider it to be reasonably priced for the amount of content and details it contains.
Tell Me About It! teaches the label, category, function, and features of more than 235 language targets over 6 levels of incremental difficulty with over 1000 unique testable attributes. The presentation of each language target conforms to an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) discrete trial program, with reinforcement provided by a token economy system. Tell Me About It! provides a self-contained discrete trial program that error corrects and provides direct and immediate reinforcement while collecting and synthesizing data for up to 10 students. There is a Student Report Card that displays data for each student, with an option to email the results.
For students with speech and language delays or for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, learning to simply label an image doesn’t necessarily translate into comprehensive understanding of that word. By breaking down each language target by its category, the function that it serves and its salient features, we offer students the opportunity to fully comprehend and then engage in language. This app is ideal for both home and classroom use.
Regular Price: $9.99