I thought you would love to learn of a solution being developed by one of our Partners, SDM, to assist people with Autism. This is a great example of Microsoft technology being used to help genuinely disadvantaged people, improve their communication.

SDM recently won a Consensus Software Award, and Microsoft’s Global Potential award for PocketPhrase, an application that is designed to assist people with autism to become more independent.

PocketPhrase is built to run on any device that runs WindowsXP, Windows Vista or Windows Mobile (v5 & v6). By creating the software so that it will run on any Windows-based device, it provides parents and carers with more flexibility in choosing a device that is suited to each individual's needs.

In their citation for the award, the judges recognised PocketPhrase for its potential to enable people on the autism spectrum to more fully participate in society by providing a uniquely flexible set of digital communication aids. PocketPhrase was cited as one of the most exciting medical assist devices ever seen by the judges.

PocketPhrase may well revolutionise support for autistic children, their carers, families, and clinicians. It effectively comprises the full framework required for a modern clinical support tool by not just offering the user device application, but a teacher/carer system, appropriate logging, as well as an Internet based community forum to properly enable self help and ongoing support. With its attractive flash cards, story boards, schedule supports, problem solving tools and even mood monitoring.