Walk for NF

On April 21, 2012, we will be participating in the 18th Annual Walk for NF at the Pittsburgh Zoo. (Which you can download the mailer for here). As most of you know, Alvin was diagnosed with NF1 a year ago. Please, consider sponsoring us for this walk. You can donate here or by using the widget to the right. Thanks!

Erin's Birthday Party!!

Yeah, I know her actual birthday was a week ago, but today was her party! We invited 12 girls, but only 4 actually came. I was disappointed, since it was Erin's first ever birthday party. However, it worked out well because Erin wasnt overwhelmed with kids. She wanted a pink Hello Kitty party, and boy did she ever get one!

Oops.

Yes, I know I've been horrid about updating this blog. Many times I just update on the main blog. Sorry about that. So, what's been going on?

Alvin got his iPad thanks to a bunch of wonderful friends. Thanks guys! He's now had his iPad for 2 months, and is having a great time with it. Learning the AAC has been an experiece. We had bought Proloquo2Go, but he hated it. Thanks to a WONDERFUL friend, we were gifted SonoFlex and he's been using it. He's making slow progress, but it's progress nonetheless. He's also been using several different apps for other skills. Fine motor skills, hand/eye coordination, etc. We're up to almost 200 different apps, though not all are for Alvin. We've won some apps for the girls as well.

Speaking of which, I've started a blog for app reviews. It's located at The Banded Boy: Reviews. I dont what to clog up this blog with those reviews. But, if you're interested in looking for apps, check out that blog.

Alvin also went to the Pedi for his 4 year checkup. He's grown! He's 38.5inches tall, and he weighed 34 lbs. We also got referrals to neuro, opthamology, nephrology, genetics, speech, OT, PT, and ortho. The opthamology appointment went well. Alvin has reduced vision in his right eye, but it's not enough to be corrected just yet. The rest of the appointments we havent done yet, so I have nothing to report there.

Oops.

Yes, I know I've been horrid about updating this blog. Many times I just update on the main blog. Sorry about that. So, what's been going on?

Alvin got his iPad thanks to a bunch of wonderful friends. Thanks guys! He's now had his iPad for 2 months, and is having a great time with it. Learning the AAC has been an experiece. We had bought Proloquo2Go, but he hated it. Thanks to a WONDERFUL friend, we were gifted SonoFlex and he's been using it. He's making slow progress, but it's progress nonetheless. He's also been using several different apps for other skills. Fine motor skills, hand/eye coordination, etc. We're up to almost 200 different apps, though not all are for Alvin. We've won some apps for the girls as well.

Speaking of which, I've started a blog for app reviews. It's located at The Banded Boy: Reviews. I dont what to clog up this blog with those reviews. But, if you're interested in looking for apps, check out that blog.

Alvin also went to the Pedi for his 4 year checkup. He's grown! He's 38.5inches tall, and he weighed 34 lbs. We also got referrals to neuro, opthamology, nephrology, genetics, speech, OT, PT, and ortho. The opthamology appointment went well. Alvin has reduced vision in his right eye, but it's not enough to be corrected just yet. The rest of the appointments we havent done yet, so I have nothing to report there.

Ellie's Games: Math Duel

Math Duel is a split screen mathematics game that pits two players against each other in a head-to-head duel. Designed specifically for the iPad, this game is highly entertaining to both girls. (ages 8 and 11). Each side can be set according to their abilities, and the girls love to challenge each other to see who will win.

Math Duel features a split screen interface and completely customizable options including: number of digits per equation, addition on/off, subtraction on/off, divison on/off, and multiplication on/off. Math Duel also has scorekeeping, which is a great feature.

NOTE: In Math Duel, decimals are rounded down. For example:

Real Life:
2 / 3 = 0.6

In Game:
2 / 3 = 0

This should be evaluated in game as "three goes into two zero times"

How to Play: Adjust the settings for both players to ensure an equal playing field. Adults should enable more operations and digits if playing young children. Try to solve the math problem before your opponent!
Specifics:

Cost: $0.99
Size: 4.2 MB
Compatible with: iPad only, running iOS 3.2 or later.

Screencaps:

Ellie's Games: Color Sliders

Color Sliders is probably the most difficult of the apps from Ellie's Games. It uses color sliding to match colors. It's beyond Little at the moment, but my 8 year old enjoys it. While we LOVE Ellie's Games, this is our least favorite app. Still fun, just not exactly our cup of tea.

How to Play: Color Sliders is a color matching game where you try and align the different columns to match the color on the left and right of the screen. Each level an additional color is added to the wheels. This is a concentration puzzle game.
Specifics:

Cost: $0.99
Size: 3.6 MB
Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, running iOS 3.2 or later.

Screencaps:

The screen clearing when the rows line up.

Video:

I'll admit. It's a short video and I helped Little get the row lined up.





Ellie's Games: Rain Dots

Rain Dots is a visually stimulating experience. Rain Dots enforces color recognition, finger isolation, eye tracking, and fine motor skills. Little loves to play just so he can fill up the screen with the bright, vivid colors. This is his second favorite game (next to Color Dots). Like other Ellie's Games, there is no loud reprimand when the child gets the color incorrect, the dot simply refuses to pop.

Rain Dots contains bright colors and sound to stimulate a child's interest in the game. There are NO ADS ever in Ellie's Games, which makes this perfect for toddlers just starting to learn their colors. There are also customizable settings that allow you to turn off the dot border, change the rain speed, and change the rain drop rate.

