While many are no doubt aware of educational apps for children and their benefits, special needs children may not be prioritized by app developers. Thankfully, some app developers do focus on apps specially tailored for children with special needs, and the apps on this list cater specifically to children diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder).

1. AutiSpark

AutiSpark is a highly rated educational app specifically developed for ASD children. The educational learning games are approved by experts, and offer immense help to parents and teachers that are struggling to teach basic concepts to ASD children.

AutiSpark offers a multitude of well-researched, engaging and interactive learning games carefully designed to suit the child’s learning requirements. Includes concepts of picture association, understanding emotions, recognition of sounds and much more.

• Specially designed educational games and activities.
• Engaging content to ensure the child’s focus and attention.
• Develop basic visual, communication, and language skills

2. Happy Glass

ASD children are known for having traits of deep creativity and imagination, and Happy Glass will surely entertain them. It is a physics-based game where you must draw a line between a faucet of water and an empty glass, so that the flow of water is directed down the drawn pathway and into the glass, filling it up.

It certainly requires a bit of creativity, imagination, and logic to complete each stage. Puzzle-based IO games are very popular, and you can play io games that may appeal to ASD children on CrazyGames.

3. Anti-Stress

Anti-stress is not an app developed specifically for children with ASD, but can be immensely helpful for capturing their interest. It features a wide range of interactive “toys” such as swiping bamboo chimes, stacking blocks, popping bubbles, painting wooden fences, and many more.

All of the interactive toys are physics-based and react realistically to finger swipes, and the app can appeal especially to ASD children that enjoy repetitive activities.

4. Chill Outz

Children with autism may have difficulty relaxing and calming down, and Chill Outz is an app that teaches children specific relaxation techniques. It was designed by a child psychologist, Jacqueline Vorpahl, Ph. D., who has over 25 years experience as a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialization in Child, Adolescent & Family work.

The app features a collection of fun animated stories to help teach children techniques to stay mindful and relaxed anywhere, anytime.

• Buzzy Bee: teaches children how to calm down by humming
• Panicky Penguin: teaches children how to overcome panic by focusing on breathing
• Timid Turtle: teaches children to overcome anxiety through tensing and releasing shoulders
• Noisy Alien: teaches children how to be okay in unfamiliar situations through body relaxation
• Sleepy Bear: gets children ready for bed through breathing

5. Peppy Pals Sammy Helps Out

This child-friendly emotional skill builder was developed especially for younger children, although it can also be useful for older children who struggle with social situations and empathy. It’s best used under observation from a parent or teacher that can discuss the in-game situations with the child, and help them navigate the choices and explore their feelings.

Peppy Pals makes fun and educational apps and books for kids ages 2-8, focusing on social and emotional intelligence. The concept has been developed together with early childhood experts and EQ-psychologists.

Being able to recognize, understand, manage, and communicate emotions are skills essential for your children to develop, and research indicates that these skills are an important factor for success and happiness, as well as reduce the chance of being bullied or bullying others.

6. Kid in Story Book Maker

By creating social stories, kids can work with expectations and practice before events actually happen. The special features are particularly helpful for kids who may need to see themselves encountering situations, such as a visit to the dentist, in the storybook form before encountering them in real life. Take your child to Eugene Kids Dentist as they know how to handle children’s reactions to dental procedures.