App/website series: My Talking Tom
Now, more than ever, we are using technology in our sessions, whether we’re carrying out a teletherapy session or using an iPad or laptop in our face-to-face sessions. Our iPads are wipeable and so easy to keep safe and clean. So this year we wanted to share with you our favourite apps and websites to use. Each month we will be posting an App/Website Blog with ideas on how to use them in therapy sessions or when practising at home.
This month on our Social Media pages, we have been looking at social and emotional wellbeing support throughout this transition period of returning to school, during the global pandemic. So, for our first app/webpage blog, I wanted to write about an app I use to talk about emotions with some of our younger clients. I will often use this app to introduce emotions and feelings and it’s a fun way to start looking at the subject as most children think they’re just playing a game.
My Talking Tom! I have found this app really useful for looking at emotions. Tom, the cat, is so expressive and he really lets you know how he is feeling with facial expressions and gestures! The circles at the bottom of the screen, on the app, highlight his wants and needs and you can have lots of conversation around his basic needs and how they are impacting on how he feels.
Tom lets us know he’s hungry by showing us a picture of food and then pointing an arrow to his mouth. You can then use this as a chance to talk about what we do when we are hungry and how this can make us feel. I know this can really impact on my own mood!
Tom looks very content and happy when all his needs are met. We can talk about his relaxed posture and smiley face.
Tom looks very content and happy when all his needs are met. We can talk about his relaxed posture and smiley face.
At the end of Tom’s busy day, we can see he is feeling tired and needs to sleep.
This app can be used alongside the Zones of Regulation; recognising how Tom is feeling, which zone he would be in and talking about how we can help him to be back in the green zone.