Blog Posts - Exceptional apps for exceptional people

Taking Good Karma Apps to Church

10/9/2015

It's great to be included at church, even if requiring a visual schedule to navigate the service. Make the event successful with First Then Visual Schedule HD (also on android).
Making each step known ahead of time will make an easier and less stressful situation.

Add the same image as needed. example: you may sing twice and pray three times throughout the service. The image library will save those images for easy access.

You will have 5 (five) viewing options. First/Then , Check off, single view and two slide options. Choose which is best. Take "action" photos and incorporate them in the schedule. Real photos can really show what happens during the event.

make each step known, even the small steps. Add "quiet" prompts where and when needed.

Structuring After School Time

10/1/2015

Having trouble keeping your student on task after school?

Use our First Then Visual Schedule App for Android or First Then Visual Schedule HD for iOs apps to create a checklist of "to do" items upon returning home. You can begin with bus drop-off (or simply returning home) and continue on to homework, chores (if applicable), snack, free time, dinner, bath/hygiene and bedtime. This will help keep things consistent for your loved one while allowing you the freedom to cook, clean up, or attend to other children in the house.

*Photos below are using our Android First Then Visual Schedule, (available in Google Play Store, Nook and on Amazon).

Starting with cleaning out backpack, changing out of school uniform, enjoying a snack, hygiene

Homework, daily chores and free time

Schedule downtime for screen time, reading, games, ect., then enjoy a nice walk prior to homework

Visual Schedule Planner Update: What's New?

2/20/2014

Our much-awaited update for our Visual Schedule Planner app is now in the App Store!!! There have been a few small display changes as well as a host of new features that have been included in this update. We wanted to highlight these new and enhanced features for those of you who currently use or are thinking about purchasing our Visual Schedule Planner app:

iOS UNIVERSALITY

This update will allow iPod Touch and iPhone users the ability to use Visual Schedule Planner on their devices. iPad Mini and iPad will continue to be supported (Older devices: Please make sure to check device requirements in iTunes prior to purchase.)

iCLOUD BACKUP
(located in the Settings menu - see Figure 2)

Allows the user to backup and restore their data via iCloud.

MULTIPLE USER PROFILES
(located in the Settings menu- see Figures 2 & 3)

Allows for one Admin and multiple user profiles per copy of the app.

PRINT OUT DAILY CALENDAR
(located in the Settings menu - see Figure 2)

Print hard copies of schedules for home, school, therapy, or travel purposes.

ENHANCED TONE OPTIONS
(located in Add Event Screen - see Figure 4)

More sound options for event reminders.

LIBRARIES
(location moved - see Figure 1)

Was in upper right corner of the Home screen, now in lower left corner next to Notes and Activity Schedules.

Figure 1 - Location of Libraries button has moved from upper right corner to lower left corner of the screen.

Figure 2 - New features like iCloud Backup, Print out daily calendar, and Multiple User menu can be accessed through the Settings menu.

Figure 3 - Add new users (including pictures) by tapping the option at the bottom of the Settings menu.

Figure 4 - Preview and enable new sounds for your reminders. Different sounds can be added for different events.

NOTE:
Data from the previous version of Visual Schedule Planner will transfer automatically to the update upon downloading.

Please don't hesitate to contact us at support@goodkarmaapplications.com if you have any questions or concerns!

Money Smarts: Using Scene Speak to Teach Monetary Values

8/30/2013

Scene Speak is one of our most versatile, multi-purpose apps. In addition to creating social stories, digital scrapbooks, etc., it can also be used to teach everyday concepts, like money recognition and management.

If the individual has not mastered basic monetary concepts, you can always begin by creating VSDs to define and identify different types of currency.

Show front and back of each denomination to help the individual be able to recognize it in everyday situations.

Highlight the name of the coin or bill by capitalizing it. This will help it stand out and will help with word recognition.

You can also combine different types of currency to help the individual learn how to count change, payments, etc.

Showing the money up close, but in tangible situations will help the individual relate to the act of exchanging currency.

Whenever possible, try to find clear and large images to highlight the size difference in appearance among coins and bills.

Once each denomination is mastered, you can show the value in practical settings.

Start by introducing highly motivating and familiar activities that the individual will easily relate to.

Showing money being used in real time can help the individual generalize it across environments.

Now, to work on spending wisely!

Using Visual Schedule Planner for Bill Payment Reminders

8/23/2013

Need Assistance Remembering to Pay Monthly Bills?

For some of our clients and loved ones, one of the most difficult things about living independently can be the multiple responsibilities that must be juggled...maintaining the home, cleaning up, paying bills, etc.

To help with this, try using Visual Schedule Planner to import in your loved one/client's bills, letting them know when they are due, how much is owed...any details that will assist them in being able to complete this task as independently as possible. You can even set up reminders to give them an audio prompt that the bill is due and must be paid. It would be a good idea to give as much time/leeway as possible when doing this, and even planning these reminders around pay days to avoid the "overwhelm factor" that can come with having more bills than your income will cover at the time.

Set a specific icon for each type of bill for easy reference. You can also set up reminders that will alert the individual when it is time to pay the bill. If it is possible to set up online bill pay, this may make the process faster and easier.

You can get the individual in the habit of checking Week View to see whether any bills are due that week. If each bill is set for a specific date and time each month, it will make this referencing process much easier.

