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Rubycube storysmart appsuite-1

Nabeel Mahmood
Nabeel Mahmood

RubyCube user guide given to me by Pete, the founder. The style and function of apps (e.g. changing phrases from the text, etc) is the same for my apps.

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mobile app suite for social language development product overview 息2013 rubycube, Inc. all rights reserved
the company rubycube designs and develops mobile apps for children with high functioning autism and ADHD. The initial suite of apps storysmart is designed for elementary school-aged children (6-12) with social and pragmatic language deficits which are most common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADD/ADHD. rubycubes core focus lies at the intersection of technology, therapy and design; to create apps that help children to better understand social expectations and engage more successfully in social settings. storysmart apps storysmart apps are both a recreational and therapeutic activity for elementary-school aged children along with their parents, therapists, teachers and caregivers - to help children develop skills such as social communication, social cognition, critical thinking and narrative skills. These are skills that are underdeveloped in children on the autism spectrum, and in children with other neuropsychological differences such as ADHD. storysmart apps have been developed as an engaging and humorous way to build these critical skills. storysmart apps are designed to assist children who struggle with: social language and communication impulse control/self-control anxiety sensory overload taking another perspective attention deficits being flexible keeping thoughts inside their head (versus blurting them out) skills targeted: social communication social cognition critical thinking narrative skills contextual understanding reading comprehension
how the apps work There are six apps in the storysmart suite, each presenting a different and engaging story about children navigating their world - at home, at school, on vacation, as part of a team and working in groups. Each story depicts a primary character within these settings who makes unexpected or inappropriate choices while interacting with others. The app user has the ability to modify those parts of the story, effecting positive outcomes where those unexpected words, actions, situations or behaviors exist. By requiring the user to focus on details of the story and its contextual cues, the user builds an awareness of social expectations. users navigate between stories by swiping the cube in any direction users need to comprehend the details in the story in order to make the best choices and achieve positive outcomes
assessing the situation The primary task is for the user to complete the story by successfully modifying all of the unexpected components to expected ones. To do so, the user needs to assess the context of the situation in order to make an appropriate choice. The choices include more than one appropriate option, so the user has multiple paths by which he/she can appropriately resolve the situation. Each choice the user makes, positive or negative, is followed by feedback in the form of their own recorded voice a happy sound or a sad sound. real-time feedback When the user completes the appropriate choice selections for the page, there is additional positive feedback the story character pops up from the bottom of the screen and waves or gives a thumbs up! The user then continues through the story, modifying the various choices, with feedback given for each choice. storysmarts multi-sensory platform allows children to learn by navigating the stories independently or with the help of a teacher, parent, or therapist. when users make a choice, they hear their own recorded voice as auditory reinforcement when expected choices have been made, a second layer of positive feedback is presented Yay!!!
