By Anna McTish, OTD, OTR/L
As pediatric OTs, we have multiple treatment options for developing, practicing, and refining fine motor skills. Have you ever planned the perfect fine motor activity with clothespins or jumbo tweezers and then the child asks if they can play on an iPad? I certainly have…more than once. Whether we like it or not, children are now motivated by anything that is presented on an iPad. If this is the case, why don’t we use iPad apps as a portion of our treatment sessions? Especially if apps are motivating! Although apps should not be used as a primary treatment technique, they are a great way to warm a child up with a fun and motivating activity prior to diving deeper into therapeutic activities. Below you will find a list of a few fine motor/pre-writing/visual perceptual apps that can be used in treatment sessions. You will also find a few resources that continuously provide information regarding OT apps as they are created and updated. Have fun with these apps but don’t forget about those clothespins or jumbo tweezers!
1. Name of App: Dexteria
Description: 3 exercises: Tap it, Pinch it, and Write it
Age: K-adult
Targeted Skills: handwriting readiness, strength, control, dexterity, finger isolation, coordination
Price: $3.99
Manufacturer: Binary Labs Inc.
2. Name of App: Shelby’s Quest
Description: Draw through mazes, create shapes, and practice pinch
Age: 4-7
Targeted Skills: visual motor, visual perceptual, pinching, finger isolation, tracking, sorting
Price: $4.99
Manufacturer: Doodle Therapy
3. Name of App: Drawnimal
Description: Draw funny animals using shapes, learn the ABCs, and practice writing the alphabet
Age: 4-8
Targeted Skills: functional grasp, pre-writing skills, handwriting skills, visual motor skills
Price: $1.99
Manufacturer: Yatatoy
4. Name of App: My Mosaic
Description: Select and slide colored dots to copy pictures
Age: 4+
Targeted Skills: finger isolation, visual motor, visual perceptual
Price: Free
Manufacturer: My First App Ltd.
App Resources:
OTs with Apps & Technology: Carol Leynse Harpold, MS, AdEd, OTR/L, ATP writes a blog that reviews apps for both the iPad and iPhone. Her blog is written from the perspective of an OT, but it could be useful for parents who are looking for appropriate apps to use with their children. This website organizes the apps by areas of performance and descriptive categories. http://otswithapps.com/
OT Cafe: This blog, created and written by a pediatric OT, provides information and resources for other OTs and families who receive pediatric occupational therapy services. A section of her blog is devoted to reviewing iPad apps. The reviews include screenshots, videos of how the app works, and a link to the AppStore where it can be purchased. http://abbypediatricot.blogspot.com/search/label/apps
The OT Room: The OT Room provides information on iPad apps including: handwriting apps, fine motor apps, visual perception apps, matching apps, and other educational apps. The manufacturer, price, description, and functional skills are given for each app. http://www.theotroom.com/ipad-apps
References:
Bible, K. (2013, September 27). Shelby’s Quest on the App Store. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shelbys-quest/id554328210?mt=8
BinaryLabs, I. (2014, October 01). Dexteria – Fine Motor Skill Development on the App Store. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dexteria-fine-motor-skill/id420464455?mt=8
Harpold, C. L. (n.d.). OT’s with Apps & Technology. Retrieved October 10, 2016, from http://otswithapps.com/
Molly, S. (n.d.). IPad Apps – The OT Room. Retrieved October 10, 2016, from http://www.theotroom.com/ipad-apps
MyFirstAppLtd. (2015, December 03). My Mosaic on the App Store. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from https://itunes.apple.com/KW/app/id468020990?mt=8
OT Cafe. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2016, from http://abbypediatricot.blogspot.com/search/label/apps
Zanotto, L. (2014, June 30). DRAWNIMAL by YATATOY on the App Store. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/drawnimal-by-yatatoy/id586239095?mt=8