Johnathan Izak, founder of SpecialNeedsWare, has a ten-year old brother (Oriel) with autism who struggles with verbal communication. So what does Johnathan do? He designs AutismMate, a communication app that allows users to add their own videos, pictures, and voice recordings to create visual scenes. Johnathan designed this app to address the navigation issues that some people with autism have due to their language and generalization issues. AutisMate uses GPS so that users can interact with familiar scenes around their location and use those scenes to communication. For example, by pressing the star on the sink of a kitchen scene, Oriel can bring up a video that shows him how to wash his hands and plays a message that says, "I wash my hands in the sink". A refrigerator icon will display Orie's favorite foods when pressed. Other features of the app that are currently or soon to be available include:
- Simple content sharing via email iPad to iPad
- The option of set multiple phrases to the same picture/button throughout the app to promote generalization
- In-scene task analysis (step by step video/picture guide to accomplish all tasks
- Visual schedules with a reward/incentive for completing task
- In-app text to speech keyboard
