iAutism

Kiwa offers us two interesting applications to help prepare our children for two really complicated situations: going on a plane and, even worse, going to the dentist.

In short, these two applications, with share the operation mode but have different topics, offer a multimedia presentation and a few extras to help you become familiar with these two situations.

Well designed

Few applications for children with special needs support languages ​​other than American English. In this case, Off We Go supports Spanish, American English and British English. Nice point!

Once chosen the language, you can enter the child’s name, a detail that has little significance beyond customizing the application a bit, and perhaps get the attention of the child.

Once entered the name, Off We Go presents a sequence of 13 or 16 slides describing the situation. Thus, in the case of planes, it first shows a family coming to the airport, with really nice graphics.

But Off We Go is not just a slideshow. On each screen, you have a number of elements to interact with. Thus, for example, some screens include a blue button that activates an animation. In this first case, the animation consists on a plane crossing the sky (accompanied by the corresponding sound).

Also, you can touch the palette icon to access a specific menu that allows you to draw a little within the application. Curiously, here I experienced some minor problems with the translation of the menu options, as some of them appeared in French, a language still not supported by the application.

After selecting the drawing option, we are presented the same scene in black and white and a color palette so that the child can spend some minutes painting. The drawing tool is with a brush which, combined with the details of the drawings, requires good fine motor skills.

But drawing is an extra for fun, not the main objective of the application. In each slide of the sequence you can also touch the green button “Play” and hear the phrase written under the image. Each word is highlighted and changes its color while being read.

You also have the option of recording your own audio clip, which allows you to use a voice more familiar to the child, or can be used by the child himself to read and record the sentences and listen them later, or even allows you to record the phrases in another language initially not supported by the application.

If you put the iPad in landscape mode, the layout changes a bit, so that on the right side of the screen several images of the sequence are displayed. This helps you to navigate through the sequence and to anticipate the following slide.

The animations, sounds (landing, takeoff, etc.) are well made ​​and coordinated, giving a feeling of quality. The final image shows four small scenes, so that we can play any of them and see and hear an animation.

Options

At any time, a button with the typical gear wheel at the top allows you to configure some details of the application: whether or not to hear a background music, if you want to use the audio clips that you have recorded, block them so the child cannot change anyone accidentally, whether or not to show the drawing options, …

Dentist

Regarding Off We Go – Going to the Dentist, the operation is exactly the same, with an equivalent sequence of images and the same options on each screen.

One of the most critical aspects here is showing the dentist with their instruments.

However, Off We Go here has chosen not to overemphasize the “hardest” part.  The two sounds more disturbing to me -drill and suction- are only present in the final screen.

Rating

The coordination of the different elements in Off We Go is perfect. Well designed graphics and animations, everything works fine, you can record your own audio, … I would love to be able to rewrite the texts in order to really fully adapt the application to any language (or, otherwise, to be able to hide them), but you can always ignore the texts and focus on the audio clips or simply use the application without the audio clips and explain anything you like to your child.

Globally, and taking in account their price, Off We Go apps are a nice help for children that have to face those situations. I still tremble when I think of the first day that I’ll have to take my daughter to the dentist, but I am convinced that I will use Off We Go to prepare the visit.

-Francesc Sistach

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Off We Go – Going on a Plane

Off We Go – Going to the Dentist

Web: http://www.offwego.ie

Company: Kiwa International Ltd.

Languages: English, Spanish.

Functions: Multimedia presentations on planes and dentists.

iPhone/iPod touch version: Yes (1.4.2).

iPad version: Yes (HD 1.3.5).

Price: $3,99 / €2,99.

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This post is also available in: Spanish