Tag: anxiety

Model Me Going Places 2

App/Tool Overview

Model Me Going Places 2 is an app that is simple to understand and operate, but can be very impactful in its delivery. This app is designed for younger children, around ages three to ten, but can also be effective for older children who have autism and other disabilities. The app consists of six different places that children often frequent: the hairdresser, the mall, the doctor, the playground, the grocery store, and restaurants. Each of these six locations has a series of photos featuring a child going to and experiencing these places. Every photo has a text caption at the bottom that explains what the child in the photo is doing to provide more context. There is also an option for audio narration of the photos in English. The child in the photo is modeling the appropriate behavior for every situation provided. Again, while the app itself is fairly simple, it is very useful to aid children or teens who have autism, anxiety, emotional/social behavioral issues, and other such challenges that make it more difficult to go to these places. Users of the app can review the photos as many times as they would like to prepare themselves to interact in these new or challenging spaces.

School Library Applications

Model Me Going Places 2 would be advantageous to use in a school library because although there is not a specific library location featured in the app, the behaviors that are featured in other locations shared can also apply to a library setting. This app should be available on a device usable by students so that if there is a student who is not behaving appropriately in the library she will be able to sit down with this app and see how she can adjust her behavior. Again, the librarian will have to give context that this app does not focus on a library specifically, but explain how the library, like all of the other locations, is a public space, so there are certain behaviors that are appropriate and certain behaviors that are not.

This app could also be available in the library for students to use if they do not have access to it at home and know that they will be going to one of these places soon. For example, going to the doctor can be a challenging source of anxiety for many children, so having this app available to use on the day they will be going to the doctor could be very valuable to them. The library provides a safe space for students to come and use this app quietly and on their own time so that they feel comfortable and ready to take on this space.

Classroom Teacher Implications

Classroom teachers can use Model Me Going Places 2 in their classrooms just as librarians use them in their libraries. It is important to remember that school is not just for learning about content areas, but also for gaining social skills, self-confidence, and independence. Teachers of young children especially are helping them to master all of these skills, while also providing academia like reading, writing, math, science, and the like. Having this app available would be helpful to instruct their students on how to act and interact with others both in and outside of the classroom. For very young students, this app is beneficial to all, not just students with special needs, because going to these locations is a newer experience for these children. It helps them with ‘real world experience’ so that they feel more confident and prepared when they venture out to these spaces with their families.

Further Information

For more information about Model Me Going Places 2, please visit their page on the Apple app store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/model-me-going-places-2/id375669988#?platform=ipad

This app is available for both iPhones and iPads.

This app is free to download through the Apple app store.

For more information about this tool and others similar to it, please go to the company’s website, http://www.modelmekids.com or follow them on Twitter at @modelmekids.

Chill Outz

App/Tool Overview

Chill Outz is an app that was designed to teach young children, approximately grades K-5, about mindfulness. It can be implemented with any child who is facing fears and anxieties, and is particularly useful for children with autism and anxiety disorders who need more support emotionally. The app has five different story lines and skill sets that the user can choose from when feeling overwhelmed or in need of a quiet minute alone. The five skills are body relaxation, diminishing panic through breathing, overcoming anxiety through shrugging, self-calming through humming, and getting ready for bed (or generally calming down) through deep breathing. Each of these skills is taught by a different friendly animal in an animated story so that children are more engaged and at ease when moving through the process. The goal is that through the use of these stories, the user is equipped with tools about mindfulness so that she is able to integrate these practices into her daily life as necessary. The users are anticipated to feel healthier in terms of both emotional and physical health, as removing anxiety, tension, and other issues can alleviate symptoms across the board.

School Library Applications

Chill Outz would be a very beneficial app to have downloaded onto a tablet or smartphone that students have access to throughout the school day. Today’s school library is truly more of a media center that can address a variety of student needs. One of these needs is the option to have a safe space to take a quiet, mindful moment when the stresses of the day are too much. Having access to this app in a comfy, cozy, and quiet corner of the library would help students who need to step away from the busy flow of the school day to recenter. The school library should be a safe space for students, so it would be an ideal space to use this app.

The above application of Chill Outz speaks more to an individual level, but it can also be used in a small or large group setting as well. Using this app could be helpful in aiding students when they need to refocus and settle in for a lesson or work in the library.

Classroom Teacher Implications

A classroom teacher could use Chill Outz in the same ways that a school library would. Teachers can also have this app available for either an individual setting or a group setting. Again, they could set up the app in a quiet corner of the classroom and allow students to use it when there is a bit of free or down time. They could also allow students to use it in times when instruction is not being held in the classroom, like during lunch or recess (as long as there are proper supervisory and ratio components happening!). The other option is to conduct class-wide sessions where all the students practice techniques such as breathing together in order to refocus after a more high energy activity like lunch, recess, or gym class.

Additionally, as was mentioned in the app discussion, this tool is especially useful for students with autism and anxiety issues. This app could be even more integrated throughout the day to help students maintain a calmer mindset that will aid them in feeling more comfortable, engaged, and productive. If there are aids who work with these students, they should have the app readily available so they can pull it up whenever the need arises to help the student regain mindfulness.

Further Information

For more information about Chill Outz, please visit their website at: http://www.chilloutz.com/

This website has a variety of features such as sneak previews, FAQs, ways in which to contact the creators, explanation videos, and more.

Chill Outz is available at the Apple App Store and the Chrome Web Store for $4.99.