Twenty apps to boost brain injury rehabilitation

Tap into an app to boost brain injury rehabilitation and coping strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic.

We’ve uncovered 20 apps cited by the NHS as useful aids to neurorehabilitation.

They can be used across a range of smartphones, tablets and computers, but ask your neurological occupational therapist for support in accessing and using them if need be.

 

CanPlan

Takes the ‘ask’ out of every task by breaking activities down into step-by-step guidance using:

 

•  Visual, text and audio prompt.
•  Reminders and scheduling.

 

New users may need initial support to record activities which can then be filed under headings such as Shopping or Food Preparation, or another name of the user’s choice.

Platform: Apple

 

Flow Free

Connect matching colours with a pipe in this app which challenges cognition, executive functioning and upper limb function.

Fun and simple, the game earned praise from RCOT members:

 

• “Clients engage with this really well - in particular, older clients.” 
• “Good app to be creative within, in particular, upper limb work.” 

 

Platforms: Apple and Android

 

Headspace

Breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, mindfulness and a talking guide to help you manage anxiety and get to sleep.

This app also offers:

 

• ‘Mini-meditation’ suggestions.
• Exercises for children.
• Inspiring stories.
• Physical exercise workouts.
• Connection with other users.

 

Platforms: Apple and Android

 

Logo Quiz

Use your visual and information processing skills and memory with this free trivia app that tests your recognition of popular, worldwide brand names – and there are thousands of them!

Platform: Apple and Android

 

Jigsaw Puzzle

An old favourite in app form, this challenges cognition, dexterity and visual processing and offers:

 

• Four game modes.
• Over 5000 free photos for jigsaw use. 
• Use of your own photos. 
• Jigsaws for all ages.

 

Platform: Android

 

Lumosity

For all ages and skill levels, this app provides easy-to-learn brain games - updated daily and with progress tracking if wanted - to improve:

 

• Problem-solving.   
• Information processing. 
• Memory.   
• Attention.   
• Flexibility.

 

Platforms: Apple and Android

 

Matrix Game 3

Planning and perseverance meet scanning and dragging in this puzzle that brings all sorts of skills into play:

 

• Fine motor skills. 
• Visual discrimination.
• Concentration.     
• Spatial orientation. 
• Categorisation.

 

Platforms: Apple and Android

 

Word Search/Word Search Puzzler

Learn more words in English while searching for them in this puzzle app for all ages and abilities that also tests:

 

• Cognition   
• Vision. 
• Fingers and arms.

 

Platform: Android

 

Dexteria

OTs helped in designing this arm and finger dexterity training app which helps to improve strength and control in pointing, tracing and pinching.

It also challenges scanning and information processing skills while progress can be tracked and shared via email.

Platforms: Apple (£5.99) and Android (£5.99)

 

Balloon Frenzy!

Fill your balloon-popping boots as you use finger speed, hand dexterity, coordination and vision to tap and pop the balloons as they move and fall in increasingly fast waves.

Platforms: Apple and Android

 

Over 200 stay at home activities for brain injury survivors and their families

 

More apps

 

Bla Bla Bla

Acommunication app to help in the recovery of voice and vocal volume control, described by RCOT members as:

 

•  “A really fun way to visually see an increase in volume”.
• “Good, clear visual tool. Helpful to develop confidence, breath control and voice volume.”

 

Users see a variety of ‘sound-reactive’ animations on-screen which move when they speak into their device’s microphone, allowing them to practise ‘tuning’ their voices.

Platform: Apple

 

Grid Player

Create sentences and practise speaking aloud with this app to help people who cannot speak or have unclear speech.

Known as an Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) app, it can also be used by those who communicate using symbols.

Platform: Apple

 

Lingraphica Talkpath Therapy

More than 13,500 scientifically designed tasks to help practise language and cognitive skills in the following areas:

 

• Speaking and listening. 
• Reading and writing.
• Memory and reasoning.
• News and daily living.

 

Platform: Apple

 

Predictable

An expensive but multi-award-winning communication app that offers interactive text-to-speech and word prediction for people with speech impairments.

The user can store recordings of themselves saying familiar phrases while the intelligent word predictor learns the user’s vocal pattern for better predictions.

Platforms: Apple (£119.99) and Android (£130.80)

 

 

Proloquo2go

Another award-winning communication aid and another AAC (symbol-supported) app, this is described as “highly customisable” by an RCOT member.

It features “natural sounding voices” and fosters language development through research-based vocabularies.

Platform: Apple (£199.99)

 

Speech FlipBook

For word articulation and apraxia and dysarthria therapy, this app gives access to almost every single-syllable word in the English language.

Users can pick and flip sounds and whole words, listen to them, record themselves saying them and play it back.

Platform: Apple

 

Conversation Therapy

Simply talking to others can reap huge well-being benefits and this app gives you lots of reasons to start chatting!

Used by professional speech therapists, it’s packed with over 300 photographs and related questions and enables users to customise their profiles and games and set up group play.

Designed for children and adults to engage and improve communication skills, the app uses conversation prompts including:

 

• Describe.
• Remember.
• Decide.
• Narrate.
• Brainstorm.

 

Platform: Apple

 

T2 Mood Tracker

Particularly useful for people with brain injury, this app enables users to target and track their mood and fatigue levels and creates graphs showing the results.

Areas explored include:

 

• Head injury.
• Post-traumatic stress. 
• Anxiety and stress.
• Depression and well-being.

 

Platform: Apple and Android

 

3D Brain

Learn how the human brain works and what happens when it’s injured with this informative, inter-active app.

Zoom in and rotate around 29 structures within a 3D brain diagram for information on functions, disorders, damage, case studies and research links.

“Excellent educational/visual aid for ABI clients.” RCOT member.

Platforms: Apple and Android

 

Change4Life Be Food Smart/Smart Recipes

These apps support independent living skills by helping users to manage their food shopping, meals and diet.

Use the apps to check food and drink ingredients and dietary guidance, for simple recipes and fun food ideas, and to put together shopping lists.

Platform: Apple and Android.

 

Hazard Perception

For people with cognitive or visual impairments who want to return to driving, this hazard simulation app puts peripheral vision, attention and insight to the test.

Tap the screen when you spot a hazard!

Platforms: Apple and Android

Please share this article so others can enjoy the benefits of these apps and let us know your favourites on twitter by following us @KrysalisNeuroOT

All the apps in this article are free unless stated. Some apps can include in-app purchases, whereby an app is free to download but has limited features, purchases or subscriptions can then unlock the missing features. This should be made clear by the app developer. You can check the details of each app and any possible costs in your app store of choice.  

 

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And so much more on our exclusive talking heads blog ...

More about the apps and how to access them here: My Therappy

Further advice and resources to support brain injury survivors, their families and neuro OTs during Covid-19 here: Krysalis Public Resources