This episode of the TiLT Parenting Podcast features a conversation with Amberlynn Slavin, an occupational therapist and the creator of the fantastic app for kids with dyslexia and dysgraphia, SnapType. Amberlynn designed SnapType to give kids who have learning disabilities that impact their handwriting an easy way to fill in worksheets so they don’t fall behind in class. Created only two years ago, SnapType has been downloaded more than half-a-million times and is being used in more than fifty countries.
In our conversation, Amberlynn talks about her passion for occupational therapy, tells her story of becoming inspired to solve for a problem she noticed while working in a school, and walks us through her journey of developing SnapType. We loved this conversation because Amberlynn is a wonderful example of how one person thinking creatively about supporting differently-wired kids can have an immediate impact. We hope to be able to share more stories like this and continue to introduce the TiLT community to people activity doing the important work of finding ways to help our kids thrive.
About Amberlynn: Amberlynn Slavin recently graduated from Springfield College in Massachusetts with her master’s degree in occupational therapy. She now lives in the California Bay Area and works in pediatrics. Outside of OT, she loves coaching competitive gymnastics and undertaking all sorts of creative projects.
THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
- What (or more specifically WHO) inspired Amberlynn to create an app for kids with dysgraphia and dyslexia
- How Amberlynn went from idea to finished app
- How SnapType works, both the free and paid versions
- How SnapType can be incorporated into a student’s IEP
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- Dysgraphia—I Created an App for That (article from Additude Magazine)
