AN app which can help families organise their lives has been launched by a mother with the help of her son and their friends.

Rachael Malthouse, of Tavistock, has been flooded with messages of support from child support professionals for the app she has been working on for more than two years with the help of son James.

James, 11, is autistic and needs extra support with some everyday tasks. He has provided invaluable advice in the content along with his friend Finlay, 12.

The app ‘Jam Up’ shows how tasks like cleaning teeth and getting dressed can be achieved in a fun and simple way. The app uses child-friendly animation, approaching mundane but necessary activities as if in a computer game.

Children needing support are invited to choose an animal character which will then talk them through cleaning their teeth step-by-step with a child character demonstrating the right way to do it and in what order. There are lots of other choices children are given, right down to toothbrush design and accessibility aids and school uniforms.

Rachael said: “We have designed and developed Jam Up! with over 250 autistic children and their parents and carers age five to 14, but are finding it's helpful for lots of children and even adults who need a bit of extra support or fun.

“James has found it very helpful and had a lot of input in the look of the cat and dog animal characters – essentially so they look like our pets. His friend Finlay has helped with the sounds for the scenarios and has edited them – he’s very good at that.

“We had a lot of advice and input from child support professionals and our friends who frequently gathered in my kitchen to hammer it all out. I’m so pleased at the feedback when it went live.”

Comments include: “It’s slick and easy to use for the young mind because it’s lively and bright and good for the young to engage with”. An occupational therapist with Devon county children’s teams said: “I am so happy to see this come live. There is a real need for it.”

The app is designed to be intuitive to use, features children’s voices, has few words and is easy to process. The app has a daily tip on certain activities, such as putting toothpaste on the brush, not rinsing your mouth of fluoride toothpaste and cleaning your mouth in quarters.

The app supports advice videos for neurodiverse children and those with sensory needs. One video, for example, advises on foot massages to make it more comfortable to wear socks. Future plans include adding rewards for children progressing through their tasks, such as underwater and space trips.

The app was developed with help from a crowdfunder appeal, supported by the Good Growth Fund, Cornwall Growth Hub, Innovate UK and Essex Integrated Care Board.

Partners include Yellow Mouse Studios of Exeter who designed the animation, while Plymouth University is helping with development.

Jam Up! can be downloaded at this website www.jamup.io