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Parents of Twins with Autism Open Up About the App They Created to Help Kids Develop Social Skills: It’s ‘Incredible’ to See Its Impact

By Tiare Dunlap @tiaredunlap

04/29/2016 AT 01:50 PM EDT
Shari Grande and her husband call the day their two-year-old son Elijah was diagnosed with autism “the day of nevers.”

“His physician told us he’ll never talk, he’ll never interact, it was just one ‘never’ after the next,” Grande, 49, tells PEOPLE.

Eleven years after his diagnosis, Elijah has gone on to accomplish much of what was deemed impossible. The Sunnyvale, California, teen even attends a mainstream public high school.

Grande, a clinical social worker, credits her son’s success to a number of interventions, including the learning app The Social Express.

Keep up with your favorite celebs in the pages of PEOPLE Magazine by subscribing now.

Created by parents Marc and Tina Zimmerman, whose identical twins Jason and Jared have autism, The Social Express is an interactive software that helps kids with autism learn how to read emotions, empathize and react in social situations.

Parents of Twins with Autism Open Up About the App They Created to Help Kids Develop Social Skills: It’s ‘Incredible’ to See Its Impact| Twins, Autism, Medical Conditions, Real People Stories

The San Diego, California, couple invented the app as a way of giving their sons the tools they needed to ease the social isolation they experienced every day.

“It was very difficult because all of our nieces and nephews are highly social and have always had a lot of friends and play dates,” Marc tells PEOPLE. “Our kids never had many play dates and if put into a social situation, they would just go sit alone in a corner.”

However, after seeing how their sons responded to technology and cartoons, the Zimmermans enlisted experts to write a software program that could model social situations with engaging animation. The parents took turns sitting with their sons as they watched the animations, and helped them talk through their decision-making process when asked how a character on the screen should react.

“They would sit down to use the program and engage with us,” Marc recalls. “That was the tough part – getting them to engage. Once they were engaged we saw them speaking more to each other and acting more comfortable in social situations.”

Parents of Twins with Autism Open Up About the App They Created to Help Kids Develop Social Skills: It’s ‘Incredible’ to See Its Impact| Twins, Autism, Medical Conditions, Real People Stories

Now 14, Jason and Jared are best friends attending a mainstream middle school, earning straight As and playing in a band. “They’re different kids than they were when they were diagnosed,” Marc reflects.

The twins’ case is not unusual. Since its launch in 2011, use of The Social Express as a teaching tool for kids with social differences has been adopted in 70 countries and in hundreds of schools around the U.S.

“We get emails from around the world from parents telling us about how it has helped their kids,” Marc says. “It’s just incredible to see how something we created to help our own kids has had such a bigger impact than we would have ever imagined.”

Parents of Twins with Autism Open Up About the App They Created to Help Kids Develop Social Skills: It’s ‘Incredible’ to See Its Impact| Twins, Autism, Medical Conditions, Real People Stories

That impact is not lost on moms like Grande, who says the program helped her son to open up and fit in.

“He’s just a nice, open and bubbly kid and he has become my greatest teacher,” she says.

http://www.people.com/article/social-express-california-couple-creates-app-social-skills-twins-with-autism

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These Parents of Autistic Twins Are Helping Kids All Over the World with Social Skills

When Marc Zimmerman’s twins were given an autism diagnosis, he decided to create something to make their lives better.

By Jamie Pacton

Zimmerman family Courtesy Marc Zimmerman

Marc Zimmerman has been a rockstar, composer, real estate broker, and software startup entrepreneur. But his latest project—founding and running the company responsible for the incredible social situation simulator The Social Express—is the one closest to his heart and home.Marc and his wife Tina are the parents of 14-year-old autistic twins Jared and Jason. When the boys were younger, Zimmerman wanted to create something that would help them navigate tricky social situations, reinforce what the boys were learning in therapy, and be something they could watch and learn from together. With this seed of an idea, Marc invested his life savings, made concrete plans, and now, with the help of Tina and many others, The Social Express is a reality.

So, what exactly does The Social Express do? According to its website, it, “provides an opportunity for the user to become more socially competent and have successful social interactions.” Or, put in simpler terms: It helps kids practice a variety of social situations in a low-stakes setting. Through colorful, expertly-animated videos and thoughtful storylines, kids can learn more about self-management, group participation, conversations, attentive listening, conflict management, relationships, non-verbal communication, and more. Kids watch the videos, then make choices that move them further along in the storyline. There are webisodes, e-books, music, and a “clubhouse” for social networking. It’s available for the computer or as an app, and Zimmerman notes that his sons and many other autistic kids really appreciate using technology as a vehicle for practicing social rules and conventions.

