Software for ASD child ? (Aged under 5)

[cyberseraphim]

We haven't tried any computer games with DS1 (ASD) yet mainly because we use Macintosh laptops which are too small and lightweight to be be used by any child let alone an ASD child. We are planning to get a robust PC for him soon but I'm not sure what he would like or even if he would be interested at all. He concenrates/fixates on books but I'm not sure if he has the motor skills to control a mouse.

cyber, has your ds seen poison rouge ?

even if at first you just showed him it, did all the clicking, it might give you an idea if he is interested... my ds got mouse experience at nursery to start with and then through using our computer (mac mini) he is very good at using it now, he can go into bookmarks and find club penguin, then get through the start up pages to playing... which isn't actually a good thing, because he wants me to play the games on there and I hate computer games.

dh also sits with him and plays some kind of ball game and a dinosaur game.

We had these 'Living Books' games where there is a story and they have to click on things to read the story/start animations. DS1 used to love them but they are pretty old now and don't know if you can still get them...

I do loads of stuff with DD - I do the clicking but it's a great way to get her to interact (can't remember if your DS is at all verbal...) Good sites are pbskids.org, cbeebies, thomasandfriends, starfall (REAL FAVE). She has to tell me which game she wants to play, which character, etc. She also loves things like animated e-cards and will talk about what's happening (in her own way!)

you'd be surprised - our DS1 has all sorts of motor planning problems but he is a whizz with the mouse!

he does online puzzles on www.jigzone.com, you can change the cut to a 20-piece classic which is the one the kids are most familiar with, DS1 (4 1/2) now goes and finds pictures himself (animals, trains, fish...). The Thomas website also has simple puzzles.

I second the Cbeebies website, it has loads of simple interactive games featuring all the favourite characters! DS1 loves the Pingu game and the Rubberducks so much so that it's all we'd hear all day if I'd let him!

Ds1 has also just got into Playstation, we have a PS2 and he plays the Ratatouille game on it and absolutely loves it - he doesn't get past the first stage but obviously it doesn't bother him the slightest, it's making the mouse jump that is the best thing in the world!