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Austin Assessment Family app

The Austin Assessment Family app is designed for parents, caregivers or individuals who want to screen their child for cerebral visual impairment and related visual issues.
It includes a game-mode option to practice visual matching skills.
For professionals, there's an Austin Assessment Work app which allows for multiple screening assessments.

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Austin Assessment Family app	By The Austin McDowell Foundation
	Features Data exports. Results from the screening assessment can be exported and shared as a text file to email, message or print.
Country of origin	New Zealand
Clinical review	Read a clinical review below.
Security and privacy	Does the app: Collect medical information? No Require a login? No Have password protection? No Have a privacy policy? Yes Require internet access to use? Yes Read more about safety and security when using apps. Brochures: Tips to improve your privacy and security [PDF, 65 KB] Healthify He Puna Waiora, NZ Staying safe online(external link) Netsafe, NZ
Cost	Free, with paid version for other app feature access.
Advertisements	This app contains no ads.
How to get the app	(external link) (external link)

The Austin Assessment app is a fun, simple card-matching game that screens children for cerebral visual impairment (CVI). Cerebral visual impairment is a disorder caused by damage to parts of the brain that process visual information. The app contains a series of card-matching games to screen for different aspects of CVI. A report is generated following the screening activities.

The Austin Assessment app isn't a diagnostic tool for CVI, however, it's a validated screening tool which can identify a need to seek further assessment from a medical professional such as an ophthalmologist or neurologist. It can be used with children aged 5 to 18 years. It can still be used if you want to screen people younger or older, however, it hasn't been validated outside of this age range.

After purchasing and completing a single screening test, the app allows you to use it in ‘Game Mode’ which gives access to shape-matching games.

For the complete app description, go to the app website(external link), App Store(external link) or, for a more detailed review, see reviews below.

PROS	CONS
✔ Allows you to screen a child for visual issues which are not picked up by a standard vision test. ✔ After completing a screening assessment, a report is generated with recommendations. ✔ Game mode is available to practice skills after completing an assessment.	✘ Each screening assessment costs $9.99, which may be a barrier for some users.

PROS

CONS

✔ Allows you to screen a child for visual issues which are not picked up by a standard vision test.

✔ After completing a screening assessment, a report is generated with recommendations.

✔ Game mode is available to practice skills after completing an assessment.

✘ Each screening assessment costs $9.99, which may be a barrier for some users.

Clinical review

Reviewer: Lauren Hill, Speech Language Therapist, Auckland
Date of review: November 2024
Platform: Apple
Version: 1.6.0
Comments: This is an excellent app. It's simple to use with clear instructions. It's been validated on children aged 5 to 21 years in Aotearoa New Zealand. The main screening assessment is short, simple to use and provides valuable information as to whether to seek further assessment for cerebral vision impairment from a medical professional. After using the screening assessment, a game mode option is available to practice visual matching skills – this is easy to access and engaging to use. Please note, the app shouldn't be used as a diagnostic tool. If you're concerned about your child’s vision, please seek the advice of a medical professional.
Safety concerns: None.
New Zealand relevance: Yes – the app has been validated on over 900 New Zealand children aged between 5 to 18 years.
Concerns: None.

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