Social Skills Apps for Kids with Special Needs

Hilarious animals help kids identify emotions

Bottom Line: This silly animal app is a fun way to teach kids about emotions and creativity.

Songs and activities help kids express, recognize, understand emotions

Bottom Line: Daniel Tiger and his friends present excellent examples for kids who are just learning healthy emotional expression.

Cute, vibrant app helps kids learn social-emotional cues and vocab

Bottom Line: Cute and funny animals ask kids clear questions to help them think about emotions, social communications, and actions.

Sesame Street winner teaches kids how to keep calm and carry on

Bottom Line: Highly effective tool for whole-class instruction or one-on-one intervention.

Simple story about shapes showcases problem-solving and inclusion

Bottom Line: This cute little story could be a nice launching pad for big discussions about friendship, tolerance, and acceptance.

Pretend play meets social skills at this cute interactive gathering

Bottom Line: Beautiful, imagination-provoking app is so easy to use, kids will likely want to return for many more parties.

Fantastic yet limited resource for modeling social interactions

Bottom Line: Six story choices useful to traveling teachers/therapists.

Create multimedia stories that help with social skills

Bottom Line: Solid and very simple app for kids with social challenges.

Free app helps kids identify emotions, recognize body language

Bottom Line: Bridges the gap between feeling or witnessing emotions and using words to describe them.

Themed scripts help kids practice successful social exchanges

Bottom Line: For speech-language pathologists, this is a must-have tool for helping kids learn conversation skills.

Experiential game teaches empathy toward those with autism

Bottom Line: Lessons on inclusion and community in the classroom require post-game facilitated discussion for deep learning.

Comic-style course on social nuances aims to help kids with ASD

Bottom Line: Sufficient tool to supplement social and emotional learning for students with autism.

Responsive game helps students prepare for transition to middle school

Bottom Line: Wonderful and fun social-interaction game designed to teach cooperation and friendship skills needed for middle school and beyond.

Well-designed tool encourages kids to reflect on and manage emotions

Bottom Line: Appealing, thought-provoking tool builds emotional intelligence.

Customizable tool provides valuable practice with social interactions

Bottom Line: Engaging way to practice peer conversations on tricky topics.