Social Express Social Express

Although I was skeptical about how much my children—a neurotypical 5-year-old and a non-verbal autistic 7-year-old—would take to the videos, I’m happy to report they were both enthralled by them. Together, we watched several in which kids tried to figure out which social choice was the most productive—and all of us appreciated the interactive aspect of The Social Express. We were also able to have a bit of conversation about the scenarios and why one way of acting was more positive than another in that social situation. I appreciated the conversation starters and the fact that this was low stakes, since social interactions in the real world cause both my children a lot of anxiety.

And my kids aren’t alone in appreciating The Social Express. Zimmerman reports that it is being used in homes and classrooms in more than 70 countries around the world, and it’s won quite a few awards, including being a part of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Education Technology Plan. Some schools are even using it with entire populations of students—not just autistic ones or those with special needs—and they’re seeing tremendous positive gains in social engagement. In fact, based on this success across student populations, Zimmerman is working on an anti-bullying program, similar to The Social Express, that will help kids figure out how to stop bullying in a variety of situations. He’s also planning on rolling out simulation programs to help with life skills and job training for older kids who are transitioning out of school.

The Social Express is a great program, and I love that it was inspired by the Zimmermans’ desire to help thier sons move more easily through the world. I’m hoping that with time, patience, and through practicing in many social situations both simualted and in the real world, my kids can see similar benefits to the Zimmerman twins, who are now artists, play in a band together, attend school, are good friends, and who are beginning to think about what the future might hold.

You can buy The Social Express here, and use this discount code at checkout to take 30% off the annual subscription: COOLTOOL. The code expires April 30, 2016.

Jamie Pacton lives in the Pacific Northwest where she drinks loads of coffee, dreams of sailing, and enjoys each day with her husband and two sons. Find her at www.jamiepacton.com and Twitter @jamiepacton.

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Bullying, Students with Disabilities, and Social Emotional Skills

Bullying, Students with Disabilities, and Social Emotional Skills

Students with disabilities face an increased risk of being bullied. Some also engage in bullying behavior. To ensure the emotional well-being of its most vulnerable students, schools must take essential steps to reduce the bullying of students with disabilities and remedy the harmful effects.

This document will address the federal laws associated with bullying of and by students with disabilities, research insight related to such bullying, as well as how The Social Express® and Cool School™ can support a multi-tiered approach to assist all students in gaining more effective social relationship skills.

Federal Laws Associated with Bullying and Students with Disabilities:

Three federal laws govern situations related to bullying of or by students with disabilities: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).[i]

The importance of addressing the risks associated with bullying and students with disabilities was recently reinforced by the U.S. Department of Education (Department) in two Dear Colleague Letters. In 2013, the Department’s Office for Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) issued a Letter that called upon schools to address bullying of or by students with disabilities who are receiving services under the IDEA.[ii] In 2014, the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague Letter reminding schools of their obligations to address the harassment of students with disabilities under Section 504 and Title II.[iii]

Under Section 504 and Title II, a school’s inappropriate response to harassment of a student based on disability constitutes disability-based harassment. It is the responsibility of schools under Section 504 and IDEA to ensure that students receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Bullying of student with a disability on any basis (whether based on the student‘s disability or not) can result in a denial of FAPE that must be remedied. Discriminatory harassment and denial of FAPE are two different, but related, issues.

In determining whether disability-based harassment has occurred, OCR will consider the following:

  • Was a student with a disability bullied by one or more students based on the student’s disability?
  • Was the bullying conduct sufficiently serious to create a hostile environment?
  • Did the school know or should it have known of the conduct?
  • Did the school fail to take prompt and effective steps reasonably calculated to end the conduct, eliminate the hostile environment, prevent it from recurring, and, as appropriate, remedy its effects?

Schools also face the potential of financial liability if sued by a student based on discriminatory harassment. In 2012, the Second Circuit upheld a 1 Million Dollar verdict against a New York school by a student who had endured over three years of harassment.[iv] It appeared the school was doing everything required in most anti-bullying statutes. It had a policy against bullying, held trainings, had a reporting system, and responded every time the student reported. The Court noted that the school ignored many signals that more action was needed and only engaged in “half-hearted efforts” to correct the “culture of bias” that was fueling the harassment.

