Special Needs Software: Timocco

As a mom of a child with special needs, the need to find games and toys that are not only fun but can help encourage my daughter are absolutely critical. Due to her having a traumatic brain injury that was severe enough to necessitate the need to remove her right frontal lobe and parts of her parietal lobe. Between the brain injury itself and the removal of the brain tissue, she is left with focus issues, a left arm that doesn't function, cognitive delays and a left leg that is weak. Trying to encourage her to use her left arm has been... trying, to say the least.

Thankfully, there are many innovative companies who have really bringing forth many new and exciting games that marry technology, learning, therapies and fun into one and one of those companies is Timocco, who asked me to share their amazing product with you.
Timocco is amazing in the way that the software works. Compatible with both PCs and Macs, Timocco works in a browser with a webcam that is used to track body movements that is really similar to Xbox Kinect and Playstation Eye and there is no recording at all.

Here's a great video to see the software in action:

The program is designed to work hand in hand with the child's current therapy goals or you can enlist the in-house team of Occupation Therapists to assist in developing personalized treatment plans as well. We all know that once therapy sessions end, there is still work to be done and it's really hard to keep our kids on task utilizing therapy goals at home.

Emma loves games. She loves to play them on the iPad and we tried the Wii and although she likes games on there, she has a hard time controlling the left controller due to no muscle tone in the left arm (due to hemiparesis/cerebral palsy on that side). We lost our occupational therapist (OT) earlier this year when she had a baby and decided to stay home for the first year (which, I totally understand!) and we have not been able to find a replacement yet. Having Timocco at home is something that we need and I am definitely going to subscribe to, even more so NOW that she doesn't have an OT! Also, most insurance only covers one session a week and for most kids with special needs, that's just not enough.

The games that Timocco has are all ones that would deeply benefit my daughter because they help improve fine motor skills, strengthening the upper extremities (which she needs for both arms and shoulders), helps improve cognitive abilities (memory, sequencing, number recognition, etc.), improved attention skills (i.e., impulsiveness and inhibition restraint and split attention), helps develop writing skills by strengthening the motor base, and can help enhance body control, awareness of space (i.e., too close to another!) that will help with interacting with peers. The games also develop skills to improve range of motion, bilateral coordination, and motor control. Each and every single one of these are what Emma needs and she struggles with them all.

Personally, I think this is brilliant. Not only does this benefit Emma's needs but various other special needs such as Autism and other neuro-cognitive needs.

A little more about the background of the company.

Timocco was developed by a team of experts in the field of child development, including Sarit Tresser who has degrees in both Computer Graphics and also Occupational Therapies. Along with Shai Yagur, a leading mind in virtual motion and computer vision tracking technology, the two created what Timocco is today.

Found in schools, hospitals, clinics, and homes, the games blend our patented motion technology with a variety of fine-tuning options which isolate and develop therapy-related skills and abilities. Since its establishment in 2009, Timocco has grown to serve children across North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

About the Balloon Game - In the Balloon game, children move the push pin by moving their arms and holding the pin over the balloon when it flashes. This game helps to strengthen arms and shoulders while supporting overall coordination.

About the Kitchen Drummer Game - in the Kitchen Drummer game, children move a wooden spoon with their arms to repeat a sequence played on the pots to improve visual and auditory sequences and motor accuracy.

About the What's Next Game - in the What's Next game, children will move the ball to mark activities according to the right sequence teaching social skills as well as proper order for daily activities.

Be sure to visit Timocco's website. While you are there, be sure to read some amazing testimonials here, here, and here. Those are only three testimonials but there are more that you should really read and see how Timocco has helped out children.

You can purchase Timocco here starting at $20 / month with a one year subscription (billed monthly).

For only $20 a month to add additional support for Emma is worth it. It's a little less than a copay for one visit and provides needed supplement therapy to go along with her current therapy sessions (she's only receiving physical and speech therapy in outpatient therapy and a little bit of therapy at school, too.)

What do you think of having this software available to help your child?