This App Allows Non-Verbal Kids to Communicate Exactly the Way They Want
Royden James had thought of this before. He is sure that other parents are in his situation too.
“I wish you could fucking tell me what you want.”
James’ son is 6 years old and has autism. He is non-verbal, so it is difficult for him to understand what he wants, what he needs and what he thinks about all day. Does he ask for a green spoon or a glass of water? Does he miss certain people or things? What is he interested in? What is he hoping for? Why is he crying? What can parents do? When will it get better?
“One of the most heartbreaking disappointments is when you clearly see that your child has something to tell you,” explains James, who lives in Sweden. “They want something, but the words just don’t come. You kind of see in their eyes that they hope that you just know. “
James’ son cannot pronounce words, but he has a visual vocabulary – he can use pictures to communicate. James decided to create an app to help him with this. It’s called Upcard , and James says he ” changed the life of his family.”
Based on the Picture Sharing System (PECS) designed for learners with cognitive, physical and communication problems, the Upcard consists of “picture cards” that users can place in sequence to form simple statements and queries.
For example: I want + One + Apple.
Users can choose from a library of pre-installed picture cards or add their own from their device’s photo album or camera. For each card, the parent or guardian can also write down how they pronounce the word. Thus, the user continues to hear the same voice without any subtle changes that people on the spectrum find it difficult to adapt to. Research has shown that mothers’ voices play a particularly important role in the brain, social and emotional development of children.
The defining moment for James came one day when he was working in his living room and his son came up with his iPad and opened Upcard, which at the time was just a prototype for a barebone.
He made a sentence of cards with pictures: I want + Help + iPad. “I told him, ‘But you have an iPad and it works,” says James. His son kept showing him the same sentence. I want + Help + iPad. I want + Help + iPad.
“I thought the app was useless if I still didn’t understand what it wanted,” says James.
Then it finally dawned on him: “He was watching YouTube, but the sound was turned off and he didn’t know how to turn it back on. So I reached out and turned it on for him. ” At that moment, James’ son looked into his eyes, smiled and ran away.
“I figured out what he wanted,” says James. “For the first time ever. He was almost 4 years old then. I couldn’t stop crying.”
Now James, his wife Emely and their son use Upcard every day for activities and tasks such as potty training, starting school or buying a new pair of shoes. In the attachment, the child asked his grandfather to go with him to look at the ducks. Sometimes he uses it to just collect different thoughts throughout the day, not necessarily showing them to anyone. His teachers now open the app whenever they need to communicate with him.
The app also allows parents to create a structured visual plan for their child’s day so they always know what’s next, as well as keep track of their food, speech, mood, sleep habits and other activities. The purpose of James’ app is to empower families to create more “good days”.
The other day, while James was at work, his wife sent him a screenshot of the proposal their son had created. “It was one of the most amazing messages I have ever received,” he says.
The message was: I want + One + Pappa.
“I still laugh at this message and am very grateful that he only asked for ‘one,’” says James.
Upcard is free for iOS and Android.