Inaugural Autism AppJam to Honor Autism Awareness Month in April

For two weeks this April, UC Irvine student teams will be tapping their energy and creativity to create the next generation of mobile apps to benefit persons with autism. This Autism AppJam is sponsored by UC Irvine and the Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders of Southern California to honor Autism Awareness Month and to highlight the exciting technology advances that are improving the lives of those with autism.

On April 5, AppJam teams will kick start their effort to build the best app, culminating at an April 19 event, in which a team of judges — which include those from Blizzard Entertainment, Google, Yahoo and IBM — will award the top teams prizes and recognition. 

“Mobile apps have the potential to address a wide range of issues related to autism, from providing a voice for those who can't speak to increasing independent living and employment skills,” says Gillian Hayes, a UC Irvine informatics assistant professor who designs computerized devices that help teachers work with children who have autism. “I am thrilled to see what happens when we apply the creativity and talent of our students to such an important problem space.”

This event is open to students from all disciplines; no past experience is required. For more information, go to http://thecenter4autism.org/appjam.

The organizers would like to thank IBM, Microsoft, the PIMCO Foundation, Blizzard Entertainment, Google, Yahoo, Tiwahe Technology, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and the Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences for their support.



 

Contacts:

Rizza Barnes, rizza.barnes@uci.edu, 949-824-6455

Tom Vasich, tmvasich@uci.edu, 949-824-6455

Kathleen Freed, kfreed@cornerstonecomms.com, 949-200-6109