Mobile Apps

Respondents use apps to address fine motor skills and activities. The tablet can help address speed and accuracy, eye–hand coordination, and dragging and dropping, as well as facilitate pincer grasp, finger isolation, dexterity, and pinching.

Dexteria: This app, developed by an occupational therapist, provides therapeutic hand exercises to improve fine motor skills and handwriting readiness. Available for Android ($9.99) and iOS ($3.99).

Dexteria, Jr.: This app is designed for children age 2 to 5 and includes a set of hand and finger exercises to develop fine motor skills. Available for iOS ($2.99).

School-based OT practitioners use tablets to address specific visual motor and perceptual skills such as scanning, tracking, memory, attending, recognition, and color.

Rush Hour: A visual problem solving app that is a sliding block traffic jam puzzle. The app has 35 challenges with a range of difficulty levels. Avaliable for iOS (free). Similar app for Android (free).

Tablets and iPads can be used to address specific handwriting skills such as improving letter and number formation and pre-writing skills.

Wet-Dry-Try: Using a visual chalkboard, children learn and practice letter formation habits for writing letters and numbers. Available for iOS ($4.99).

Respondents use iPads and tablets for speech-to-text programs and visual accommodations, such as enlarging the print size or changing the contrast on worksheets or textbooks.

Dragon Dictation: This easy-to-use voice recognition app allows users to speak and see text and email messages. Available for Android (free) and iOS (free).

SnapType: Take a picture of a worksheet and use your device’s keyboard to type in answers. Developed by an occupational therapy student. Available for iOS (free).

OT practitioners use tablets for social stories, cause-and-effect apps, video modeling, scheduling, and self-regulation apps.

First Then Visual Schedule: Create video schedules to increase independence and lower anxiety during transitions. Available for Android ($4.99) and iOS ($9.99).

Breathe, Think, Do: You can help a Sesame Street monster calm down and solve challenges with this research-based app. Available for Android (free) and iOS (free).

Toodledo: Organize to-do lists and notes with this app, which allows users to prioritize and flag tasks, and has audible pop-up reminders. Available for Android (free) and iOS ($2.99).

MyHomework Student Planner: Designed for students from middle school through college to keep track of classes, projects, tests, and homework. Available for Android (free) and iOS (free).