Compatible with all Apple
devices, but with separate
purchases
My PlayHome
It isn't exactly therapy for children with autism, but I think My PlayHome does teach our kids something. It certainly allows them to safely explore a house and maybe even satisfy some of their curiosities.
In this app you get to explore and interact with four rooms and five family members. I'll call them the Johnsons. The Johnson's home has a living room, kitchen, children's bedroom, and bathroom. The elder Johnsons, who I'll assume are married, have three kids. Two of them, boy and girl, are somewhere around the ages of 8 to 10 and they both bare a close resemblance to their parents. The other, a happy little boy, is probably under 12 months.
There are lots of things to interact with in this virtual home. The baby boy can blow bubbles. Bedroom lights turn on/off when you touch the light on the ceiling, use the switch on the wall, or tap the window. Many cupboards and drawers open when you touch them. You can even fry an egg. There's lots to explore and discover, and I don't want to spoil the fun so I'll keep quiet now.
In the bathroom I'd like the toilet to flush. I'd like the toilet paper to begin unrolling when I touch it. In the bedroom I want to knock down the blocks with the basketball or the toy truck. I want to make a basket in the hoop with the basketball. In the kitchen I want to throw dishes on the ground and break them. I'd like to see more diversity in this family too, because one of the first things I noticed is the Johnsons are a typical white family. It'd be cool if the Johnsons adopted a black teenager or a Puerto Rican kid.
Isn't this the classic scenario of "Give 'em an inch and they'll take a yard?"
Within My PlayHome you can throw things in the garbage can, but you can't get them back out unless you "Tidy the House". You can't put the kids in the garbage. That's good. But you can put everyone in the shower fully clothed. Haha! And then, if you don't dry them off, the people will be dripping wet! Great!
I did however find some issues with My PlayHome. At one point the app wouldn't allow the iPad to sleep. It stayed on. That should be fixed in order to preserve battery life. Some apps should keep your iPad awake, but this isn't one of them.
Another time, the iPad went to sleep but the music from the app continued.
Also, the alarm clock and many other things in the house that normally make sounds weren't making sounds after a while. I turned a bunch of stuff on and made a complete disaster zone out of the house, but some sounds wouldn't trigger. Even after I turned things off and made the house silent I couldn't get sounds from these things.
These issues didn't happen consistently, but they happened. And it's possible that iOS 5 has something to do with it.
There may not be any scientific studies proving that My PlayHome will help your autistic kid, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun and it won't satisfy those curiosities. Try it! You might find it to be a golden app! Hey, in the future maybe this little family will add-on a garage and a master bedroom. The possibilities are unlimited!