features storysmart provides an array of features designed to engage the user through multiple modalities. The apps include voiceover, animated graphics and auditory feedback which provide language processing support. Features include: user personalization add user name, language preferences and audio recording (played as feedback throughout the story) menu tab to display the story menu (you can easily hide this menu for a clutter-free experience) story controls (functions left to right): gear show app settings panel home go to home screen book go to story table of contents speaker play voiceover narration down arrow hide page menu microphone record your own reading of the story small microphone listen to your recording magnifying glass hide/show text hints (in blue) question mark show help screen (defines the page menu items) A B A B C C story menu enlarged
more features app controls (functions left to right): user identity set up a new user, edit user preferences or delete user home go to the home screen globe set language preferences musical notes turn background music on/off letter A toggle font between serif and sans serif mail send user feedback to rubycube people information for parents and caregivers about the apps rubycube logo go to rubycubeapps.com question mark show help screen (defines the page menu items) story modification on every page user can choose to modify the text from a popup list with several, often nuanced options with more than one appropriate answer difficulty control users can hide the story hints (blue text) for a greater challenge D E F D E F
...and more features page swipe control users can swipe right or left for easy navigation through the story story narration users can choose to have the story read to them at any time, even after they modify the text multi-lingual support in 2014, storysmart will introduce spanish language support in-line help users can tap on the help icon to reveal descriptions of story controls and app settings G H I J G H I J
the storysmart difference social communication development storysmart apps are designed to present real-world situations for children, complete with expected and unexpected situations and behaviors. The primary goal of the storysmart apps is to raise the users awareness of social expectations and to stimulate critical thinking skills to achieve the best outcomes in those settings. proactive learning environment storysmart apps present a learning environment whereby the user can actively modify parts of the story the characters words, actions and behaviors to correct whats unexpected and achieve the best possible outcomes. actions, words and behaviors demonstrated storysmart provides a variety of familiar social scenarios in which hundreds of unexpected choices occur, each one visually demonstrated to reinforce the consequences of those choices. As the user freely modifies each choice, the visuals change to reflect and provide context for the new choice. They can literally see the effects of their choices. personalized audio feedback In addition to visual reinforcement, the users own sounds are played as feedback after each choice is made both positive and negative. This provides a humorous and personal auditory reinforcement of the choices the user makes. multiple paths to positive outcomes storysmart apps give the user multiple paths by which they can appropriately resolve social situations instead of choosing from a set with a single correct answer. There is more than one way to achieve the expected outcome, just like real life. nuanced choices/contextual awareness storysmart apps provide a menu of phrases which the user can modify with existing phrases. Some phrases will seem appropriate, but may be out of context with that situation. The user needs to attend to contextual cues in order to interpret those choices and select one that best fits. The app also provides controls to adjust the level of challenge for the user. multi-sensory feedback The stories are presented several ways - as text for the user to read; as audio for the user to listen to; and as animated scenes which visually demonstrate the actions and setting. Users can also record themselves reading the stories and play the recording back at any point during the experience. Approaching narratives through multiple modalities has been shown to significantly aid in comprehension. engaging, not overstimulating Stories are accompanied by animated graphics which reinforce the context of each setting and are designed not to visually overwhelm the user. The music is designed to have a calming effect and to keep the user engaged in the activity. clutter-free interface for visual thinkers The storysmart app interface is specifically designed to facilitate the learning experience by minimizing clutter on the screen. App controls and navigation can be hidden during use which enables the user to stay focused on the content.
the rubycube story Jennifer and Pete Minnelli have a ten-year-old daughter with the diagnosis of High Functioning Autism, ADHD and anxiety. Despite Jennifers expertise in treating children like Ruby, advocating for an appropriately individualized education plan for her has proven very challenging. They have encountered multiple school professionals without knowledge of how to educate Ruby despite her high intelligence and motivation to do well. Children like Ruby have gifts and talents to offer the world with their creative ideas and unique perspectives. Through efforts to place Ruby in the right educational setting they became keenly aware of the role technology is playing in the assistance and education of children, particularly those with ASD. However, they have become very frustrated with the lack of mobile apps available for children with social language impairments. This frustration, combined with their professional and personal experience, has driven the design and development of storysmart apps. They believe storysmart holds strong promise for individuals with autism to learn critical social language skills that will help