How to Play: Rain Dots is a color matching game. There are two dots at the bottom of the screen that show you what color to touch. Different color dots will fall from the sky. You want to try and pop the dots that are the same color as the color as the bottom dots

Specifics:

Cost: $0.99
Size: 4.2 MB
Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, running iOS 3.2 or later.

Screencaps:

Video:  Little playing Rain Dots

Ellie's Games: Dot Collector

Dot Collector is a simple visual tracking, finger isolation game. Tap and hold the dot, then drag it to the black hole. Once it disappears, more reappear. The farther you go, the more challenging it is to collect the dots. Like all of Ellie's Games, Dot Collector contains bright colors and sound to stimulate a child's interest in the game. There are NO ADS ever in Ellie's Games, which makes this perfect for infants and toddlers.

How to Play: Like mentioned above, tap/hold the dot, and drag it to the black hole. Each time you collect all the dots on the screen, more will appear.

Specifics:

Cost: $0.99
Size: 4.0 MB
Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, running iOS 3.2 or later.

Screencap:

Video:

Little playing Dot Collector

Ellie's Games: Color Dots

Color Dots is a fun visual tracking Game. I tend to compare it to colored bubble wrap. It's such a FUN game to play. There's no goal. It's simply just popping the differently colored dots. Little spends HOURS playing on this application. It was also our very first app from Ellie's Games and it the one that got us hooked.

Color Dots contains bright colors, vibration(iPhone), and sound to stimulate a child's interest in the game. There are NO ADS ever in Ellie's Games, which makes this perfect for infants and toddlers. There are also customizable settings that allow you to turn off the dot border, remove the dot popping sound, add vibration (iPhone), reset dot size, and set the maximum amount of dots.

How to Play: So simple. Pop the first dot and you're addicted. Each subsequent popping adds more dots. Pop the first, two replace it. Pop those, three replace. It's so addicting and a great way to have fun. The children take turns seeing how fast they can get the screen cleared.

Specifics:

Cost: $0.99
Size: 3.9 MB
Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, running iOS 3.2 or later.
(This app is also available on the Andriod  and Blackberry platforms.)

Screencaps:

Video: 

My 4 year old, Little, playing Color Dots

Ellie's Games: Color Squares

Color Squares is a visual tracking application that can also teach children their colors as they play. While not quite as addicting as Color Dots, this game is still widely popular in this house. You simply run your finger (or in Little's case, fingers) over the squares until they all change to one big colored square.

Color Squares contains vividly bright colors and smooth animations that will keep any young child's interest. Because there is no objective, children will feel no disappointment. They just simply keep swiping the differently colored squares to make one large one.

How to Play: Color Squares is a game where you try and clear the screen of mismatch colors. Each level starts with a screen full of different colors. Each time you touch a square, it reveals the background color. Try and clear the screen of colorful squares.

Specifics:
Cost: $0.99
Size: 3.7 MB
Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, running iOS 3.2 or later.

Screencaps:

Video:

My 4 year old, Little, playing Color Squares

Ellie's Games: Counting Dots

Counting Dots is a numerical game that teaches children to count from one to whatever!! Each time the child gets the sequence correctly, the dots reset and go onto the next sequence. Mistakes are simply ignored, in that the dot won't pop. Visual colors, sounds, and vibration (iPhone) help to keep young children's interest. This is currently one of Little's favorite number-based applications.

Like all Ellie's Games, Counting Dots contains bright colors, vibration(iPhone), and sound to stimulate a child's interest in the game. There are NO ADS ever in Ellie's Games, which makes this perfect for toddlers just starting to learn their numbers. There are also customizable settings that allow you to turn off the dot border, remove the dot popping sound, and add vibration (iPhone).

How to play: Simply pop the dots in sequential numerical order from smallest to largest.

Specifics:

Cost: $0.99
Size: 4 MB
Compatible with:  iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, running iOS 3.2 or later.
(This app is also available on the Andriod platform.)

Screencaps:

Video:  

Little playing Counting Dots

Ellie's Games: Alphabet Dots

Alphabet Dots is an alphabetical game used to teach children the alphabet in a fun, interesting way. There is no reprimanding when the child gets it wrong, it simply won't pop the dot. While, this game is beyond Little at this point, my older girls (Ages 8 and 11) enjoy the game, even though they already know their letters.

Alphabet Dots contains bright colors, vibration(iPhone), and sound to stimulate a child's interest in the game. There are NO ADS ever in Ellie's Games, which makes this perfect for toddlers just starting to learn their letters. There are also customizable settings that allow you to turn off the dot border, remove the dot popping sound, reset the high scores, and add vibration (iPhone).

How to play: Simply pop the dots in alphabetical order from A-Z. If you need a hint, simply waiting a few seconds will cause the game to wiggle the next letter.

Specifics:

Cost: $0.99
Size: 4 MB
Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, running iOS 3.2 or later.

Screencaps:

Video: 

Sorry the video is sideways. This is NOT Little. It's my 11 year old.

Ellie's Games

Ellie's Games is going to be my first developer I'll review. I found Ellie's Games through an online support community called Apps 4 Children With Special Needs or A4cwsn. Erik is the developer. Here is his statement on why he started developing applications: "My daughter has inspired me to develop child friendly iOS games. Simple intuitive games focusing on the basics: Eye-hand coordination, color recognition and fine motor skills. Every game is throughly tested by our Quality Assurance team (Ellie) and must be approved by our business management team (Ellie)."

Ellie's Games has 8 different applications available at the moment: Alphabet Dots, Counting Dots, Color Dots, Color Squares, Dot Collector, Rain Dots, Color Sliders, and Math Duel. Ellie's Games can be found on Facebook and Twitter.