When addressing discriminatory harassment, the focus is on the overall school climate, the behavior of other students towards students with disabilities, and the effectiveness of interventions in hurtful situations. If students with disabilities are regularly treated badly by their peers, a school must be engaging in diligent efforts to increase the level of respect demonstrated by all students towards those with special needs and intervene effectively.

In determining whether a student receiving IDEA FAPE or Section 504 FAPE services who was bullied or engaged in bullying was denied FAPE, OSERS or OCR will consider:

  • Did the school know or should it have known that the effects of the bullying may have affected the student’s receipt of IDEA FAPE or Section 504 FAPE?
  • If the answer is “yes,” did the school meet its ongoing obligation to ensure FAPE by promptly determining whether the student’s educational needs were still being met, and if not, making changes, as necessary, to his or her IEP or Section 504 plan?

When addressing FAPE, the focus is on the educational needs of and services provided to the student. A school’s investigation should determine whether that student’s receipt of appropriate FAPE services has been affected by the bullying. If bullying of a student has created a hostile environment, there is reason to believe this has also interfered with FAPE. But even if the situation does not meet the level of a hostile environment, or if this is a situation where the student with disabilities has engaged in bullying, the school still has an obligation to address FAPE-related concerns.

As part of an appropriate response to a bullying situation, the school should convene the IEP or 504 team to determine whether the student’s needs have changed such that the IEP or 504 FAPE services plan is no longer providing a meaningful educational benefit. The team must determine the extent to which additional or different FAPE services are needed to address the student’s individualized needs and then revise and implement the IEP or 504 plan accordingly. However, efforts to address the bullying situation must also not result in a denial of FAPE. For example, schools must avoid the unilateral placement of a student in a more restrictive environment as a way to address the bullying concerns.

Under IDEA, schools must establish objectives for both academic and functional skills. A student who is being or engaging in bullying will likely require additional or different functional skills objectives, specifically those related to improving this student’s social relationship skills.

If a student with a disability is engaging in bullying, the situation must be investigated thoroughly to determine whether this student’s inappropriate behavior is associated with his or her disability. For example, the symptoms associated with trauma or conduct disorder include aggressive behavior that could be considered bullying.[v] It is also possible that this student’s aggressive behavior is in response to being disparaged by other students.[vi] Both of these kinds of situations, should result in an IEP or 504 meeting to determine whether additional or different FAPE services, including functional skills objectives, are required.

Increased Risk of Bullying Associated with Disabilities:

Students with disabilities are more likely to be involved in bullying situations than their peers.[vii] This includes being bullied or engaging in bullying–or both. These students may have physical characteristics or engage in behaviors that place them at greater risk of being targeted. They may be perceived to be “different” because they leave the general classroom environment to receive more specialized services. Their disability itself may play a role in limiting their ability to accurately interpret social cues and respond in an effective manner. Also their disability may make it more difficult for them to recognize the concerns and gain adult assistance.[viii]

The aggressive behavior of students with disabilities, especially those who are classified as having emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), may be a component of their disability. Alternatively, such aggressive behavior may be a reaction to the frustration of constantly being the target of aggressive behavior by others. It is important these situations are distinguished.

A consistent finding in the literature is that students with disabilities often lack the social relationship skills necessary to avoid involvement in bullying situations. One recent study found that students with disabilities engaged in fewer prosocial behaviors and were more socially isolated than students without disabilities.[ix] The authors outlined the necessary steps to address these concerns:

Effective interventions that target bullying behaviors in schools are designed to restructure the school climate so that it is positive and inclusive. These interventions underscore the complex ecology that foster and maintain a bullying climate suggested that by increasing awareness, understanding and acceptance among all students and teachers may decrease the risk of involvement in bullying for students in special education. Bullying prevention and intervention should be implemented for students, regardless of disability status and should emphasize the teaching of prosocial skills. Students in general education may participate in this process by serving as the prosocial role models for students with disabilities. Additionally, programming should be consistently implemented across general and special education, should occur in each grade, and should be part of the inclusive curriculum. Social and emotional learning initiatives can create a culture of inclusion for all individuals. A culture of respect, tolerance, and acceptance is our only hope for reducing bullying among all school-aged youth.