Using a specific time of day for "bill paying" on due dates will help the individual get into the habit of checking to see when/if a bill is due on that particular day. In this example, the due date for the electric bill can easily be seen in Month View.

Notes can also be added to track payment dates. This will avoid double paying, and will give the individual a written record of transactions in case a payment dispute arises.

Independence is a beautiful thing, no matter how you go about achieving it!

Following Recipe Steps Using FTVS HD

8/19/2013

For an easy, functional activity that encourages both family time and independent living skills, try using our First Then Visual Schedule HD app for recipes.

To do this, find a simple recipe that is concrete and easy to follow, with minimal steps. Take pictures of each step and create a template for the individual to follow along with. At the end, you can either allow the food item itself to be the end reward, or you can choose another small token to encourage participation.

Create a schedule dedicated to the preparation and/or cooking of the recipe.

Make sure the title is concrete and the corresponding photo represents the activity.

Add as many items as you need to create steps that the individual can follow easily.

Give the final step a motivating image, sound, or other "reward." In this case, the cookie itself would be the reinforcer, coupled with a preferred character.

Once the schedule has the desired steps/appearance, enable timers and set them according to bake/cooling times, prep time, etc.

You can develop more complex recipe "schedules" as the individual learns to follow along with the steps and becomes more familiar with cooking tools. Happy eating!!!

Navigating and Learning About New Environments With Scene Speak

8/15/2013

If your loved one or client will be attending a new school or program this year, try locating pictures of the campus or building compound (taking your own is ideal, but many can be found online) and use our Scene Speak app to create a virtual "map" for the individual to learn about their new environment. You can include locations of restrooms for those who may need to make frequent trips, drinkingfountains for those who may require extra hydration, and key places like offices, administrative buildings, classrooms (for those in school)...the possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

Many schools have generalized maps of their campuses available for viewing online. Use the Internet image search feature of the app to import in one of these images for reference.

To help the individual find their classroom, try using it in proximity to another familiar area of the school. This can be done by adding captions and/or hotspots.

For those who may be starting middle or high school, this can alleviate much of the stress that comes with trying to navigate class changes (if applicable), learning teacher names (these can be added as captions to the images), and juggling class schedules (which also can be imported into the app and labeled for easy reference).

Most schools, from elementary to college, now offer the capacity to view your class schedule online. Take a screen shot of the schedule and import it into the app, or take the hard copy and scan it for easy access.

Adding captions to images of new teachers can help the individual distinguish teachers of separate subjects and help them learn important details, like the teacher's name.

Start the year off smoothly by incorporating Good Karma Apps into your daily life experiences!

More Than A Feeling: Increasing Verbal Reporting and Receptive Recognition of Emotions Using My Choice Board

8/14/2013

If you're working on self-awareness and emotional recognition/regulation, try using our My Choice Board app to allow the individual to express how they are feeling. This is beneficial in two ways - it helps increase the individual's ability to self-report feelings and moods while also giving you much-needed insight as to how they are feeling.

Implementation is simple - You can either use images of the individual or find generic images (if the individual is good at generalizing) online to use. Once you have your choice board created with all of your desired images, allow the individual to choose from the field (which can be as large or small as you'd like).

This can be incredibly effective for grumpy morning risers, individuals who have medical/pain issues, and pinpointing environmental triggers/stressors.

Create a choice board with a title that reflects its purpose. Make sure to be as clear as possible, as the board itself will need to be slightly modified to suit this type of use.

If you are working with an individual that has a tough time generalizing, try using your finger or a small piece of paper to cover the "I Want" graphic. Then, prompt the individual to choose from the field by asking "How do you feel?" Tailor the emotional complexity to the individual's level of understanding.

Creating Memories With Scene Speak

8/12/2013

Summer is almost at an end! For those of you not in year round school or day programs, it's likely been a VERY long couple of months - full of the usual day-to-day activities, and maybe some fun day trips and vacations thrown into the mix.

For a fun and interactive way to create a digital "scrapbook," take all of those pictures you've been snapping all summer long and upload them into our SceneSpeak app. From there, you can add text for a more book-like retelling of your summertime adventures, or take it to an interactive level by adding hotspots to your images that come alive when your loved one or client taps them.

Adding details about the trip to the images can bring them to life in the individual's memory.

Hotspots can be added (with colored popup text, audio, or both) that can create an interactive and fun experience when recalling trips.

Don't forget large family events! Include visiting friends and family to show the individual how many people care about them.

Once you've created all of your summertime VSDs, you can then add them to a Book, creating your very own personalized digital scrapbook.

This way, the individual can look back upon all of the amazing things they did this summer and recall all of the fun they had. Who knows? It may even become one of their favorite leisure time activities.

Remembering Important Dates Using Visual Schedule Planner

8/9/2013

Our Visual Schedule Planner app is great for helping loved ones/clients remember important dates like birthdays and anniversaries. In addition to therapies, doctor appointments, school/day program schedules, routines, etc., it can be used as a tool to mark and remind the user of these dates, so they do not get overlooked.

When you create the event, you can choose to set up a reminder, make the event for the entire day, and add images/video.

In Day View, you can see the event clearly and make any edits/changes to the details.

In Week View, you can view the event along with all of the usual recurring events in your schedule. This can help the individual plan around pay periods to purchase a gift, plan a party, etc.

To view special events in Month View, simply click the star that corrsponds to the date you wish to view, and a list of that day's events (including the special event) will be displayed to the right.

It might also help us remember too!