Lingokids, the popular children’s education app, knows that learning is subjective. Kids are curious about different things and have distinct interests, and when it comes to complex skills such as reading, memorising and using language, their individual needs differ too.

The app is making strides to ensure learning is inclusive of every child, and its more than 1,600 playful activities are designed not just with education in mind, but with neurodivergence as well.

Adapting their app to be more neuroinclusive wasn’t just a professional goal for the team behind Lingokids, it was a personal one, inspired by experiences of neurodiversity in their own families.

The team behind LingoKids is a diverse group of educators, technologists and creatives. To make its Playlearning activities, aimed at kids between the ages of 2 and 8, they rely on a panel of experts that includes specialists in all types of neurodiversity from the New York–based Child Mind Institute, as well as educational psychologists, child psychiatrists and clinical psychologists.

Experts audit the app’s activities and provide feedback to ensure it offers the best learning environment for all kids. To further assess whether its activities will be of benefit to neurodiverse children, the team also ask for input from people who have autism and parents.

One such collaboration was with autism advocate, author, podcast host and founder of The Autism Cafe blog, Eileen Lamb. “Being autistic myself and having two children on opposite ends of the spectrum, it was the perfect opportunity for me to contribute,” says Lamb.

Lingokids’ mission is to help children develop their ability to communicate and make sense of the world around them in order to be the best version of themselves and become confident adults. Underpinning this is the belief that technology can be an invaluable teaching tool, as long as screen time is monitored to be within healthy and productive limits.

“My 11-year-old Charlie, who has level 3 autism and is non-verbal, communicates using an app on his iPad,” says Lamb. “Apps like Lingokids alleviate my concerns about my children spending time on screens. These apps are interactive and educational simultaneously. Witnessing Charlie engage with the activities in the LingoKids app brings me joy, especially considering his limited play skills and short attention span.”

In the app’s section for neurodiverse kids, Lingokids has activities that are tailored to address specific challenges and help children develop necessary skills. For example, activities for children with autism focus on social skills and emotion recognition, while content for those with ADHD incorporates movement and fast-paced videos to improve focus and attention.

Given how broad the spectrum is for neurodiversity, it’s difficult for one app to meet the needs of every single person, but Lamb says that it’s still invaluable to have a starting point for parents. “What works for my son with level 3 autism doesn’t work for my son with level 1 autism, and vice versa,” she says. “That’s why I appreciate that Lingokids includes categories based on levels.”

As a parent, you won’t be merely observing your child’s learning journey. Lingokids sends you weekly progress reports and you can tap into resources to support what your child is learning, so you’re actively involved in their education.

The Parents Area is where you can find details about the app’s curriculum and activities, along with helpful tips on how to get the most out of Lingokids for your child. It’s also where you can access community forums with questions, comments and advice posted by other parents, so no one feels like they’re on this journey alone.