The Social Express® & Cool School™ Can Support Prosocial Behavior:

Addressing the challenges associated with bullying of and by students with disabilities will require a multi-tiered social-ecological approach. Schools must focus on increasing the tolerance and acceptance of students with disabilities by their peers and assisting those with disabilities in gaining the prosocial skills necessary to more effectively interact with peers. Social Express & Cool School™ can provide essential support for the necessary multi-tiered social-ecological approach.

Tier 1. Universal Instruction

The objective for universal instruction is focused on increasing the awareness, understanding, acceptance and compassion of all students, especially towards those who are “different,” including those who have disabilities. This instruction should also reinforce how students can reach out to be kind to others and step in to stop hurtful situations. The Social Express® and Cool School™ support effective universal instruction especially at the elementary school level.

Tier II. Individualized Targeted Supports.

Because students who have disabilities face greater social relationship challenges, it is recommended that schools proactively address this concern by providing social skills instruction in the Learning Center.

Students with social learning challenges require direct instruction, with each facet of every skill broken down into small pieces. The Social Express® addresses these areas of need by providing a highly interactive and visual presentation which allows for the generalization of skills outside of the teaching environment. Cool School™ utilizes the same individualized approach to address the specific challenges associated with those who are hurtful. For both of these programs, additional face-to-face role-playing activities can provide the opportunity for students to practice essential social skills in a protected environment.

Intensive Interventions:

The Social Express® and Cool School™ can also be incorporated into the more comprehensive intensive interventions required by the minority of students who face even greater social relationship and behavioral challenges.

 

[i] Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 29 U.S.C § 79; The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12134; and Individuals with Disabilities Act. 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.

[ii] U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (August 20, 2013) Dear Colleague Letter Keeping Students with Disabilities Safe from Bullying.

[iii] U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, (2014) Dear Colleague Letter on bullying of students under Section 504.

[iv] Zeno v. Pine Plains Central School District, 702 F3d 655 (2d Cir. 2012).

[v] Rose, C. A., Swearer, S. M., & Espelage, D. L. (2012). Bullying and students with disabilities: The untold narrative. Focus on Exceptional Children, 45(2), 1–10.

[vi] Rose, C. A., Espelage, D. L., & Monda-Amaya, L. E. (2009). Bullying and victimization rates among students in general and special education: A comparative analysis. Educational Psychology, 29, 761–776,

[vii] Rose, C. A. (2011). Bullying among students with disabilities: Impact and implications. In D. L. Espelage, & S. M. Swearer (Eds.), Bullying in North American schools (pp. 34–44). (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

[viii] Rose, C. A., Espelage, D. L., & Monda-Amaya, L. E. (2009). Bullying and victimization rates among students in general and special education: A comparative analysis. Educational Psychology, 29, 761–776,

[ix] Swearer, S. M., Wang, C., Maag, J. W., Siebecker,A. B., & Frerichs, L. J. (2012). Understanding the bullying dynamic among students in special and general education. Journal of School Psychology, 50, 503–520.

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Social Express named in Common Sense Media Power Up Special

Common Sense Media has officially launched its updated Power UP Special Needs and Learning Difficulties Guide for Kids; and The Social Express II is included!

Being featured in this guide is a meaningful milestone for us. The Common Sense Media team spent months diving deep into research, interviewing experts and educators, and testing products with families and field leaders. Their goal? To identify high‑quality, thoughtfully designed tools that can genuinely support kids who benefit from learning in non‑traditional ways.

We’re proud that The Social Express II was selected as one of those standout resources. It reinforces our mission to help all learners build the social‑emotional skills they need to thrive through engaging, interactive experiences that make skill‑building feel natural and fun.

If you’d like to explore the full guide, it’s available for free on Common Sense Media’s website:
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/guide/special-needs

At Brighten Learning, we’re committed to creating tools that meet diverse learners where they are. Being recognized in this guide motivates us to continue innovating and supporting educators, parents, and,most importantly, kids.

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Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism & Social Learning Startup Donate to Schools with Autism Classes

The Doug Flutie Jr Foundation for Autism Partners with The Social ExpressSan Diego, CA and Framingham, MA—(PRWeb) October 23, 2012—The Social Express™, creators of new interactive social skills programs for special needs children, has partnered with The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism and donated copies of its program to schools who teach children with autism.

