My brother was diagnosed with severe autism when he was 2 years old. I was 10 back then. He had been non-verbal and unable to read for a long time. I remember those days when we wanted him to speak a word.
He was having a hard time focusing and learning. But when I bought my first smartphone, I realized my brother has a special interest in smart devices, about 10 times longer than his usual attention to his surroundings. After that, I bought him an iPad as a gift.
Then I noticed a problem. There weren’t suitably designed applications for children with disabilities like his. Some communication apps (AAC) were too expensive, and the games were very difficult for him. Because of that, he could play only a few apps, some of which included ads that can be harmful to him.
So with my close friend, we decided to build a basic color game to teach colors to my brother. In a relatively short period of time, he became able to distinguish the colors. His interest and success inspired us to build games for every child who can benefit from them, and we created Otsimo, a mobile education platform for children with disabilities.
We believe that education is a basic human right and are determined to improve our work until proper special education is available and accessible to each and every household in need.
Zafer Elcik, Co-founder of Otsimo
Obama Leader & Ashoka Fellow
We reached
We work together on lessons daily, but he can also play independently. He loves the sound games so much he'd play all day if I let him!
I am a special education teacher in a special education school. The app is very convenient and useful for my children. I recommend it to all my colleagues.
As a behavior specialist, I will be recommending to the families I work with. I’m particularly thrilled about the no-advertising approach!
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CTO, Director of Engineering
CEO
Director of Design & Art
Director of Products
Game & Engineering Manager
Art Manager
HR manager aka. Chief Happiness Officer
Finance Manager
Copy Editor and Content Writer
Animator
Play Designer
Jr. Game Developer
Illustrator
Frontend Developer
Software Developer
QA Tester
Unity Animator
Jr. Growth Specialist
Game Developer
Chief Cat Officer
Otsimo is partnering with Sago Mini, the world's leading mobile games company for children! Together we're working towards a better and more inclusive future for children everywhere.
Our goal is to create educational and entertaining digital toys that engage children and help them develop essential skills, no matter where they're from or what their abilities are. With Sago Mini's award-winning reputation and Otsimo's expertise in special kids' space, we're confident that we can make a real difference in the lives of children around the world.