Life Book in Autism
You have undoubtedly already asked yourself this question:
How can I help my child tell about their day?
People with autism, ASD, or neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) struggle to express what they experience daily. They have had wonderful moments at school or the special education center, but once back at home, it’s impossible for them to tell about them.
This lack of means to communicate leads to frustrations, behavioral issues, or isolation. Parents are left in the dark, not knowing what happened during their child’s day.
This was exactly the case with our little brother Pablo five years ago.
In the evening, we would ask him: "What did you do today at the special education center?" Silence. Not for lack of desire, but for lack of tools to tell.
The life book is the tool that changed everything.
With photos, pictograms, and videos, Pablo can finally tell us about his day. We open his digital life book together. He sees the images of his activities. And then, magic: he can show us, comment, share.
New in Pictalk Buddy
Life Books are now available in Pictalk Buddy.
With this new feature, you can:
✅ Create memory pages in 2 minutes with photos, videos, pictograms, and text
✅ Share in real time with family, educators, and the educational team
✅ Keep a precious record of your loved one’s life journey
✅ Promote communication by providing concrete materials to tell
Life books are essential for medico-social professionals who want to improve communication with families. With Pictalk Buddy for professionals, we offer you the possibility to save time!
Save time and improve communication!
We thought of everything: quick creation, automatic synchronization across all devices (phone, tablet, computer), and selective sharing according to your needs. Plus, you can consult life books even offline.
Paper Life Books: Advantages and Disadvantages
The main features of paper life books with images or pictograms are:
- Laminated pages with slots to stick photos
- Chronological organization (one page per day or week)
- Printed pictograms to cut out and stick
- Ring binder for adding or removing pages
Strengths of this model: tactile handling, full customization.
Advantages
✅ No technological barrier
✅ Physical handling of photos and pictograms
✅ Can be browsed like a traditional book
✅ No risk of battery failure
Disadvantages
❌ Very difficult to transport (often bulky, heavy)
❌ Requires a printer and laminator for each new page
❌ Easy to lose or left behind at school/special education center
❌ No real-time sharing with family
❌ Rapid deterioration (torn pages, peeled photos, damaged lamination)
❌ No backup in case of loss
❌ No videos or audio
❌ Time-consuming: cutting, gluing, laminating...
Conclusion
Choose a paper life book if your use is very occasional and if the person is still very young (under six years old).
If you need to move around, want to share with several caregivers, or want to preserve memories permanently, opt for a digital solution like Pictalk Buddy.
With Pictalk Buddy, you can create and view the life book on phone, tablet, and computer. Everything is synchronized automatically and shared in real time with whoever you want.