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The Autism App

When nine-year old British student, Sean Porter, was tasked with coding a game for a school project, he asked if instead, he could build something to help his younger brother, who is autistic and non-verbal.

With help from his father, Sean created “Adam’s Voice,” an app that uses pictures and speech recognition software to help children share their thoughts and feelings.

Users can press pictures on a screen of what they want, and the app speaks for them. Up to nine custom recordings can also be added, along with pictures from the device’s camera roll.

Sean came up with the idea after watching his brother struggle to communicate basic things, such as asking for food, telling someone he was hurt, or needing the bathroom.

The app has reduced his brother’s frustration, and increased his ability
to talk more.

Beyond autism, “Adam’s Voice” could also be used for any condition that impacts speech and communication, such as cerebral palsy or strokes.

So, what’s next for this young software developer? Sean wants to expand the app to make it more customizable to a user’s specific needs.

He’s also giving away tablets with the app, for free, allowing more kids,
like his brother, to have a bigger voice and a brighter future.

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