Month: August 2012

Zac Browser: A Web Browser for Autistic Children

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A programmer’s desire to help his autistic grandson led to this specialized browser for children with autistic spectrum disorders. The browser opens in full-screen mode, and displays a calming aquarium scene with icons for different domains such as Music or Games. Zac Browser has scored over 2.5 million downloads since 2008.

Over the past 3 years, Zac Browser has helped over 2.5 million children from around the world with autism by providing a free software solution filled with activities and videos. We are on the verge of making a huge leap by moving our technology to the next level. For that reason we are requesting help from the community. Please watch the video for more information or click the link below to access the supporter page.

zacbrowser.com/supporters-2012/

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Loc8tor Plus Personal Locator System

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Autistic children sometimes ‘wander off’ when you least expect it. There’s no substitute for vigilance, but some parents use a personal locator system (like the one featured here) as a back-up. The handheld device gives visual (directional) and auditory (proximity) cues to the location of the homing tag (which also bleeps when in ‘locate’ mode). It bears repeating though, this device was developed to find possessions and is not designed to be a substitute for parental vigilance.

Easy to use, sets up in seconds.Tag size: 1.2″H x .76″W x .33″D. Weighs 5 grams. Range is 100 feet up to 600 feet based on a clear line of sight and the environment. Developed to find possessions and should not be relied on to find patients.

Temple Grandin: The World Needs All Kinds of Minds

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http://www.ted.com Autism activist Temple Grandin talks about how her mind works — sharing her ability to “think in pictures,” which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She makes the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kids.

Induction Cooktops

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If you suffer from absent-mindedness or ‘brain fog’ as I often do, induction is probably the safest and most convenient option for cooking. Here’s why:

  1. Induction cooktops don’t produce heat. They induce heat in metal cookware through electro-magnetism, lowering the risk of accidental fires.
  2. Many induction cooktops (like the one pictured here) switch off automatically if they detect that cookware has been removed (and cannot be switched on if there is no cookware on top). No worries about forgetting to turn off the stove.
  3. No gas leaks.
  4. No flames.
  5. Just wipe clean.
  6. Highly controllable heat output.
  7. Energy-conserving.
  8. Works with any cookware that a magnet will stick to.