Friday, January 13, 2012

Apps for Avoiders - Desensitize through Stories

Never underestimate the power of stories.  Try adding a tale to deal with upsetting noises and events.  The Off We Go book series fit the bill.
Off We Go! books prepare children for everyday experiences and improve language and social skills. Each book tells the story of a particular event or everyday activity in a sequence of 12 steps. The Off We Go! book series help prepare a child to cope better with that new event or activity. Each book supports kids to partake in activities that they might otherwise find overwhelming, decrease parent stress levels, while at the same time provide a valuable learning tool.
Two of the books are made into apps.  Going to The Dentist book app helps kids get ready for a dentist visit in an appealing way.  They'll see what is likely to happen and hear some of the typical sounds from the dentist’s chair.


Airports and plane trips can be initimdating and frightening to a child.  Going on a Plane book app is just the thing to read to help prepare for this journey. 


These are both QBooks, an interactive digital picture book format by Kiwa Media.  If you are not familiar with them, you are in for a surprise.  Run your fingers over the text to see the words come alive (words seem to dance on the page as you hear the story).  Touch any word to hear it said or spelt.  Color in the book pages.  Kids can record themselves or their parent, so that even the narration is a familiar comforting voice.  Both apps are $3.99, well worth the price if these experiences are unsettling.  Watch them in action in this video and see if you don't agree.

No comments: