Visual Cue

Features
Price $9.99
Age Range All Ages
App Type Learning App
Version Reviewed 6.0
Android Available?
Lite Version Available?
Help Provided?
Sharing

Bloom's Thinking Process
Creating
Evaluating
Analysing
Applying
Understanding
Remembering

Adaptability
Add own pictures
Add own voice
Add own text

Review Comments
Visual Cue is a suite of popular visual supports. It includes cue cards, a schedule, first then, a "Which One" choice board and a visual timer, number timer and a count up/count down board. The images are managed from the image library. I had a lot of difficulty with this app. The pictures in the visual cue setting tend to become blurry and distort when shown in full screen. You can also add images from a small image library or your photo album. However, this kept making the app crash. First then is great but it would benefit from showing the words first - then. Which one shows pictures which are distorted. This feature could be improved with the addition of a 'Which One' text or spoken prompt. The scheduler doesn’t have the facility for the student to show when a task is completed. This is an essential element of a scheduling app. The count up feature shows a picture from your image library. You tap to add stars. However, the tapping sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. The count down features also shows a picture from your image library. You see and hear numbers counting down. But when it reaches zero you see the 'no' sign. I am not sure why this is included. The number timer shows a large number that counts down with a choice of intervals and works well. Visual Working For: this is also available as a separate app (see the review for more detail). Visual Working For includes only four pictures but you can add your own from your library of directly from the internet. However, this is quite a difficult task. There is a lite version available.

Review Comments

Visual Cue is a suite of popular visual supports. It includes cue cards, a schedule, first then, a "Which One" choice board and a visual timer, number timer and a count up/count down board.

The images are managed from the image library. I had a lot of difficulty with this app. The pictures in the visual cue setting tend to become blurry and distort when shown in full screen. You can also add images from a small image library or your photo album. However, this kept making the app crash.

First then is great but it would benefit from showing the words first - then.

Which one shows pictures which are distorted. This feature could be improved with the addition of a 'Which One' text or spoken prompt.

The scheduler doesn’t have the facility for the student to show when a task is completed. This is an essential element of a scheduling app.

The count up feature shows a picture from your image library. You tap to add stars. However, the tapping sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.

The count down features also shows a picture from your image library. You see and hear numbers counting down. But when it reaches zero you see the 'no' sign. I am not sure why this is included.

The number timer shows a large number that counts down with a choice of intervals and works well.

Visual Working For: this is also available as a separate app (see the review for more detail). Visual Working For includes only four pictures but you can add your own from your library of directly from the internet. However, this is quite a difficult task.

There is a lite version available.

Use	Rank (*)
First-then		Ranked 13th of 13
Picture Calendars		Ranked 12th of 13
Photos with text or voice		Ranked 13th of 13

(*) This app has been ranked according to its' effectiveness to achieve the learning goals and strategies listed. Some apps may rank highly for achieving a specific use and lower for other uses. Some students will learn and engage with one app more than others, because of the individual nature of us all.

Learning App
Learning apps are designed for a specific purpose. The authors claim to teach a goal, skill or concept.

Bloom's Thinking Process
Bloom's Taxonomy is classification system used to explain the behaviours important in learning. Apps range from simple memory tasks such as flashcards apps through to creative apps which ask students to create an original story or video.

Bloom's Creating
The student creates new ideas, products or ways of viewing things. Activities include making, animating, designing, constructing, planning, producing and inventing.

Bloom's Evaluating
The student justifies a decision or course of action. Activities include counting to check, hypothesising, critiquing, experimenting and judging.

Bloom's Analysing
The student breaks the information into parts to explore understandings and relationships. Activities include explaining, ordering, inferring, comparing and organising.

Bloom's Applying
The student uses the information in a new situation. Activities include implementing, carrying out, using, illustrating, classifying and categorising.

Bloom's Understanding
The student comprehends the new information. Activities include describing, predicting showing understanding use a multiple choice.

Bloom's Remembering
The student recalls information they know. Activities include matching, 'fill in the blank', making a choice, answering using a multiple choice, naming a group.

Learning Connection
How well does the app teach the targeted skill or concept? This is the area where we refer to current research and pedagogy to evaluate the efficacy of the app.

Authenticity
Authenticity looks at the manner in which skills are learnt. Authentic apps use real life or genuine activities. Students learn in context rather than in a contrived or rote fashion (such as flashcards).

Feedback
Feedback needs to be specific and result in improved performance. Feedback should be supportive and encouraging rather than negative. Data should be available to support decision making.

Differentiation
Differentiation is the ability to customise the app to suit the student. The ability to record you voice, customise text, add pictures and alter settings enables individualisation of the app.

User Friendliness
User friendliness is a measure of how well a student can use the app independently. Some apps are simply intuitive to use. Others include audio or visual prompts which support the student.

Motivation
All apps are engaging the first time they are played. However, students with diverse learning needs may need to return to the app many times. Motivating apps offer rewards,games or incentives.

First-then
First-then schedules are based on the principle that students will do a less preferred activity (first activity) if followed be a preferred activity (then activity). The first-then card is usually divided into two halves. The word ‘first’ is written on top of the first card and the word ‘then’ is written on top of the second card.

Picture Calendars
Picture calendars turn the abstract concept of time into a concrete and visual form. They help students understand what is happening in their lives. They can prepare a student for a future event and reduce stress by showing them how long they need to wait for an event. Also see apps for Picture Schedules.

Photos with text or voice
Cards with text or voice are blank cards. Add your own photos from your library or camera. Add voice and text.

Domain	Score	Details
Learning Connection	2	This is app as it contains many research based visual supports: schedule, first then, choice board, counting and a visual timer. However, I had difficulty with all parts of this app and found that there were essential elements missing.
Authenticity	1	Visual supports using pictures offers a positive way of learning a range of skills. However, the poor quality of this app makes these features
Feedback	1	Feedback is not available in this app.
Differentiation	3	Pictures can be added from your photo album, camera or straight from Google images. Google images search does not appear to work.
User Friendliness	1	The student who can't read would need help navigating through the first section of the app. Help is provided within the app. Setting up the supports is quite easy. Without an inbuilt library, it takes a little longer to make the visuals.
Motivation	2	Adults would need to add rewards or motivators in to the schedule.

From the App Store

Developer AME Mobile Inc.
App Store Rating (from 0 reviews)
Current Version Rating (from 0 reviews)
Current Version 8.5.2

Developer's Description
Visual Cue - A whole new approach using previously popular visual tools with data driven progress reports. From now on, you will have more insight and feeling of progress just by more using Visual Cue app. This is the most advanced and a brand new way to give a visual cue for communication with non-verbal children and/or visual thinkers!!! Data driven evidence based intervention We think the most important aspect about intervention of autism and any spectrum in autism is progress and how to measure the progress. So, we introduce a whole new Visual Cue for data driven and evidence based intervention. It still has its all previous great features with added new feature for data collection Who is a visual thinker? Research by Child Development Theorist suggests that less than 30% of the population strongly uses visual/spatial thinking, another 45% uses both visual/spatial thinking and thinking in the form of words, and 25% thinks exclusively in words. - Wikipedia Why is it sometimes so hard to get kids to follow a verbal direction? It might be because they are visual thinkers. They can get more information through a picture than a few words. So, we are proudly providing five useful tools for them to communicate through pictures, it is a combination of multiple tools as follows and keep growing: • Visual Scheduler: a guide map for visual thinkers Not enough with a couple of pictures? You can make a story line of what to do or what’s going on in the next couple of hours or even for days. Create a series of activities for your kids to make it clear what to expect next in a structured way. • Working For: more cues coming It is a simple two-part board that communicates to children what they are doing now and what they will be doing next. The board is effective in letting children know what to expect without overwhelming them with a number of activities. • Touch Choice: a very flexible choice board You can make more than 4 items on choice board featured by smooth arrangement with numbers for counting item. For example, you can create a glossary shopping list with visible item with number to purchase, working activity with time, and so on. * Visual Cue: prompt using pictures Show the picture of destination rather than repeatedly saying “We are going to go to the school.” Their concern might be coming from uncertainty of where they are going. “Visual Cue” supports playing a recorded sound of the destination as well. * First ~ Then: simple cause and result Let them know what’s going to happen after they accomplish one thing using a sequential picture though “First ~ Then.” You can show the first image as a condition to have the second one. For example, show picture of wash hands at first then show their favorite snack. It makes them understand clearly what they need to do for the compensation as a contingency. • Tokens: It's a token rewarding system merged previous two features called Count Up and Down. Do you want to encourage a good behavior by visual cue framework? You can add a star by tapping and give an interesting reward when predefined number of stars has reached. • Visual Timer: Progressive image with timer with better look and performance. - Technical Support: We value your feedback, so please contact us for any issue.

Developer's Description

Visual Cue - A whole new approach using previously popular visual tools with data driven progress reports.

From now on, you will have more insight and feeling of progress just by more using Visual Cue app.

This is the most advanced and a brand new way to give a visual cue for communication with non-verbal children and/or visual thinkers!!!

Data driven evidence based intervention

We think the most important aspect about intervention of autism and any spectrum in autism is progress and how to measure the progress. So, we introduce a whole new Visual Cue for data driven and evidence based intervention. It still has its all previous great features with added new feature for data collection

Who is a visual thinker?
Research by Child Development Theorist suggests that less than 30% of the population strongly uses visual/spatial thinking, another 45% uses both visual/spatial thinking and thinking in the form of words, and 25% thinks exclusively in words. - Wikipedia

Why is it sometimes so hard to get kids to follow a verbal direction?
It might be because they are visual thinkers. They can get more information through a picture than a few words.

So, we are proudly providing five useful tools for them to communicate through pictures, it is a combination of multiple tools as follows and keep growing:

• Visual Scheduler: a guide map for visual thinkers
Not enough with a couple of pictures? You can make a story line of what to do or what’s going on in the next couple of hours or even for days. Create a series of activities for your kids to make it clear what to expect next in a structured way.

• Working For: more cues coming
It is a simple two-part board that communicates to children what they are doing now and what they will be doing next. The board is effective in letting children know what to expect without overwhelming them with a number of activities.

• Touch Choice: a very flexible choice board
You can make more than 4 items on choice board featured by smooth arrangement with numbers for counting item. For example, you can create a glossary shopping list with visible item with number to purchase, working activity with time, and so on.

* Visual Cue: prompt using pictures
Show the picture of destination rather than repeatedly saying “We are going to go to the school.” Their concern might be coming from uncertainty of where they are going. “Visual Cue” supports playing a recorded sound of the destination as well.

* First ~ Then: simple cause and result
Let them know what’s going to happen after they accomplish one thing using a sequential picture though “First ~ Then.” You can show the first image as a condition to have the second one. For example, show picture of wash hands at first then show their favorite snack. It makes them understand clearly what they need to do for the compensation as a contingency.

• Tokens: It's a token rewarding system merged previous two features
called Count Up and Down.
Do you want to encourage a good behavior by visual cue framework? You can add a star by tapping and give an interesting reward when predefined number of stars has reached.

• Visual Timer: Progressive image with timer with better look and performance.

- Technical Support: We value your feedback, so please contact us for any issue.

Disclaimer: The evaluations and rankings information provided here are based solely on the opinion of the author and are for informational purposes only. Families should seek professional advice before making decisions regarding interventions for their child.