“We’re very proud to donate The Social Express learning program to The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism,” said Marc Zimmerman, CEO and Founder of Brighten Learning. “After using our program, teachers tell us that students are extremely receptive to its social skills lessons like ‘talking about what others like to talk about’ and ‘being part of the group’.  Many ask to use the program everyday.“

Zimmerman added, “Educator feedback also tells us that The Social Express characters engage students so well, they’re able to begin learning tough social concepts. We’re excited to share the program with more schools!”

The importance of technology to enhance children’s learning in the classroom is widely accepted. For children with autism, laptop computers are especially helpful but are out of reach for many schools with autism specific classrooms.

The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism has long recognized this fact. In 2000 the Laurie Flutie Computer Initiative was created for the purpose of donating computers to underprivileged families of individuals living with autism as well as to schools with autism-specific classrooms.

Chris Chirco, Program Director at the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, stated that, “The Flutie Foundation is excited to partner with The Social Express.  Computer technology has become a key component in the education of many individuals with autism spectrum disorders and The Social Express offers a very visually stimulating and engaging interface that is sure to appeal to children on the autism spectrum.  Learning social skills can be critical for an individual with autism to succeed independently.”

Computers are given to schools with autism-specific classrooms that could not otherwise afford to purchase them. To date the foundation has distributed close to 500 computers to families and schools in New York and New England.

In its initial phase, The Social Express is a 16-lesson interactive video-modeling social skills learning program. Parents, professionals, and educators of special needs children like the high-quality, Hollywood-style animation that holds their attention without over stimulation and the scenes that reinforce the best choices for kids to make in social situations.

Children with autism, ADHD, Asperger’s, and other social-emotional deficits find the characters engaging and many ask to use it every day. Learn more about The Social Express by visiting the website: http://thesocialexpress.com/

About Brighten Learning, Inc.:

Brighten Learning™, founded by parents of autistic twins in 2008, is a privately held company based in Encinitas, California.  The company develops The Social Express™ and other interactive social skills software and learning management systems. The company’s mission is to help special needs children with social-emotional deficits to improve their lives. The company’s video modeling social skills learning programs help children with ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, and related disorders to improve their interactions with others. Visit the company at http://thesocialexpress.com/

About The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism:

The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc. was established in 1998 by Doug Flutie and his wife, Laurie, in honor of their 20  year old son, Doug, Jr. who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. The Flutie Foundation’s mission is to support families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Foundation is committed to increasing awareness of the challenges of living with autism and helping families find resources to help address those challenges. We provide individuals with autism and their families an opportunity to improve their quality of life by funding educational, therapeutic, recreational and advocacy programs. For more information on The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, please contact Maria Baez at the Ebben Zall Group at (781) 449-3244, or visit www.flutiefoundation.org.

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Autism Help for Parents: How We Got Our Twins into Mainstream Classes

Autism-Help-for-Parents-Mainstream-ClassesWhen it comes to providing help for parents who have children with autism, I like to share my experiences. If there’s any possibility that I can help other parents like you—I’m there. I am always willing to tell you what I’ve learned.

The way I look at it, there’s always a need for more autism help for parents.

Our twin boys were diagnosed with autism in 2003. They were three years old. My wife and I had incredibly mixed feelings. On one hand we were happy because we finally knew why our boys hadn’t spoke a word yet, and at the same time feeling completely helpless as neither of us knew anything about autism. If you’re a parent of a child—or children—with autism, you know what I mean.
Read more

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Join Us at LA Walk Now for Autism Speaks!

Join The Social Express team and 28,000 autism supporters at the LA Walk Now for Autism Speaks! We’re so excited to spend the day with at the Autism Speaks LA Walk Now event this Saturday, April 21 in Los Angeles.

LA Walk Now for Autism Speaks

This event for autism is a fun, family friendly event and 5K (3 mile) walk. The event raises funds to contribute to the vital research we need to help the families with children or other family members on the autism spectrum. Find out more about LA Walk Now for Autism Speaks by clicking here.

According to Autism Speaks,

Every 11 minutes, another family receives the devastating news that their child has an autism spectrum disorder.

This is the 10-year anniversary of this popular, people-powered event.  We’re a sponsor and have our own booth, like this one…only outside!

If you’re in Los Angeles, stop by and find us at The Social Express booth!

Autism Speaks asks us, “…Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disorder in the U.S. – we need more volunteers to join our fight. Whether this is your first walk or the 10th, take the first step and register today. You will not only raise funds, but you will become a part of a fun and supportive family-focused community.”

