Parents' Guide to

Otsimo Special Education AAC

By Keri Wilmot, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Large library of activities focuses on academics, language.

App iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad Free to try, Paid Education
Otsimo Special Education AAC Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Otismo App: Screenshot 1
  • Otismo App: Screenshot 2
  • Otismo App: Screenshot 3
  • Otismo App: Screenshot 4
  • Otismo App: Screenshot 5

Community Reviews

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age 3+

Based on 1 parent review

jamiesoy
jamiesoy Adult
September 28, 2020
age 3+

Luis loves it and learns a lot

My son Luis was diagnosed with ASD at age of 2.5 (he is now eight). Over the years, Luis has received various standard treatments, including ABA, speech therapy, and play therapy. He has also taken various medication targeting nervousness, hyperactivity, and aggressiveness. All of the interventions above had temporary and variable positive impact on Luis. Some had no effect sometimes. Through the years, I tried different ways to engage my boy in meaningful interaction, but I haven’t achieved success. For example, we achieved positive interaction when we was going sport. Among non-physical activities, the only one that he enjoyed was watching cartoons together. However, all of these activities were limited to very short time periods. Luis was not able to get meaningfully engaged for more than 30 minutes, even when he liked something. When we started using the Otsimo application developed, I was completely surprised to find that he was immediately interested and able to engage himself in solving problems for more than an hour at a time. Luis works on Otsimo games every day and enjoys being successful with them. The progressive increase in complexity and comprehension of more than one variable at a time boosts Luis's attention. While doing the exercises, Luis becomes calm and remains so for long interval and even for some time after it. The Otsimo program has become our favorite interactive activity.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
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What’s It About?

OTSIMO: SPECIAL EDUCATION AAC is organized into two sections: one for kids to play games, and one for parents to see data on the activities.The kid's section has 16 categories separated into topics like Homeschooling, Core Skills, Daily Life, Numbers, Vocabulary and more. Each category has several activities, like drawing or tracing shapes or letters. In the AAC category, kids can tap a picture icon that correlates to words, actions, and objects to create sentences and phrases. Then the device speaks the sentence for them. There are also some social stories with "how to" information about everyday activities such as sharing toys and washing hands.

The parents' section offers data such as numbers of days kids have used the app, which activities they did, and for how many minutes. There are also customization options including difficulty level and how many seconds it takes to provide a hint.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This excellent collection of activities is a great way for kids who have learning and attention issues to improve their language skills, and knowledge of everyday things and actions, by engaging in simple, repetitive games. Otsimo Special Education AAC's approach has high appeal and its games are simple for kids to play for short periods of time. The auto level features can help kids advance their skills over time. It's also nice that parents can customize their kids' experience. For example, parents can set how much time passes before kids get an automated hint. The clapping sounds for right answers can be really rewarding, especially for kids who benefit from simple praise. On the other hand, there are lots and lots of activities - and they're not always organized very clearly - which might feel overwhelming. Kids will most likely need an adult or teacher for help, particularly at the beginning.

Another downside is that the activity directions are given once -- and quickly at that -- with no option to repeat. As many kids (with or without learning and attention issues) need to hear directions multiple times, this could be frustrating. The AAC option is a great way to test if your kid is responsive to using this strategy to communicate. But, icons are sometimes inconsistent and do not always correlate clearly to the word. For example, the "all done" icon has a picture of what looks like a salad. Finally the subscription price is steep, and deciding which plan to purchase might not be easy. Parents should definitely use the free trial before making any decisions to subscribe. They may also want to check in with a professional, if they work with one, to help decide if Otsimo Special Education ACC is right for their kid.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Make your family's expectations around screen time clear before using Otismo: Special Education AAC. Know that transitioning away from screens can be hard - especially for kids with special needs. What steps can help your kid transition? Verbal reminders of how much time is left? Another activity ready and waiting?

  • Talk to your kid about what it's like to learn on a screen. How is it different than learning from books or other people? Do they feel more or less comfortable when they use a screen?

  • Social stories are a great way for kids to learn and process challenging concepts, such as waiting a turn, sharing toys and brushing teeth. Can you use these stories as templates to help work on other skills?

  • Having patience and "wait time" is crucial, especially when working with kids who might be challenged to process directions or information quickly. How can you make sure that your kid has an opportunity to respond without your guidance - even if it takes them longer than you expect?

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
  • Subjects: Language & Reading: letter or word recognition, naming, reading, vocabulary, Math: numbers, sequences, shapes, Science: animals, Arts: drawing
  • Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: spatial reasoning, Self-Direction: academic development, achieving goals, goal-setting, identifying strengths and weaknesses, motivation, personal growth, work to achieve goals, Emotional Development: persevering, Health & Fitness: fine motor skills
  • Pricing structure: Free to try, Paid (Free download includes limited content. To access full app, subscribe for $20.99/month; $13.99/mo for 12 month subscription; or $229.99 lifetime. Free trial available, ranges from 7-14 days depending on plan.)
  • Release date: May 1, 2020
  • Category: Education
  • Topics: Numbers and Letters
  • Publisher: Otsimo
  • Version: 6.8.200430
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 11.0 or later
  • Last updated: June 20, 2020

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