Big Break: Act & Sing Game app for iPhone and iPad

This game operates as a safe and fun way for kids to practice their social communication skills through modules that require listening, watching, acting, speaking and singing. Levels are tailored to verbal ability, from sounds and short words to full sentences. A great resource for coaching nonverbal aspects of expression and emotion understanding. Also a great resource for encouraging speech in kids, and English language learning. Start with roaring along in the Dinosaur song, work up to using small phrases, and then move on to full sentences! Or, start with full sentences on verbal level 3, and act out emotions with increasing complexity.

Based on research conducted in the SMART lab at Ryerson University (smartlaboratory.org), this game utilizes research-supported methods of emotion mimicry to guide kids in their development of social communication skills. All young people can benefit from the game, and it is expected to be especially useful for people with autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorders, communication disorders, attention deficit disorder subtypes, and English language learners. Check out our game website to learn more (www.bigbreakgame.com).

As a team of researchers, educators, designers, and parents, we understand the importance of social communication, and we are deeply interested in making tools to support the development of social communication skills. We are always interested in learning more about social communication challenges and receiving app-specific feedback. Please send comments via email to [email protected].

Brought to you by Emote Play Apps Incorporated (www.emoteplay.com)
Chief Executive Officers: Lucy McGarry, Ph.D. & Frank Russo, Ph.D.
Creative Director: Dan Sampson

Graphics, animations & character design by Dan Sampson (www.dansampson.ca)
iOS development by Lucy McGarry ([email protected]), Alex Andrews of Ten Kettles Development ([email protected]) and Gabriel Jensen
Theme song and sound effects by Andrew Lauzon
Production team: Stevie Baker, Tyler Grace, Adam Buckley
Script writers: Dan Sampson, Stevie Baker, Daniel Paolini

Thanks to our funding sources including the Fed Dev Social Venture Fellowship, and Telus Community Grants. Thanks to the Geneva Centre for Autism for their helpful feedback.