Product: Speech Blubs is a video- and voice-based app constructed with the purpose to boost children’s imitation and speaking abilities through play.
“I’ve had it [Speech Blubs app] for less than a week and he’s already saying more!”
Cost: $9.99 monthly subscription fee
What’s special about this app is that it uses videos of real children’s faces and the latest technology (facial and voice recognition) to engage children in (almost real-life!) face-to-face interaction. It progressively encourages children to generate new sounds.
This new autism app for kids is based on decades of scientific research on mirror neurons and video-modeling (teaching method). Experts on speech delay, sensory processing disorder (SPD), Down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report it could be one of the most outstanding, upcoming tools that promotes the stimulation of sound ever designed.
This is Daniel, a seven-year-old boy with severe cognitive delay. When he started using Speech Blubs a year ago he was nonverbal. Using the app in therapy was the first approach that made him pay attention. Soon after he started making first sounds and using them to communicate. His parents are reporting that he’s sometimes mimicking the kids from the app all day long, even before bed, repeating everything that he saw and heard in this app. It’s his favorite activity, and after months of daily practice, he mastered all the practices; at the moment he likes the lion and the airplane best, and also the horse and tractor are quite amusing to him.
Another parent in the reviews of the app says:
“My five-year-old on the spectrum typically won’t concentrate on one activity for more than a few minutes and is at least two years behind his typically functioning peers. He requests to play the “animal game” (Speech Blubs) and mimics the children. I’ve had it for less than a week and he’s already saying more!” @Brithor27, App Stores
The Speech Blubs app has caught a lot of positive attention from speech and language professionals. App developer (Blub Blub, Inc.) claims thousands of therapists are already using this app in therapy. The concept of modeling other children’s behavior has proven to have a high success when it comes to overcoming speech delay.
With more than 500 fun and educational videos, the app also takes on the nature of being a handy storytelling device for parents. The children do not only progress faster, but also enjoy practicing their speech more. Try it out with a seven-day free trial, and afterwards the monthly subscription fee is only $9.99!
Children believe this is fun time with their parents and buddies from the app and don’t even realize they are working on speech!
For more information, check out the app in the Apple App Store, or visit their website speechblubs.com. You can also keep up to date with Speech Blubs on Blub Blub Facebook page.
This article was featured in Issue 68 – ASD Strategies in Action