We hope to meet you on April 21st! Stop by to say hello.  We’ll share our pictures next week of the wonderful families we meet.

We’re working every day to improve the lives of kids with autism and their families. It’s going to be so inspiring to meet some of them!

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How to Talk to Parents of Kids with Autism

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Along with (at least) 10,000 other parents of kids with autism, we were blown away by a recent blog post on Autism-Island.com. The post was titled, 50 Things You Should Say to Autism Parents. Caroline Passey and her “Facebook Friends” created a wonderful list of things all parents of kids with autism would love to hear more often.

As parents of two kids with autism, we love the idea of increasing autism awareness. Lists like this one are easy to share. They’re bound to help people who don’t understand what it’s like to have (or be around) kids with autism.

We feel many people want to help or, at least, say the right thing. They just don’t know what that “right thing to say to parents of kids with autism” is.

We know this because a few brave, honest people have admitted it to us. Now we have a wonderful list to share with them!

 

Here are a few things we’d love to hear from people when we’re out with our kids with autism.

Our favorites from the list of the 50 Things You Should Say to Autism Parents

 

1.    How can I help?

2.   What’s the best way for my child to play with yours?  I’m sure they will be great friends once they get to know each other.

3.   How should I explain autism to my kids?

 4.   I don’t care if your kid turns the lights on and off a billion times, is obsessed with our washing machine, or ________ (insert random behavior here), he is welcome here any day.

5.   Hey, I think clothes are annoying too.

6.   Tell me about autism.

7.   Who cares if she has a pacifier/blanket/stuffed animal/etc.  It makes her feel more comfortable.  That’s all that matters.

8.   I know that every child with autism is different, tell me about yours.

9.   I think __________ (insert child’s obsession here) is pretty cool too.

 

You can read the entire list by clicking here to visit the complete article on Autism-Island.com.

Also, take time to read the comments on 50 Things You Should Say to Autism Parents. The commenters are all insightful and some are downright sobering.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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The Social Express Is Top Education App on Autism Awareness Day

 

A big thank you to the community of kids with autism and the AutismSpeaks, Autism Awareness Campaign!

The Social Express learning app for kids with autism was number 1 yesterday at the iTunes app store.

We loved being a part of the Light It Up Blue program.

Helping Your Kids with Social Awareness

We realized early that our twins with autism needed help learning social awareness. From the first time a therapist used her laptop in a session, we saw our sons’ interest in using technology to learn.

 

The problem was that the content of the programs didn’t hold our boys’ interest. Have you ever experienced that feeling? When you know your kids with autism could really benefit from a learning tool, but they’re just not into it?

That’s the day we began to talk about developing a learning program that kids on the autism spectrum would relate to. Kids like ours.

 

Social Skills Help Between Therapy Sessions

Our goal was to create a learning program that we could use with our kids after sessions with their therapist.  A program that our kids would enjoy. One that would grab their attention.

And keep them engaged long enough to learn the all-important social interaction lessons. The lessons we knew they really needed in order to get along better with other children.

We believed that if we had this problem other parents of kids with autism did too.

So The Social Express was born. We’re so happy that other parents and kids with autism can improve their lives after using The Social Express.

That’s also why we’re thrilled that The Social Express was Number 1 on iTunes on Light It Up Blue day! It means so many more kids with autism will enjoy learning social skills with The Social Express.

We’d love to hear your comments! What works for you when helping your kids with autism learn social skills?

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Program Helping Kids with Autism Improve Social Skills

Here is a great video interview about The Social Express done a few days ago with a mom with three kids with autism. Click this link to view the video. The mom likes how her daughters ask to work with the social learning program. The family lives in North Carolina and the busy mom shares how much energy her five kids have. Sound familiar? It does to us!

According to Holler, iPad apps are are beneficial because children enjoy them and it keeps them focused.

This is what the mom of kids with autism had to say about The Social Express:

“The fact that they’re asking for it and enjoy playing on it, to me, is a positive and it’s showing that it’s effective,” said Holler.

I’m also interviewed briefly here. Check it out and let us know what you think. We’re so happy when other parents find that their kids with autism are asking to work with The Social Express. As a social learning program, it’s great for working with your kids with autism in between therapy sessions.

Here’s the link to view the video. (There’s a short commercial in front of it.)

 

 

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