them function more happily, independently and successfully in their communities. company bios Jennifer Minnelli, M.S., CCC-SLP Jennifer is a Speech Language Pathologist who has worked with children with special needs for the past 15 years. Her career has spanned a variety of settings, including Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Early Intervention Centers, Private Outpatient Clinics, Preschool classrooms and Elementary School classrooms. In addition to her time at rubycube she works as a clinician at Duke University Medical Center in acute care pediatrics and outpatient pediatrics. Pete Minnelli Pete is a trained designer with over twenty years of experience in design and brand development for a wide range of products and services. For the past ten years he has been president of brandsavior, a creative services company which offers an array of branding, design and marketing services. Pete is a visual thinker, able to convey complex concepts in simple and compelling visual schemes for diverse audiences. contact Pete Minnelli pete@rubycubeapps.com 919.412.8926 rubycubeapps.com 息2013 rubycube, Inc. all rights reserved

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Rubycube storysmart appsuite-1

  • 1. mobile app suite for social language development product overview 息2013 rubycube, Inc. all rights reserved
  • 2. the company rubycube designs and develops mobile apps for children with high functioning autism and ADHD. The initial suite of apps storysmart is designed for elementary school-aged children (6-12) with social and pragmatic language deficits which are most common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADD/ADHD. rubycubes core focus lies at the intersection of technology, therapy and design; to create apps that help children to better understand social expectations and engage more successfully in social settings. storysmart apps storysmart apps are both a recreational and therapeutic activity for elementary-school aged children along with their parents, therapists, teachers and caregivers - to help children develop skills such as social communication, social cognition, critical thinking and narrative skills. These are skills that are underdeveloped in children on the autism spectrum, and in children with other neuropsychological differences such as ADHD. storysmart apps have been developed as an engaging and humorous way to build these critical skills. storysmart apps are designed to assist children who struggle with: social language and communication impulse control/self-control anxiety sensory overload taking another perspective attention deficits being flexible keeping thoughts inside their head (versus blurting them out) skills targeted: social communication social cognition critical thinking narrative skills contextual understanding reading comprehension
  • 3. how the apps work There are six apps in the storysmart suite, each presenting a different and engaging story about children navigating their world - at home, at school, on vacation, as part of a team and working in groups. Each story depicts a primary character within these settings who makes unexpected or inappropriate choices while interacting with others. The app user has the ability to modify those parts of the story, effecting positive outcomes where those unexpected words, actions, situations or behaviors exist. By requiring the user to focus on details of the story and its contextual cues, the user builds an awareness of social expectations. users navigate between stories by swiping the cube in any direction users need to comprehend the details in the story in order to make the best choices and achieve positive outcomes
  • 4. assessing the situation The primary task is for the user to complete the story by successfully modifying all of the unexpected components to expected ones. To do so, the user needs to assess the context of the situation in order to make an appropriate choice. The choices include more than one appropriate option, so the user has multiple paths by which he/she can appropriately resolve the situation. Each choice the user makes, positive or negative, is followed by feedback in the form of their own recorded voice a happy sound or a sad sound. real-time feedback When the user completes the appropriate choice selections for the page, there is additional positive feedback the story character pops up from the bottom of the screen and waves or gives a thumbs up! The user then continues through the story, modifying the various choices, with feedback given for each choice. storysmarts multi-sensory platform allows children to learn by navigating the stories independently or with the help of a teacher, parent, or therapist. when users make a choice, they hear their own recorded voice as auditory reinforcement when expected choices have been made, a second layer of positive feedback is presented Yay!!!
  • 5. features storysmart provides an array of features designed to engage the user through multiple modalities. The apps include voiceover, animated graphics and auditory feedback which provide language processing support. Features include: user personalization add user name, language preferences and audio recording (played as feedback throughout the story) menu tab to display the story menu (you can easily hide this menu for a clutter-free experience) story controls (functions left to right): gear show app settings panel home go to home screen book go to story table of contents speaker play voiceover narration down arrow hide page menu microphone record your own reading of the story small microphone listen to your recording magnifying glass hide/show text hints (in blue) question mark show help screen (defines the page menu items) A B A B C C story menu enlarged
