Studies have indicated individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) may benefit from specific instruction in categorization1. Poor categorization skills can influence word finding, comprehension, and language processing. Children with language disorders often have difficulty explaining a relationship between items, forming word associations, and building the semantic networks needed for speaking and writing3,4. Categories Learning Center was created specifically to help build those semantic networks to increase word finding, comprehension, and processing.

Five Activities

Sorting (Level 1 and Level 2)
In levels 1 and 2, the app shows a line of items on the bottom of the screen and either two or three containers. The individual must drag the item to the appropriate container. Tapping the item at the bottom of the screen will provide an audio clip with the item label. Once identified, the individual must determine the category in which the item should be placed. The number of containers is selected in the “settings” area. See images below.

Where does it go?

Where Does it Go? is a receptive task. In this activity, the individual is given three categories and a single item. The individual must decide which of the three categories is the best answer for the single item. Level 3 is a more complex categorization task as there are no additional pictures to use as references.
Category Naming

Category Selection

Progress Measuring

Video Tutorial
Reviews

This is a perfect app for developmentally delayed students as it addresses many of their needs in one app. We are able to track their progress and move up a level when they are ready.

It helps kids to think past general categories. For example, one category is not just, “animals”, but “reptiles”, and another category is not just, “household items”, but “bathroom items…I enjoy the age appropriate kid voices on the recordings

The pictures are not confusing or stick-figure-ish. While they are not real images, the illustrations are still easy to identify…You can select a combination of activities such as sorting and category naming during the same session, or only select one type of activity, your choice.
iTunes Reviews
Excellent App for working on not only categorization skills, but both expressive and receptive language skills. There is so much you can do with this app. I have also used it with a few of my adult clients who have aphasia.
I love the different levels in this program. Great to be able to have students sort dissimilar items and also do the higher level task of similar items. This app is very customizable
Good to use in the classroom as it keeps track of IEP goals. It is very customizable and has various levels of difficulty. This app objective is to sort items that are similar and those items that are not similar. Not too many other category apps out there!
I am an SLP who works with students with significant language delays. This works well because I can work on both receptive and expressive vocabulary. They work hard but have fun too!
References
Constantinidou, F. & Kreimer, L. (2004). Feature description and categorization of common objects after traumatic brain injury: The effects of a multi-trial paradigm. Brain and Language, 89(1), 216-225.
Partyka, C. M. & Kresheck, J. D. (1983). A comparison of categorization skills of normal and language delayed children in early elementary schools. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 14, 243-251.
Richard, G. J. & Hanner, M. A.(2005) The Language Processing Test 3. East Moline, IL: LinguiSystems, Inc.
Semel, E., Wiig, E. H., & Secord, W. A. (2003). Clinical evaluation of language fundamentals, fourth edition (CELF-4). Toronto, Canada: The Psychological Corporation/A Harcourt Assessment Company.