Seeking Taste

Foodgawker is similar to Pinterest, but is dedicated to the the palate.  On their site, they describe themselves as "a photo gallery that allows you to visually search and discover new recipes, techniques and ingredients to inspire your culinary adventures".


The app is your food and recipes "on the go."  You can seek inspiration for tonight's dinner or an appetizer for that party on your calendar.

A true sensory seeker will go here just to feed their eyes.   Images are uploaded several times a day, so you get a new treat each time.  Shake your device to randomize the thumbnails.  Make sure you save your favorites to your personal favorites screen.

Seeking Visuals

I am a visual person.  When I create a presentation, I always open up iphoto to peruse my pictures.  It is the image that sparks a thought or idea.  That is why I love Pinterest -  a virtual cork board that allows you to "pin" images clipped from the Internet.  You can create different boards depending on your interests.  Below are a couple of my boards.

DIY Board

OT Activities Board

Not only does Pinterest allow you to organize all the snazzy things you find on the web, but you can share them and browse the boards of others to find inspiration and cool ideas. Once you install a button to your toolbar, you can add pins in a snap.

Of course, there is an app for it.   I actually like to use the computer for viewing boards, but this works in a pinch.  If you have a camera on your device, you can take a picture and pin it on a board which is handy.  If you feel like a little eye candy, this will definitely satisfy.

Seeking Writing

 I discovered this app from YourTherapySource and I was never so happy.  I have tried a number of letter formation apps and found some good ones, but none of them matched our handwriting curriculum, Handwriting Without Tears.  I have been waiting for them to come out with their own app and am still waiting.  LetterSchool fits the bill, however.  It gives your a choice of fonts: D'Nealian, HWT and Zaner Bloser.  How is that for choices?  That in itself makes me happy, but there is more.  This is a great app for sensory seekers.  It comes with high quality sounds, graphics and animations.  The design is motivating and engaging.

It provides three steps to learn each letter.

1. Tap
2. Trace
3. Write

First, you touch the starting points of each stroke in the correct sequence.  It doesn't let you start at the wrong place, so kids don't develop bad habits.  Next, it gives you tracing practice.  Your finger does not leave a simple line, though.  It may be a row of dirt, a stream of suds or a railroad track.  After successfully forming the letter, flowers pop out of the dirt, soap bubbles rise out of the suds and a train chugs down the tracks.  Finally, you form the letter on your own.  If you are unsuccessful after several tries, it provides arrows to follow.

         
 
Definitely a sensory delight!  Uppercase letters, lowercase letters and numbers are included and there are two levels of play.  Check out the lite version to try it out, but I am sure you will go for the full version once your are hooked ($2.99).

Seeking Music

 Pandora is a free personalized radio app.  Just start with the name of one of your favorite songs and Pandora will customize a "radio station" with music that is similar.  For sensory seekers, you can create a "get moving" station, a "get working" station or even a station to clean the kitchen by.  If you operate best with music in the background, this is a quick simple way to get the tunes you need.

In dealing with the waning light of winter, I thought I could use a boost.  I typed in "Stevie Wonder" and "Christmas".  It was as good as a dose of vitamin D!

Seeking Photos

Apps for Sensory Seekers continues.  This one is the "Free App of the Day" from Technology in (SPL) Education, so grab it now.  Photo Table by Paul Solt is not just your run of the mill photo slide app. You can fidget away by flicking, swiping, tapping, zooming, rotating and dragging your photos on a virtual table.  Add music and you have a robust sensory experience.  This app has enough touch capabilities, visuals and sound to satisfy any seeker. 



If you miss it as a free app. try the Lite version to see if it suits your needs.

Multisensory App

Our next app for Seekers is Glow Tunes by Chris Martone.  Glow tunes  combines graphics with music to create a great multisensory experience.

Using your finger, you draw pixels on a grid to create a pattern, shape or any other object.  It reminds me of the old LiteBrite toy.

Chose an instrument and your visual pattern plays a tune!  Make it play fast or slow.  You can experiment with different patterns and create a new tune depending where you add a pixel.  It is also a great app to practice visual perceptual skills and certain number/letter formations.  After working on creating a picture, sit back and listen to your work.

Seeking Apps

    LineArt by PDJ Apps

Seekers: We know you are out there, if you just stop moving or fidgeting or listening to your favorite music.  How do we satisfy your need for "more" - more sights, more sound, more movement, more touch, more tastes and more smells?

Let's start with this app, Line Art.  It will provide the touch and visual stimulation you crave.  It is interactive visual art created by thousands of particles that move with your touch.  The color and patterns change as you move your fingers.  Click on the camera icon when you want to save an image.

If you are a true "Seeker," you won't want to put this down.  How would this support participation in life?  Usually I have a hard time talking on the phone for extended times unless I am moving.  Back when phones had cords, I would doodle the time away.  I can imagine sitting and talking on my cell if I have this in hand!  It is free for this holiday season.  You'll want to get your hands on this.

 

Apps for Sensory Patterns

I admit it.  I am an App hog.  I have more apps than I know what to do with.  With over 425,000 third-party apps officially available on the App Store, how do you begin to make sense of it all?  People are constantly trying to categorize them into manageable groups. There are lists for productivity, entertainment, creativity, health and lifestyle.  Under education, we have lists for math, literacy, writing and languages.  There are app lists for all types of disabilities: autism, language disorders, hearing impairment and low vision.  This series of posts will help us make "sense" of this confusing maze of apps.
 
Sensory patterns can be used to look at all facets of our lives.  After all, the goal of understanding your senses is to "live sensationally".  Using Winnie Dunn's sensory patterns, let's take a peek at apps that might be more suited to our particular sensory styles.