Today, we are posting part one of a two-part series on Apps for people with Autism. Today’s blog post focuses on apps that might appeal to adults, looking at schedulers and timers, creating positive habits and tracking moods and overstimulation. Thursday’s post will focus on apps more suitable for children, in particular Alternative and Augmentative Communication, visual schedules, social stories and social skills apps. As always, we welcome your comments!
Developing habits/routines
HabitRPG
HabitRPG Habit building and productivity app that uses gamification to motivate. Collect points for completing good habits and avoiding bad habits.
iOS and Android
Free to download, in app purchases
Routinely
Establish, track, understand, and be more mindful of your daily routine. Set goals for each of the tasks and habits that make up your day, and then track your completion of those goals. Can send you notifications to remind you to complete your goals, and provides a history view to review past days.
iOS only
www.appadvice.com/app/routinely-track-your-daily-routine/1135990298
Free to download
Todoist
Acts as a checklist, organiser, calendar, reminder and habit-forming app. Can be shared with others for joint projects, integrated with other apps such as Dropbox and Alexa.
iOS and Android
Free, premium versions available.
Work Autonomy
Designed to assist with person-generated communication with co-workers and supervisors regardless of linguistic or cognitive skill, tracking task analysis and work schedules independently, and allowing access to concrete information about work expectations, production etc.,
iOS only
www.ableopps.com/work-autonomy
Paid app, approximately €190
Visual Timers
Visual Timer
A simple visual timer that uses a clock face and a countdown bar to show the time left. Colour changes to orange and red when time is running out.
iOS only
Approximately €2.50 http://www.aspieapps.com/
Time Timer
A simple visual timer, to create and save timers for tasks you do everyday, as well as one off timers. Can alarm or vibrate to show when time has expired.
iOS and Android
Approximately €4
Student apps
Pocket Schedule Planner
Helps keep track of classes, exams and assignments. Can use colour and icons for at a glance information.
iOS only
https://www.polycents.com/education
Subscription based, from €2 per week, €13 per year
MyStudyLife
Timetabling and scheduling app. Cross platform, free for students, but schools can pay for cross school access. Uses checklists, colour coding etc.
iOS, Android, Web
Free
myHomework Student Planner
Simple interface to track classes, assignments, homework and exams. Cross platform. Can link with teachers.io to download notes, files etc. Can receive homework reminders.
iOS, Android, Windows and web apps
www.myhomeworkapp.com/
Free and premium versions (€5.00 per year)
Mood trackers
MoodPanda
Track your moods using graphs and calendars. Community aspect to offer support and advice
iOS, Android and web
Free
T2 Mood Tracker
Designed to help users track their emotions over time. It comes with six pre-installed areas, including Anxiety, Depression, Well-Being, and Stress. Users can also add and customize additional scales.
iOS and Android
Free
Managing Over Stimulation
Miracle Modus
Designed to help with sensory overload, by providing strong visual stimuli that move in predictable patterns.
iOS and Android
Free
Dropophone
Creae minimalist melodies for relaxation purposes
iOS only
www.lullatone.com/games/dropophone-app/
Free
Sensory apps
Range of sensory apps to help with relaxation and overstimulation.
iOS, Android, Web, Chrome
Free
Fluidity
An interactive fluid simulation, control fluid flow and stunning colours with fingers.
iOS only
Relax Melodies
Melody and white noise app.
iOS and Android
Free to download, in-app purchases
Relaxation/mediation
Headspace
A meditation and mindfulness app. Designed to guide the user through narrated sessions to focus on relaxation and help cope with stress and anxiety.
iOS, Android and online
www.mindspace.com
Free 
Mind shift
Designed to help you change how you think about anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxiety, you can make an important shift and face it. Learn how to relax, develop more helpful ways of thinking, and identify active steps.
iOS and Android
www.anxietycanada.com/resources/mindshift-app
Free
Breathe2Relax
A stress management tool, with guided breathing exercises using diaphragmatic breathing, can connect to an Apple Watch to monitor heart rate during exercises.
iOS and Android
www.psyberguide.org
Free
Focus@Will
A white noise app with a large inventory of sounds and music to help with distractions or relaxation. Designed for those with ADD in mind, but useful to others as well.
iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and web apps
www.focusatwill.com/
Subscription based, free trial, approximately €50 per year, €180 for lifetime membership
Alarms
I can’t wake up! Alarm Clock
Have to solve a puzzle or maths problem in order to turn off the alarm.
iOS and Android
www.kogcreations.com
Free to download, in-app purchases
Emergency communication
Emergency chat
The app presents a splash screen that explains to the person you gave your device to that you can’t use speech at this moment. It then continues to the next screen which has a simple chat client. The default text is aimed at people experiencing an autistic meltdown, where their speech centres stay non-functional for a while even after they’ve recovered, but you can edit it or add additional splash screens to suit your needs.
iOS, Android, Windows app,
www.facebook.com/emergencychatapp
Free
Way Finding
Route4U
Accessibility mobile app and route-planner for safer mobility around the world. Content is generated by users.
Ios, Android and web app
www.route4u.org/app Free