An application for mobile devices could replace traditional paper scheduling methods for autistic children thanks to a newly developed software program from the emerging health IT company AutismSphere. The software, currently being tested in a small school district in North Carolina, would provide an autistic child with his daily scheduling needs with the ability to offer additional features customized for the needs of each individual child.

AutismSphere founder, John Eder, explains that while a typical student might expect a class schedule that simply lists the time and place for a class, an autistic child would want to know more specific details. His software provides a visual schedule of what a child needs to do, but improves the traditional paper method by including additional features that can be useful to the child, parents, and teachers. For example, a progress tracker can be used by teachers and parents to record a child’s progress each day. The child could benefit from the reward feature that might come in the form of a game he or she can unlock by completing a task.

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