Take it from someone who had to be dragged kicking and screaming to school every day, education and autism can be a tough mix. What’s more, due to overly judgy parents and naïve children, being the parent/carer of the autistic person at the gates isn’t much easier either.
Thankfully, times have changed and, while revolutionary decisions within education have made schools more tolerable (and I’m not just talking about the removal of Turkey Twizzlers), it’s the advancements we’re seeing outside the classrooms that have taken the unique necessities of autistic learning and created an option which helps us to excel. This is Otsimo.
What is Otsimo?
Otsimo is a lot of things. First and foremost, it is a learning tool (via an app or desktop) with games aimed at improving the skills which autistic people might struggle with. However, Otsimo is also an instrument for creation, with art and music apps to bring out the inner Beethoven. Yet, Otsimo isn’t just about education, as it’s also a nifty AAC device (for communication), a social story app (for easing anxieties) and, when it comes to real-world support, it helps with *pause for breath*:
- Core development skills
- Daily Life concepts
- Mathematics
- Colouring
- Vocabulary
- Reading and writing
- Puzzle completion
- Attention and focus
- Homeschooling
- Many, many more
Yes, Otsimo is big and, that’s without even mentioning the many accolades it has garnered from organizations like Forbes, BBC, and now Autistic & Unapologetic. However, as many will know, bigger isn’t always better (and, in my experience, size can sometimes be overwhelming). Nevertheless, this cannot be said for Otsimo, where to get the programme started it’s as simple as downloading the app and filling out a short questionnaire before, hey presto, you’re ready to go!
Of course, you may be dubious as to how personalised this tailoring really is. After all, even if you could chart the spectrum like a constellation, the intricacies would make the voyage to identity difficult to get precise. However, Otsimo’s guidance is deceivingly precise and, what’s more, its questionnaire allows for great accuracy thanks to features like the inclusion of all co-existing conditions (because we all know autism is often part of a package deal).
So, what is the Otsimo experience like once set up?
The Otsimo Experience:
You’re going to see me describe many lessons in this section as ‘games’, but don’t let that misguide you into thinking Otsimo is just a bit of fun because:
- There are plenty of learning opportunities for all ages within this app
- Otsimo isn’t just ‘a bit of fun’, it’s a lot of fun.
On that note, what I found particularly enjoyable about Otsimo is just how varied the games are, not just in the offerings it has but how, within each of the games themselves, there are multiple iterations.
One noticeable example of this is the ‘match the emotion game’, which allows you to use either drawings of faces, emojis or real-life videos (I chose the one with emojis so I could finally make sense of that face with red cheeks, a squiggly mouth, half shut-eye and raised brow – you know the one).
Furthermore, Otsimo doesn’t penalize students for wrong answers. Instead, it merely guides them towards selecting again through tips and hints. This is especially great for students who may have had their confidence knocked in mainstream schools and it’s also handy if, like me, you have big fat sausage fingers and keep answering with ‘elephant’ when you hear a sheep go ‘baa’.
Similarly, most people will be aware that there are multiple ways to learn, and Otsimo is ideal for ticking all of these boxes; with vibrant colours, silky smooth animations and multiple sound options which, on a positive note, includes a teacher who gets WAY too excited every time she says the word ‘pumpkin’ (however, it does include quite a lot of clapping after every answer, which may be sensory disrupting to some).
As I said, Otsimo has a big offering, and with so many features, it may be a bit complex knowing where to go after each lesson but, a solution does exist and it comes in the form of the Otsimo guided learning section; a level based path in which students are guided through classrooms, treasure islands and even space, learning along in a manner just as much fun as it sounds.
What Do Parents Get From Otsimo?
With so much to generally enjoy on Otsimo, you may wonder ‘how do you ensure that a student is improving in the areas they struggle (and not just repeatedly playing New Order’s Blue Monday on the piano game – as I did)?’ Well, for this, Otsimo offers a separate password-protected monitoring section (accessible both online and on the app), which features a breakdown of what a student has been doing, what they got right and what needs work, as well as a timer for how long they played.
In this ‘parents’ section, Otsimo really goes above and beyond, with additional resources including a detailed report of how a student is progressing, a chart of what games come recommended by other parents/carers and a super thorough blog, designed to improve learning after the app is switched off.
Tangentially, I should mention that I did find one or two choice phrases within the parents’ section that I didn’t agree with i.e. the use of ‘severe autism’ and a moment when the prevalence of autism is compared to cancer rates (yikes). However, the content itself is very much on point and otherwise pro neurodiversity – as can be seen in the ‘Strengths that Come with Autism‘ post.
Otsimo clearly has a lot to offer to those who may be struggling in education or just want to bump their grades up. However, I believe that its greatest asset is how much heart has gone into the creation of this awesome autism app. This is evident from the company’s roots, inspired by the founder’s autistic brother, and I love that the item is geared towards not fixing autism or changing us to alter our alternative thinking, but offers the same basic education in a package fit for our unique learning style.
If all this sounds ideal to you, then Otismo is currently available on the app store and offers the alternatives of free and paid-for package. This review was conducted on a premium membership and may not be representative of alternative subscriptions).
Carry on the Conversation:
Before I go, I would like to thank Otsimo for sponsoring today’s post, but also for creating such a generally progressive app. I’m certain that Otsimo has the potential to change the education system for autistic people and I’m grateful that this is something I can promote.
As always, I can be found on Twitter @AutismRevised and via my email: AutisticandUnapologetic@gmail.com.
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Thank you for reading and I will see you next week for more thoughts from across the spectrum.
