St. Cloud State University alumni and faculty created two augmented reality (AR) applications and one non-AR app to help children with special needs by working with Dlalo Games. The AR applications launch fall 2019 on Apple mobile devices supporting iOS 12 and newer.
Patricia Waletzko and her four class sections of “Exceptionalities and Diversity” worked with alumnus Jonathan Lahr ’15 at Dlalo Games to give advice about designing gaming apps for tablets and smartphones for children on the autism spectrum, as well as other young children.
Relax Away will allow children to engage with soothing visuals such as butterflies, floating bubbles, and space travel. The AR version utilizes the camera on the device to place digital elements into the child’s real-world environment. There is also a non-augmented reality option which will be available on both Apple App Store and Android Google Play Store.
The Learn-a-Little AR allows children to choose among a variety of academic games to help them sharpen their mathematics skills and learn the alphabet by interacting with numbers and letters in their own space. Like the Relax AR app, this AR app utilizes the mobile device’s camera to place learning into the child’s own environment in an engaging and entertaining way. This AR experience is only available on the Apple App Store.
“The apps were created based on the comments of St. Cloud State Special Education students, faculty, and St. Cloud Area School District 742 school teachers, noting that children with special needs often get overwhelmed and need some quiet time to relax and process the situation or problem they are facing,” said Patricia Waletzko, special education faculty member. “These apps were simply designed to give those children a place to escape to for a short while. Safe visuals, interesting characters and coded music all combine to help the child relax quickly. Our hopes are high that this collaboration will continue, bringing leading edge tools to educators to help educate children with special needs.”
Waletzko worked with a representative from Dlalo Games, who came to speak with the 160 special education students in Waletzko’s four classes to pitch the idea of students assisting in building the educational apps.
Apps help students on the autism spectrum to relax and feel back in control when they are having moments of stress and anxiety and could be a very helpful tool in an educational environment, Waletzko said.
“I foresee these apps being used in both educational and personal settings as a way to help people take a relaxing break,” she said. “… they have done an amazing job of listening to the students and my ideas for a relaxation app and made it come to fruition. I feel quite grateful to get to be a part of this amazing opportunity and adventure. I know my students are equally grateful.”