Auditory Memory Ride: App Review

Auditory Memory refers to the ability to retain and recall what was heard. Auditory Memory difficulties affect a child’s ability to cope in a classroom. Further information can be found here

 

Auditory Memory Ride is a comprehensive app by Virtual Speech Center, to work on auditory memory.

The app addresses the following aspects of auditory memory.

• Number Recall
• Recognition: Words and Sentences
• Recall: Words and Sentences
• Recognition: Details
• Recall: Details
• Paragraphs

 

App Features

•  4 modes of delay

no delay, 5 second delay, 10 second delay, 15 second delay

• 4 Background noises

Traffic noise,  birds chirping,  white noise, classroom noise

• The ability to show text/hide text

This is great if you would like to use the app to target reading skills.

• Note option

The clinician can add a note while the student is playing. The note is then shown in the report.

• Reward Game

A fun game where the student has to fly a plane and collect coins without crashing into obstacles.

The number of correct trials for the reward game can be adjusted from 1 – 10 trials.

 

Number Recall

This activity uses a realistic task of calculator for the students to recall the numbers that they have heard.

The student is required to enter numbers into the calculator after hearing them. For example

3 + 2 + 6

The task progresses from recalling 3 single digit numbers to four complex numbers. For example

24 + 63 + 14 + 85

The ability to hold numbers (information) in working memory is addressed in tasks where the student only has to enter the smallest/largest number in a series of three or five numbers

Recognition of Words and Sentences

This task is graded from recognizing two related and then unrelated words to 5 related/unrelated words.

The student is required to listen to the word list and then touch the pictures that have been mentioned.

The task progresses to recognizing 3-4 word sentences and 5 to 7 word sentences. For example

 

Recall:  Words and Sentences

The words or sentence is played. The student is required to  record what they have heard.

The answer can then be replayed. The response can be checked by pressing the replay button.

 

Recognition: Details

This task is graded from recognizing one object with one detail to three objects with one detail.

The yellow scissors and the short ruler – 2 objects 2 details

 

 

Paragraphs

This task has 6 levels.

 

 

The multiple choice questions require the student to wait until all the options have been played before they select their answer. This is great for the impulsive students.

The open ended questions require the examiner to mark the student’s response as correct or incorrect.

The student is able to replay with story without the visual information should they require it.

 

 

What I like

• The ability to choose from different background noises. In one of my previous app reviews, I mentioned that using a classroom noise would be a relevant addition and I am delighted that Virtual Speech Center has included classroom noise as one of the options.
• The time delay adjustment changes the difficulty level of the task. It also allows the therapist to provide scaffolding for the child who has not developed strategies to aid recall.
• Settings can be changed within a task.  If a task is too easy/difficult you are able to introduce/remove background noise or adjust the time delay
• Recall of related words allows you to work on categorization and vocabulary skills.
• The option to have visual or no visual in the paragraphs allows you to work on reading skills if necessary.
• Any of the tasks can be used for articulation practice.

 

What I would like:

• Recognition of related words; I would like the option to increase the number of foils. This would also change the difficulty level. 
• The jump from recalling three digits to five digits was too difficult for many of the students and students often became frustrated as a result.
• Recall of items does not need to be sequential and I feel that this is an important component of memory.

 

Auditory Memory Ride is a fantastic app that directly targets auditory memory in a number of different contexts.

Auditory memory is a skill that can be improved with practice and this app provides a fun way to do it.

Auditory Memory Ride is available on the app store for $19.99

 

Thank you to Virtual Speech Center for providing me with a copy for review. All opinions are my own.