I just discovered this website through Twitter. The name of the website is Squag and it is a social platform for children with autism. It looks quite promising, so I thought I would share it as a resource with you. It is not free, but it might be something worth recommending to parents as there is a 14-day free-trial.
What is Squag? From their website: “Squag is a a curated social space for kids with autism (and other learning differences) to build ideas about themselves. Our goal is to facilitate the opportunity for organic relationships; driven by kids, supported by parents. What could be better?”
How Does it Work? (also from the Squag website)
Once a parent registers and is approved to be part of the Squag community, their first task is to set up their child’s Squagpad. They curate content and post positive messages for their son or daughter to see when they arrive in their room. Security is our number one priority. The Squagpad is a beautiful, private space, with no file sharing of any kind.
When the user arrives in their Squagpad, they are surrounded by all of their favorite things. They can watch videos, browse photos, and write in their journal. They can see themselves in their mirror and build ideas about themselves and take a picture to encode it. They scroll over their room, see positive messaging from their parents, and use them to create original thought about themselves. Every move the child makes in their Squagpadis recorded in their scrapbook, spotlighting what the child is interested in and always reinforcing that ever-important sense of self.
Through a proprietary matching system monitored by their parents, users will be offered a small sample of Squaggers to connect with. If the other user accepts, their SquagpadsTM pop up together, and all the original thoughts they’ve created about themselves become available to spark conversation. Squagging is always one on one, based on matching criterion set up by the users parents. Users have an opportunity to reach out to their peers based on common interests and shared experiences.
Check Out Squag
Have you tried this or known someone who has? Please comment and let us know!