  • 6. more features app controls (functions left to right): user identity set up a new user, edit user preferences or delete user home go to the home screen globe set language preferences musical notes turn background music on/off letter A toggle font between serif and sans serif mail send user feedback to rubycube people information for parents and caregivers about the apps rubycube logo go to rubycubeapps.com question mark show help screen (defines the page menu items) story modification on every page user can choose to modify the text from a popup list with several, often nuanced options with more than one appropriate answer difficulty control users can hide the story hints (blue text) for a greater challenge D E F D E F
  • 7. ...and more features page swipe control users can swipe right or left for easy navigation through the story story narration users can choose to have the story read to them at any time, even after they modify the text multi-lingual support in 2014, storysmart will introduce spanish language support in-line help users can tap on the help icon to reveal descriptions of story controls and app settings G H I J G H I J
  • 8. the storysmart difference social communication development storysmart apps are designed to present real-world situations for children, complete with expected and unexpected situations and behaviors. The primary goal of the storysmart apps is to raise the users awareness of social expectations and to stimulate critical thinking skills to achieve the best outcomes in those settings. proactive learning environment storysmart apps present a learning environment whereby the user can actively modify parts of the story the characters words, actions and behaviors to correct whats unexpected and achieve the best possible outcomes. actions, words and behaviors demonstrated storysmart provides a variety of familiar social scenarios in which hundreds of unexpected choices occur, each one visually demonstrated to reinforce the consequences of those choices. As the user freely modifies each choice, the visuals change to reflect and provide context for the new choice. They can literally see the effects of their choices. personalized audio feedback In addition to visual reinforcement, the users own sounds are played as feedback after each choice is made both positive and negative. This provides a humorous and personal auditory reinforcement of the choices the user makes. multiple paths to positive outcomes storysmart apps give the user multiple paths by which they can appropriately resolve social situations instead of choosing from a set with a single correct answer. There is more than one way to achieve the expected outcome, just like real life. nuanced choices/contextual awareness storysmart apps provide a menu of phrases which the user can modify with existing phrases. Some phrases will seem appropriate, but may be out of context with that situation. The user needs to attend to contextual cues in order to interpret those choices and select one that best fits. The app also provides controls to adjust the level of challenge for the user. multi-sensory feedback The stories are presented several ways - as text for the user to read; as audio for the user to listen to; and as animated scenes which visually demonstrate the actions and setting. Users can also record themselves reading the stories and play the recording back at any point during the experience. Approaching narratives through multiple modalities has been shown to significantly aid in comprehension. engaging, not overstimulating Stories are accompanied by animated graphics which reinforce the context of each setting and are designed not to visually overwhelm the user. The music is designed to have a calming effect and to keep the user engaged in the activity. clutter-free interface for visual thinkers The storysmart app interface is specifically designed to facilitate the learning experience by minimizing clutter on the screen. App controls and navigation can be hidden during use which enables the user to stay focused on the content.
  • 9. the rubycube story Jennifer and Pete Minnelli have a ten-year-old daughter with the diagnosis of High Functioning Autism, ADHD and anxiety. Despite Jennifers expertise in treating children like Ruby, advocating for an appropriately individualized education plan for her has proven very challenging. They have encountered multiple school professionals without knowledge of how to educate Ruby despite her high intelligence and motivation to do well. Children like Ruby have gifts and talents to offer the world with their creative ideas and unique perspectives. Through efforts to place Ruby in the right educational setting they became keenly aware of the role technology is playing in the assistance and education of children, particularly those with ASD. However, they have become very frustrated with the lack of mobile apps available for children with social language impairments. This frustration, combined with their professional and personal experience, has driven the design and development of storysmart apps. They believe storysmart holds strong promise for individuals with autism to learn critical social language skills that will help them function more happily, independently and successfully in their communities. company bios Jennifer Minnelli, M.S., CCC-SLP Jennifer is a Speech Language Pathologist who has worked with children with special needs for the past 15 years. Her career has spanned a variety of settings, including Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Early Intervention Centers, Private Outpatient Clinics, Preschool classrooms and Elementary School classrooms. In addition to her time at rubycube she works as a clinician at Duke University Medical Center in acute care pediatrics and outpatient pediatrics. Pete Minnelli Pete is a trained designer with over twenty years of experience in design and brand development for a wide range of products and services. For the past ten years he has been president of brandsavior, a creative services company which offers an array of branding, design and marketing services. Pete is a visual thinker, able to convey complex concepts in simple and compelling visual schemes for diverse audiences. contact Pete Minnelli pete@rubycubeapps.com 919.412.8926 rubycubeapps.com 息2013 rubycube, Inc. all rights reserved