Sensory Light Box

Cause & Effect for Apple, Android and Kindle Fire phones and tablets.

App Store iPad, iPod & iPhone
Google Play Android Phones & Tablets
Amazon Kindle Fire & Android
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Reviews

  • Lovely app to teach touchscreen interaction skills and the notion of cause and effect to those with limited comprehension of these. Lots of useful sensitivity settings and options including switch compatibility

    DART App Reviews - University of Edinburgh

  • This app is brilliant, money well spent, there are loads of similar apps on the market but nothing as good as this. My son is on the Autistic spectrum and he loves it he spends hours on it.

    Apple App Store Review

  • My DS/Autistic son loves this app. it is calming and soothing and keeps him well engaged. I would recommend this app for long waits and crowded places.

    Amazon App Store Review

  • My ten month old son absolutely adores this, as does his three year old brother. I work with children with special needs who also find it entrancing. Works well and a good range of sensory effects.

    Amazon App Store Review

  • Really pleased with this- great auditory and visual feedback. Used with different people and all find something they like. Well worth the money.

    Apple App Store Review

  • I have used the application to create sensory stories with the interactive white board. A highly engaging app that can teach cause and effect but also can be used as a visual stimulus to engage children during story time and as a calming down tool.

    Educational App Store

  • This is an excellent app for teaching the concept of cause and effect. The visuals would also serve as a great motivator if trying to get a user to be comfortable with touching the iPad. Over all this is a fun app that can be used in a variety of different ways by a variety of different types of users. We have trialed this app with children who have Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and multiple impairments.

    Bridging Apps Review

  • It is fabulous to have so many interesting cause & effect activities within the one app. There would be a scene to capture the interest of just about anyone! The music/sounds selected for each scene are great and we love that the scenes react differently to different touch. This could probably take the place of a few cause & effect apps on your iPad.

    Spectronics Blog

  • My almost-5-year-old, blind and autistic, is still trying to figure out how touching the tablet works. This app had him refining his touch and laughing and interacting almost immediately! What a great find!

    Google Play Review

  • My son is ASD and loves this app so much. Already has a favourite setting. Highly recommended, not just for SEN kids.

    Google Play Review

  • My son loves it. Really calms and seems to soothe him. Highly recommended.

    Google Play Review

  • My 18 month old loves it! Great for young ones. Lots of different lights and sounds. Easy to use. :)

    Amazon App Store Review

  • Cause and Effect Sensory Light Box is a multifaceted app to use when teaching cause and effect, targeting, and visual attention. Great for use with low vision kids or as a "chill out " app for the overly stressed kid or adult.....

    AppyMall iOS Review

About Light Box

Video shows Apple iPhone version

Sensory Light Box uses abstract animation, music and sound to introduce basic touch skills and awareness of cause & effect.

30 colourful scenes are included ranging from calming immersives to energetic stims. Many options are provided to customise visuals and control method.

Light Box has become a popular app for parents of young toddlers and in elder care settings, but was originally made for teenagers with autism and a range of complex needs including visual impairment. Sounds and graphics are appropriate for any age.

New in Version 5

Palette Drawer

A slideout drawer is used to change the palette at any time. The drawer can be locked on the settings page if it becomes a distraction.

Five Finger Support

Most scenes now support five touches. All the remaining now support two fingers for modelling and cooperative use.

New Scenes And Options

30 improved scenes with more background and settings options

Parent Friendly

No adverts or in-app purchases. IARC Rating

Apple VPP Supported

Generous discounts for education purchasing

Google for Education

Google Play for Education Approved App.

Screenshots

Reviews and References

Privacy Statement

Sensory Light Box does not collect or access personal data and does not include adverts or external web links. Sensory Light Box can display the camera videostream as background wallpaper and uses the microphone as an optional sound activated switch, but the app does not actually record audio or video.

Current Version

Version 5.0 Releases

  • Sensory Light Box HD (April 2018) is available on Google Play
  • Sensory Lightbox Amazon (April 2018) is available on the Amazon App Store
  • Sensory Lightbox iOS (March 2018) includes iOS11 support and is available in The App Store

Previous Versions

Version 4.0 (2014) for Early Android Versions (Prior to Android 4.0)

This version is no longer available for new customers - but if you purchased it in the past, you can still download a copy from the cloud using the Google Play app on your phone or tablet.

Switch Interfaces

On iOS you can now configure Switch Control Recipes to control Light Box in its default Touch controlled modes - if you are using the whole screen as a switch you might also want to look at Assistive Touch.

 

Simple Cause and Effect Interaction with Switches

For simple cause and effect activities with automatic/random animation, configure your switch to send a Tap and choose Tap Anywhere Switch in Light Box settings. Various types of automatic animation are provided - including toggle modes and various timeouts to encourage 'keep alive' interaction.

There are now many ways to set up switches, but when Light Box is being used cooperatively with a teacher/supporter most set the Launch Recipe to Tap Middle of Screen - and use a Triple Press of the Home Button to toggle between normal touch control and Switch Control when they want to change the settings or scenes in Light Box.

Legacy Switch Control Methods

If you aren't using iOS Switch Control or are using older versions of iOS or Android you can still use most switches to control Light Box.....

The 'Legacy/Keyboard Switch' setting in Light Box will allow you to use switches to trigger scenes when your iOS or Android device is not using Switch Control. Historically this is how most switch apps have been used - and is probably the preferred method with less able users.

Check the switch interface manual and choose a mode/profile which sends Space, Enter or any alphanumeric character. eg:

  • Pretorian Simply Works - Mode 7, Mode 8, Mode A or Mode B
  • Pretorian APPlicator - Any Mode from 0 through to 8
  • Pretorian Switch2Scan - Use Quick Access Mode
  • Ablenet Blue 2 - Mode 1, Mode 2 or Mode 3
  • Cicada Firefly - Mode 5
  • AirTurn BT 105 - Profile 2 and Profile 4
  • AirTurn DIGIT (BT 106) - Profile 2 and Profile 4
  • Tapio - RJ Cooper Mode, Tapio Modes, Rich Mode or Keyboard Modes
  • Use these interfaces with their default settings:
    • iSwitch, Therapy Box Switchbox, ILT Switchboxes, RJ Cooper BSI and BSS, Attainment BSS,
      Enabling Devices Interfaces, J-Pad Joystick & Spectronics Switchbox

Mouse and Pointing Devices

The Android and Kindle Fire versions of Sensory Light Box can be used with a mouse, trackball or head mouse if you enable 'Mouse Tracking' in Light Box's Accessibility Options. By default all mouse/pointer movement activates sound and animation - you can optionally use Midas refuges (rest zones) or Dwell Activation to switch animation on and off.

Mouse tracking activates only a single animation or effect - equivalent to playing with one finger.